President & Founder – Michael A. Courade  

            Michael is currently a Chief Warrant Officer 3 within the Texas Army National Guard and is in his last year of service with the United States Army.  After over 24 years of service to this great nation, CW3 Courade will retire on 1 April 2026.  Michael plans to devote his life in retirement to his family and to this foundation, with a desire to build an enduring mechanism to assist military leaders, service members, and veterans by creating programs that support benevolence, unit heraldry, informal functions, recognition, and bereavement, sustaining the long-cherished tradition of the Cup and Flower Fund. 

            Chief Courade is the Founder of the foundation and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience through his past service within non-profit organizations.  He has served the last nine years as the Treasurer for the United States Army Warrant Officer Association – Audie L. Murphy Chapter.  Prior to that, Michael served on the board of directors for the National Guard Association of Texas (NGAT), where he volunteered as a member of the finance committee.  Throughout his career, Michael has served as special funds recorder for Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) funds, unit funds, and multiple informal cup and flower funds, where he was inspired to build the Cup and Flower Foundation. 

            His service in the United States Army began shortly after 9-11.  He joined the Regular Army as an Infantryman and graduated the United States Army Infantry School in 2002.  He served in many different Infantryman assignments, to include SAW gunner, Fire Team Leader, and Personal Security Team NCOIC for the G3 of the First Cavalry Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2004-2005.  Michael transitioned to the Texas Army National Guard in Spring of 2008, where he shifted into human resources management.  He obtained the rank of Sergeant First Class and served as the S1 NCOIC and Headquarters Platoon Sergeant for 2-142 Infantry Battalion in Lubbock, TX prior to attending Warrant Officer Candidate School in 2016.  Michael’s career as a warrant officer took him to the Joint Force Headquarters, Texas Army National Guard, where he served as the Talent Management Human Resources Technician for the Officer Personnel Management Branch.  His culminating assignment is the Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) Manager for the state, where he is responsible for the program management of over 1,400 AGR Soldiers, amounting in over $240 million in fiscal responsibility.  

            Michael is a proud father of four children and is married to his wife Cristie.  Michael and Cristie reside in Lago Vista, Texas.