VETERANS RETREAT
SOVEREIGN ROOTS
OUR MISSION
Sovereign Roots helps veterans reconnect by getting outside, engaging in real world activities and building bonds with those who truly understand the transition from service.
About Sovereign Roots:
Sovereign Roots started with a simple realization:
the mission doesn’t end when the uniform comes off. It just changes.
After service, the structure’s gone. The team’s gone. You’re left figuring it out on your own. This is a place to get back to work.
We run everything on the land: 30 acres on the Western Slope. Clearing, building, growing, fixing. It’s not about sitting in a room talking it out. It’s about putting hands on something real and staying in it with other veterans.
Just work, time outside, and people who understand.
Show up, do your part, and carry it forward when you head home.
The Story of Sovereign Roots
By Corey Roberts, Executive Director
The Start
I was a senior in high school on September 11th, 2001, watching everything change. I walked into the Army recruiter and wanted the front lines. At MEPS, my eyes didn’t pass the color test, and shot down my hopes at Infantry.
So I went 91W, Medic. Closest thing to combat I could get. I spent two years in Iraq with 3rd ACR. Saw enough death to last a lifetime. Saw what bad intel does to real people. The sights and sounds stuck with me.
I moved into Intelligence Collection after that. Thought if I could get it right, maybe fewer of our guys get hurt, fewer people get locked up who shouldn’t be, fewer mistakes get made.
I was doing well. Iraq, Europe. Warrant packet accepted, DLI, schools, all that. But I had a son, and he wasn’t getting the best of me. So I walked away from it to start a new path.
The Transition
I thought I was stepping into something better. I wasn’t. Civilian life didn’t make sense. No structure. No team. No clear lane.
I tried to run it like the Army. School, work, pace, everything. It didn’t hold.
I was 33, sitting in classrooms with kids who had no idea what I’d seen, and didn’t care to. I didn’t know who I was without the uniform.
I ended up at the VFW bar more than I’d like to admit. Same stories. Same anger. Same shit on repeat while the VA gave me labels and a process that felt cold and disconnected. None of it felt like it actually helped.
COVID made it worse. Everything shut down. No outlets. No distractions.
Just me, my head, and nowhere to put it.
The Land
We came to Delta to get out of that. Found 30 acres on the Western Slope of Colorado. Overgrown. Rough. Half-finished house and an old shed.
With a sense of a plan, I just knew I had to do something different. The next few years were heavy. Money was tight. Custody battle. Two mortgages. A lot of time alone.
So I worked. Cleared land. Built things. Fixed what I could. Kept going. There wasn’t a Veteran program I could find out here. There wasn’t a support group. It was just work that got me through, a motivation to do something big.
What This Became
Sovereign Roots came out of that. Not from a model. Not from a plan. From figuring out what actually worked for me.
Work. Movement. Being outside. Being around other veterans without having to explain anything. No clinical setting. No labels.
Just a place to show up, put in work, and be around people who understood.
The Point
The mission didn’t end. It just changed. I made peace with it, and found friends in the process. I made a new team, platoon, or whatever you want to call it.
This is where it landed. Come out and show up with your bad self. Get after it.
BOARD MEMBERS
Our board members are veterans, family members, and professionals committed to our mission. They bring diverse experience, deep compassion, and a shared dedication to service.
Michelle Roberts
Chair
A U.S. Air Force veteran with deep roots in community service, Michelle brings decades of leadership from her experiences in the military, business, and nonprofit spaces. From her work in Psychological Operations during Desert Storm to founding Lovemore Real Estate and Veterans Housing Network, she’s all about building stronger communities. She also throws punches in the boxing ring and puts love into every project she touches.
Kayce Clark
Leadership and Staff Development
Chief Warrant Officer 5 Clark served 24 years in the Army and was Utah’s first female CW5. A seasoned UH-60 Blackhawk pilot with five deployments, she’s led training at every level and now spends her time teaching AJROTC at Delta High School, gardening, woodworking, hanging out with family, and adventuring outdoors.
William Lance Bach
Vice Chair
Lance served 32 years in the Navy, including 27 as a SEAL, with deployments around the globe. Since retiring, he’s taught high school NJROTC, written three novels, and now serves on the Montrose Veterans Memorial Coalition. He loves spending time with family, German Shepherd, and riding dirt bikes.
Kylan Bain
Suicide Prevention and Controls
Kylan is a dedicated mental health advocate and the Lethal Means Coordinator for Mesa County, collaborating with the VA to connect veterans to resources. With experience in program development, university research, and youth mentorship, he brings sharp insight into suicide prevention and healing structures.
Liz Evans
Wellness and Therapies
A former USAF linguist and lifelong wellness advocate, Liz blends firsthand military experience with decades of healing work. From massage therapy to instructing fitness classes, she’s supported countless veterans in their recovery journeys. Her voice is one of deep care, truth, and fierce compassion for those who’ve served.
Corey Roberts
Executive Director
A U.S. Army veteran with 14 years of service, Corey brings deep operational experience, leadership, and heart to Sovereign Roots. From combat deployments and human intelligence missions to community-building projects on Colorado’s Front Range and Western Slope, he has made it his mission to serve with integrity—both in and out of uniform. His focus today is on creating healing, purpose-driven spaces where veterans can reconnect, rebuild, and move forward.