07/10/2024
We are very excited to officially welcome Dr. Mario De Souza Ferreira to Phoenix Rising Coaching & Consulting, LLC!! We have no doubt that his extensive education paired with his heart for people and extraordinary leadership background will make him an invaluable asset to our team.
“Dr. Mario S. De Souza Ferreira is an Organizational Development Psychologist and a retired Master Sergeant from the United States Air Force (USAF) after 22 years of Honorable Service. Before military service, he was a cadet at La Salle Military Academy in Oakdale, NY, with 30 + years of Leadership and Organizational development under his belt. He is a coach/ consultant for two non-profit organizations, Turning Point Nevada and Voice of the Vet.
Turning Point Nevada is a community outreach program that mentors adolescents and provides peer support for parents. Community organizations, law enforcement organizations, and the Juvenile Court of Las Vegas, NV refer clients. His guidance and strategies have been a positive influential turn-around to many youths who otherwise may have been lost in the judiciary system.
As a vital member of Voice of the Vet, Dr. De Souza Ferreira provides support services for countless veterans including mentorship, leadership, and community outreach programs that provide jobs and positive quality of life.
He enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1989 with a short-term goal of four years of service. However, life had other plans for him, and four years turned into 22 years. At that time, Dr. De Souza Ferreira learned leadership responsibilities, organizational development, problem-solving skills, communication, and interpersonal skills. He is a graduate of the USAF Airman Leadership School as well as the Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) Academy. He has been deployed to numerous combat theaters including Operation Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom. He has been awarded the Air Force Humanitarian Medal, the Air Force Achievement Medal, the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, and the Air Force Commendation Medal.
He started his Air Force journey as an aircraft mechanic, working on such airframes as the F-4 Phantom, A-10 Warthog, and the U-2 Dragon Lady. He eagerly pursued leadership roles, learning from his peers the requirements to succeed to get the mission accomplished. He rose to the rank of Master Sergeant and led an organization of 100+ aircraft maintainers who were in charge of maintaining a fleet of 40+ aircraft.
After retirement in 2011, he applied his knowledge to several industries in the civilian sector. While fine-tuning his leadership skills, he attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and achieved a bachelor’s degree in Professional Aeronautics graduating Magna Cum Laude.
Dr. De Souza Ferreira chose to pursue a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling to help his brethren in arms adapt to life after military service. He focused on disabled veterans and began counseling and coaching sessions to help them with quality-of-life implementations. His strengths were in addiction counseling as well as trauma. He decided to apply for a Doctorate in Psychology and achieved his dream of a PhD in Psychology from Walden University in 2024. He has spoken at military functions in Germany and Spain to demonstrate many abilities and skills of leadership traits. He is an author who is currently working on leadership skills for adolescents, and is currently working on launching a podcast dedicated to leadership tricks of the trade.”
