30 Jun 2025 Person of the Month: Sharri Lanee Briley
Sharri Briley’s connection to the cause Hearts of our Heroes is deeply rooted in faith, hope, love and loss. Her late husband, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Donovan “Bull” Briley, was killed in action in a helicopter crash during Operation Gothic Serpent in Somalia in 1993, in what became known as the Black Hawk Down incident. Her servant’s heart inspired her to spread courage and compassion to those who walk in similar shoes.
As Executive Director of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, founded by Andrea Fisher, Briley works to fulfill their mission of providing long-term support for military families of the fallen. They are also responsible for Arkansas’s Fallen Heroes Combat Boot Display. After years of traveling across the 501, it has found its forever home: Veterans Plaza at Pompe Park in Conway.
“I have always been strong in my faith, and the heartbreak of tragically losing my husband was devastating to me,” Briley said. “My favorite book in the Bible, James, taught me that trials and suffering lead to courage and hope. This continues to encourage me and I hope that it encourages others that have lost so much. I will forever say Donovan’s name and continue to tell his story. His legacy remains alive in the hearts of his daughter, our grandchildren and the family he left behind.”
With her head held high, she continues this mission of honoring fallen service members by ensuring the families left behind are never forgotten. “Having faith through tragedy empowers us to serve one another humbly in love,” Briley said. “Supporting and serving others, especially families of the fallen, has given me a purpose. For more than 20 years, I have been very active on a local, state and national level advocating for legislative issues that pertain to survivor benefits. Our loved ones are a part of us. They shape us. We talk about them because we love them still and always will.”
Featuring more than 700 pairs of boots from fallen Arkansan military members since 9/11, the Fallen Heroes Combat Boot Display provides a public tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. After the success of last year’s event, held at the Plaza for the first time, Briley knew Conway was the perfect place for this powerful memorial. (See pages 84-85).
“Having the Fallen Heroes Combat Boot Display in Conway last year proved to be instrumental for the community to see what freedom looks like,” she said. “Veterans Plaza at Pompe Park provides a beautiful setting for visitors to walk among the boots and learn the stories of these courageous men and women. We are thankful to the city of Conway for allowing us to continue to honor and remember our heroes in this way.”
With every pair of boots comes a story. Featuring the name and photo of each service member, exhibit viewers experience a breathtaking, personal look into the lives of these brave warriors. While on display, Hearts of our Heroes volunteers will work in four-hour shifts to ensure that the boots are protected from the elements as a sign of respect to surviving family members.
“Respecting and honoring what those boots stand for will always be our No. 1 priority,” Briley said. “From planning the event months in advance to the logistics of moving the boots to and from Veterans Plaza and their willingness to step up and dedicate their time to this cause, Hearts of our Heroes is forever indebted to our behind-the-scenes heroes.”
The boots will be on display each year during the last weekend of September, which coincides with Gold Star Families Day, with this year’s event running from Sept. 26-28.
Since 2013, Hearts of our Heroes has hosted numerous events annually, including Survivors on the Lake Day at Fairfield Bay, Cocktails and Combat Boots at Petit Jean Mountain and the Fallen Heroes Holiday Tree at the Arkansas State Capitol. The organization also gives back to Gold Star Families in the 501 through hardship grants for home repairs, utility payments, groceries, gas and more.
To learn more about Hearts of our Heroes or to volunteer, visit heartsofourheroes.org.
HOMETOWN: I was born and raised in Little Rock and that is where I reside.
FAMILY: Family is what makes my heart beat. My late husband, Donovan, and I have a daughter, Jordan Briley Campbell. She and her husband, Jacob Campbell (my hero), have four sons: Isaiah, Elijah, Canaan and Silas. I am very grateful for my father, John Penrod, who serves as treasurer of the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery. I have a brother, Scott, and two half-sisters named Cindy and Laura. I would be remiss if I did not include my daughter’s first husband, Michael Neal, who is the father of our two older grandsons. Sadly, we lost Michael to a glioblastoma in 2016.
EDUCATION: I am a proud graduate of Little Rock Hall and went on to attend the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where I met my late husband. I am still on the path of continuing my education.
WORK:I am a fiscal support supervisor at the Arkansas Department of Human Services in the Office of Finance and Accounts Receivable.
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES: I am a member of Harmony Baptist Church and sing in a trio called the Harmony Harmonettes. I am the executive director of Hearts of Our Heroes and have so much love and respect for the many veteran service organizations with which we partner. It is a privilege to be among these incredibly service-minded men and women. I remain active in the 501 community and often speak at events honoring veterans and their families.
WHAT IS THE MISSION
OF HEARTS OF OUR HEROES? The Board of Directors of Hearts of Our Heroes (HOOH) is committed to serving the needs of Arkansas Military Families of the Fallen. As stewards of the organization, board members play a vital role in ensuring that the 501(c)(3) operates with integrity and transparency. We are dedicated to never forgetting the families left behind.
I am a proud spokesperson for Arkansas Gold Star/Military Families of the Fallen. In the many years of representing Gold Star Families, I have stood before the State of Arkansas House of Representatives and Arkansas senators at the state capital regarding Gold Star issues. I am on record for submitting a written testimony pertaining to increased benefits for surviving spouses during the 117th Congress (S. 976). For more than 20 of the 31 years of being a war widow, I have been, and continue to remain, legislatively active in the state of Arkansas, along with advocating on a national level for legislative issues pertaining to survivor benefits. I have been ever-present in and around Washington, D.C., to be a voice on Capitol Hill about benefits affecting Gold Star spouses and children.
I worked closely with the Marine Corps League and the committee members of the Hershel “Woody” Williams Gold Star Families Memorial Monument project. Arkansas was the first state to commit to building a monument on the state capitol grounds. The Marine Corps League (My Heroes in Red) has a special place in their hearts for Arkansas Gold Star Families and saw the need for Arkansans to honor and pay tribute to the sacrifice that Arkansas military families of the fallen endure every day. The Gold Star Families Memorial Monument was dedicated on Gold Star Family Day in September 2019.
