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New Leadership and Fall Highlights
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Greetings friends and supporters,
We are pleased to let you know that in mid-October,Veterans Green Jobs welcomed Dr. William (Bill) Doe to be the newest member of our team following a national search for a new CEO. With a 35-year career combining experience in the environmental field, the U.S. military and academia, Bill brings the experience and vision needed to guide our organization into its next life phase.
 | | Bill Doe, CEO |
As a career Army veteran and the son of a career Air Force officer and family, Bill has compassion for today's servicemen and women. He has worked closely with student veterans in higher education, particularly at Colorado State University (CSU), where he was an associate dean of Research & Engagement for the Warner College of Natural Resources. At CSU, he joined with the college's Office of Adult Learning and Veteran Services to make CSU a "veteran-friendly" campus. He was also instrumental in the signing of Veterans Green Jobs' memorandum of understanding with higher ed at CSU.
Bill is passionate about the Veterans Green Jobs mission and is deeply committed to our organization's success. We are very proud to have him at the helm! Please join us in welcoming Bill to our team.
Veterans Green Jobs Staff |
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Remembering Pearl Harbor...
Nearly 70 years ago, the United States entered World War II after an unprovoked attack on Hawaii's Pearl Harbor. Although the time is long past, it will forever be known as "a date which will live in infamy."
On behalf of the veterans we serve, and as a memorial to the veterans who lost their lives that day, I ask you to please Remember Pearl Harbor with your end-of-year contribution.
If you would like to send Veterans Green Jobs a gift in honor or in memory of a serviceman or woman, we would be proud to acknowledge your contribution on our web site and in an upcoming edition of our newsletter, The Call. No dollar amounts will be revealed, but your donation will be recognized as a tribute to those who have served, and to those who continue to serve, our nation.
You might also consider supporting us on Colorado Gives Day - December 8, 2010! Veterans Green Jobs is participating in this special day when the community will come together to support local charities. Go to www.GivingFirst.org and type Veterans Green Jobs in the box to indicate your charity of choice. Remember, 100% of your donation comes to us when you give through GivingFirst.org.
Thank you.
Dr. Bill Doe, CEO, U.S. Army Veteran |
Milestone Home and a Salute to Governor Ritter
 | | Colorado Governor Bill Ritter speaks about the benefits of weatherization. |
On October 8, in partnership with the Colorado Governor's Energy Office and EnergyLogic Solutions, Veterans Green Jobs hosted a unique event to celebrate the 600 homes in Denver and Jefferson County that our team has weatherized since last March.
In a salute to Colorado's Governor Bill Ritter and his successful New Energy Economy, our Milestone Home celebration also recognized National Energy Awareness Month in an effort to help more people understand the environmental and economic benefits of energy efficiency upgrades. These energy upgrades - which may include sealing doors and windows, adding insulation, plus furnace repair or replacement for qualifying low-income families - can translate into a household savings of hundreds of dollars annually. Read more about this event and view photos! |
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Tree Planting Greens Up Denver
In July, our first cohort of six veterans completed our Veterans City Canopy program - designed to green up urban Denver by planting shade trees (for free!) in Denver
 | | VCC crew members plant a tree in northwest Denver. Trees in west-facing yards cool homes in summer and lower energy usage. |
residents' yards. By shading buildings and lowering cooling bills, this program also puts transitioning homeless veterans on a path to green career opportunities. We're working to help these veterans land jobs in urban forestry, horticulture, gardening, landscaping and water and soil conservation projects. Current crew members are now busily planting trees throughout the city and canvassing neighborhoods, and the program will continue through August 2012.
At the end of the program, 35 veterans will have completed the training, and 4,600 trees will have been planted. Many thanks to our partners for supporting this program: City of Denver's Parks and Recreation Department, Denver County Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program, and Denver Office of Economic Development's Division of Workforce Development. |
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New Career, New Life for One San Luis Valley Employee
 | | Tony Matthews' life turned around when he took a job with Veterans Green Jobs. |
Twenty-nine-year old Army veteran Tony Matthews got himself into trouble with the law two years ago. Convicted of a felony, he was sentenced to six years with the Colorado Department of Corrections. The program requires Tony to be employed, so he looked for a job. That's when he knocked on the door of Veterans Green Jobs' San Luis Valley Weatherization Program, and in his own words, he was "given a second chance." In just two months, Tony's work has had such a positive influence on him, he admits that he never wants to get in trouble again - and he sees a real career opportunity ahead. What's more, the difference he's making on residents' lives makes him feel valued.
"There's a big need in the Valley for homes to be weatherized and become more energy efficient," Tony says. "I can't believe the money some people are spending to heat these homes... It makes me feel good to make someone else's life better." Read Tony's story. |
Veterans Re-enlist in Veterans Green Corps
 | | VGC crew members on a forest-thinning project. |
Our Veterans Green Corps is comprised of military veterans who are training in wetland and wild lands cleanup, fire mitigation and a whole array of outdoor conservation and preservation activities. Earlier this year, our teams completed a variety of projects throughout the southwest, including trail building and maintenance on U.S. Forest Service trails in the Spring Mountains of Nevada; trail work in the Rio Grande National Forest near Salida, Colorado; fire mitigation and hazardous fuel removal in the southern Rockies near Durango, Colorado; and public lands conservation work in the Providence Canyon area of Utah's Cache National Forest.
The result? Through this training, our veterans are now able to reach for careers with agencies such as the National Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the National Parks Service. "It's like the Army in some ways. You're working for something bigger than yourself," says Lew Sovocool, a VGC crew member. "There's a purpose to it, and I like working with people who have a passion for what they do." Sign up for the winter conservation crews in Nevada! |
Inaugural Veterans Day Breakfast a Huge Hit
 | Veterans Day breakfast at Denver's historic
Mile High Station. |
More than 200 people attended our first annual Veterans Day Breakfast on November 11 in Denver, honoring those who have bravely served our country. We owe a special thanks to our keynote speaker, Col. Randy A. George. He inspired guests with remarks about the big impact of small contributions, the infectious nature of enthusiasm, and the importance of perseverance in the face of adversity.
Our sponsors deserve a nod of appreciation for making this event a memorable one. Four Star Sponsor: Weston Solutions, Inc. Three Star Sponsor: Comfort Air Distributing. Two Star Sponsors: EnergyLogic Solutions, Summit Utilities Inc., Walrath Heating & Air Conditioning. One Star Sponsors: Eagle Rock Supply Co., First Western Trust Bank Boulder, Signal Graphics Printing 854 Broadway. Esprit de Corps Sponsors: American Legion Auxiliary of Colorado, Baer Partners LLC, Don "Rocky" Basler, R-factor, Dr. William (Bill) Doe III, Dollar-Sense Inc., Fairfield and Woods, P.C., Bob Farmer, Monroe Infrared Technologies, Olinger Mortuaries (Dignity Providers), Paddock Imports, Dr. Mit Parsons, PLP Solutions Inc., Bob & Jo Schantz, and Sil-Terhar Motors. We hope to host an even bigger splash next year! |
Walmart and Sierra Club: Thank You
 As a nonprofit, Veterans Green Jobs relies on the support of donors. Their contributions make a real difference in the lives of military veterans. Our founding sponsor, the Walmart Foundation, has generously given $1.25 million over the past two years, providing essential funds for training programs and job placement assistance that put military veterans into meaningful positions. Programs include partnerships with conservation corps that prepare veterans for work geared to protect and preserve our country's public lands; projects offering weatherization assistance and energy audits to income-qualified households in Colorado; and treeplanting initiatives that help formerly homeless veterans find work in the green jobs field.
 The Sierra Club Foundation's gift of $400,000 was instrumental in the kickoff of our weatherization program in northern Virginia. In partnership with the Sierra Club and the Laborers' International Union of North America, we offered energy efficiency training to military veterans at no cost, followed by an eight-week paid internship. These vets then went on to weatherize military households in Virginia. The Sierra Club Foundation funded this program as part of its commitment to military families and the environment. |
Donate Your Car to Benefit Veterans Green Jobs
Want to hear about another easy and convenient way to support our organizational mission? Donate your used vehicle - it doesn't even have to run - and Veterans Green Jobs will benefit. You will receive a letter confirming your tax-deductible donation. Read more about this program at http://www.donationline.com/. |
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