Congratulations Graham Stafford and United Veterans Legislative Council!

By Staff Reports
U.S. Navy veteran Graham Stafford was named Veteran of the Month (VOM) and the United Veterans Legislative Council (UVLC) was also honored as Veteran Supporter of the Month (VSM) in a special ceremony inside the Old Assembly Chamber in Carson City on July 26, 2019. Lt. Governor Kate Marshall attended on behalf of Governor Steve Sisolak.

Stafford served in the Navy from 1963-1967. He is Nevada Veterans Advocate (NVA), volunteering at a number of community-wide events. Stafford says he became an NVA because he plans to volunteer in the new Northern Nevada State Veterans Home. In the meantime, he has volunteered at many outreach events including Reno Earth Day, the VFW Job Fair, Reno Women’s Expo, the Reno Classic Car Show, Office of Military and Legal Aid Resource Fairs, at the Reno VA and in Winnemucca. Graham is willing to help veterans in any way he can.

Stafford has also volunteered with the BLM and other agencies involved in land management and conservation.  He has helped pull out miles of unwanted barbed wire fencing, cleaned up camping areas, improved hiking trails and opened up and improved desert springs.

The UVLC was created to present a formidable unified voice for veterans, military, and their families, to find, identify, and lobby for legislative action. They operate under a Constitution, and Roberts Rules of Order. The UVLC consists of every veteran organization in Nevada, and membership is free to all veterans; UVLC leadership is elected among its members every two years.

The UVLC partners with NDVS to identify issues important in the veteran community and help resolve them. The UVLC is not registered as a nonprofit with the Secretary of State, or IRS. It does NOT have a treasurer and the UVLC is non-partisan as they talk issues, not politics. Every veteran’s organization in Nevada is represented by the UVLC, so as the group lobbies, it can proudly state for the record it represents Nevada’s veterans, military members and their families.

The Veteran of the Month (VOM) is awarded to veterans across Nevada who have gone above and beyond the call of duty specifically with respect to volunteer work in support of veterans and the military.  The Veteran Supporter of the Month (VSM) award recognizes both organizations and non-veteran Nevada community members who support military members stationed in Nevada, Nevada Veterans, and their families.  Both programs shine a bright light on individuals and organizations that help military members, veterans, and their families with no expectation of recognition or award.