Message from the Director – February 2020

It never ceases to amaze me how giving and supportive the Nevada veterans’ community is when it is needed most. It is truly humbling to see the outpouring of care and concern from so many of you following the sudden and tragic death of one of our own, Jana McElhaney. For those of you who had the honor of knowing or working with her, saw her passion for helping others. She never stopped serving others as a civilian, following her honorable service in the U.S. Navy.

We hope you will be able to attend an NDVS hosted vigil to celebrate Jana’s life on Thursday, February 6^th, at 7:00 PM at the Northern Nevada State Veterans Home, located at 36 Battle Born Way in Sparks, Nevada. If you can’t make it, we hope you keep Jana, her friends and family in mind as they go through this difficult time. A funeral service for Jana is set for Friday, February 7^th at 11:00 AM at the Northern Nevada State Veterans Cemetery in Fernley.

Sadly, Jana’s loss comes at a time when NDVS is ramping up its efforts to establish deeper connections with our women veterans.

On Saturday, February 29^th, at Texas Station, NDVS will host the

free, 2020 Making Connections Women Veterans Conference. The event will connect women veterans to health care benefits, employment, volunteer opportunities and more. To save your seat click here: http://bit.ly/2020WomenVetConference. For more details, see the story under Programs and Services in this newsletter.

The timing of this conference comes as NDVS gains a new Woman Veterans Service Officer, who will also oversee our Women Veterans Program. Beth Hemmila is a dynamo who is expected to take this program to the next level. You can read more about her under Programs and Services.

I hope you will also take the time read about new legislation impacting surviving spouses, the services provided by Nation of Patriots and the expansion of suicide prevention efforts that now involved the Governor.  

One final note, please mark your calendar for this year’s Nevada Veterans Legislative Symposia coming up in March. The biennial event will be held in Reno on March 14^th and in Las Vegas on March 28^th. These events provide the opportunity to identify and prioritize issues important to veterans, for consideration by Nevada lawmakers.  There is a lot more information under News You Can Use.   

I deeply appreciate your continued support and participation in the Symposia and our other upcoming events!

Respectfully,

Kat Miller