San Mateo Co. Veterans Commission Holds Veteran of The Year Awards Ceremony

From The San Mateo County Veterans Commission: The San Mateo County Veterans Commission will host its second annual Veteran of the Year awards ceremony and luncheon in November 2017 in appreciation of the county’s individuals and entities that notably improve the quality of life for those who served our country.

The Commission encourages submissions to their call for nominations, which closes on August 25, 2017. Nomination forms are available at http://hsa.smcgov.org/nomination-forms-a.

Nominees for the Veteran of the Year Award must be a veteran and resident of San Mateo County, and honorably discharged from one of the U. S. armed services branches. Nominees for the Enterprise of the Year Award can be any for‐profit or not‐for‐profit enterprise that has significant operation in San Mateo County. Nominee for the Patriot of the Year Award must be non‐veteran and a resident of the county.

The November ceremony will feature keynote speaker Admiral James O. Ellis, Jr. (Ret.), U.S. Navy, an Annenberg Distinguished Fellow.

Last year’s event honored the Reveille Program at the Peninsula Covenant Church as Enterprise of the Year, local journalist Carolyn Livengood as Patriot of the Year, and San Mateo County Superior Court Judge John Grandsaert and Tim Healy as Veterans of the Year. Ms. Livengood has covered veterans’ issues for decades in local press, serves as President of the Avenue of Flags Committee and volunteered for 25 years with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 15 at Oyster Point. Judge Grandsaert launched San Mateo County’s Veterans Treatment Court to address the specialized needs of military veterans facing criminal prosecution. Tim Healy is a Peer Support Specialist at the Palo Alto VA Health Care System and volunteers as peer mentor in Veterans Treatment Court. The event also included keynote speaker CAPT Duncan Smith, a highly decorated San Mateo-born United States Navy SEAL who created the concept for the SEAL feature film “Act of Valor.”

The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors established the Veterans Commission in June 2015 with a mission to promote programs and policies that address the unmet needs of veterans in the county.

Established in 1946, the San Mateo County Veterans Services Office (CVSO) assists veterans in accessing state and federal benefits that help veterans, their spouses and family members. The CVSO also provides information and referrals to a wide range of services and connects veterans to programs such as the California Veteran College Fee Waiver for veterans and dependents.

More information can be found at http://bnc.smcgov.org/veterans-commission....

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