NCHM Briefs White House Staff: NCHM Chairman Wendy Burke and President Paul Votto briefed President Trump’s staff about the VHI initiative in the White House on July 19, 2019. The staff was extraordinarily supportive of VHI and pledged to assist NCHM and its partners in securing assistance from relevant federal agencies. We will keep you updated on progress.
Job Board Scheduled for August Beta Launch: The VHI Job Board is nearing completion. We expect to “go-live” in August with the beta version of the board. Enhancements will be made as we go along. Look for an email explaining how to access and use the VHI Job Board.
Orientation Training Program Taking Shape: Work is continuing on our “Orientation to the Housing Management Industry” training program specifically designed for veterans and transitioning service members. This program will become an important aid in the recruiting and on-boarding of veterans. We are in the process of scripting the training, which includes editing interviews conducted at our June Summit and shooting additional video. Special thanks to VHI Partners Cardinal Capital Management and Fiduciary Real Estate Development for allowing us to shoot video at a number of their properties. We plan to have a beta version of the training available for review by VHI participants in the next 30 to 60 days. We look forward to your input.
More than 50 VHI Scholarships Awarded: We are pleased to announce that we have received and accepted more than 50 applications from veterans for scholarships to NCHM programs. Several of these recipients have completed courses and earned certifications, among them are: Certified Occupancy Specialist, Tax Credit Specialist, Certified Manager of Housing, Certified Manager of Maintenance, Certified Financial Specialist, and Fair Housing Specialist. Additionally, scholarship recipients have benefitted from tuition-free access to a number of NCHM webinars.
NCHM Meets with Lieutenant General Franklin “Buster” Hagenbeck: Paul Votto and Matt Garrow were honored to meet recently with Lieutenant General Franklin “Buster” Hagenbeck (US Army, Retired) and brief him on the Veterans for Housing Initiative. General Hagenbeck’s remarkable 39-year military career included serving as Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel for the US Army and culminated with his service as the 57th Superintendent of US Military Academy at West Point – so he knows a thing or two about personnel and education! We were thrilled to tap into the General’s advice and counsel. His gracious offer to help as we move forward will be a tremendous asset for VHI. Thank you General Hagenbeck!
NCHM Staff Tour Milwaukee Soldiers Home: Paul Votto, Matt Garrow and Lisa Vercauteren recently toured the Milwaukee Soldiers Home restoration and reuse project. The Milwaukee Soldiers Home is one of the three original Soldiers Homes in the U.S. – a result of the final piece of legislation signed by President Abraham Lincoln. When completed, the project will restore six historic buildings, some dating back to the 1860s, and create 101 supportive housing units for veterans and their families who are either homeless or at risk of being homeless.
The Press Release announcing NCHM’s $100,000 donation to the project can be found here: NCHM Donates 100,000 To Save The Soldiers Home Project
Supporter Dominium to Showcase VHI at Minnesota Veterans Job Fair on August 8th: Dominium, based in Plymouth, MN, will be attending the Minnesota Veterans Job Fair as part of their outreach to veterans. We are honored that Dominium will be showcasing the Veterans for Housing Initiative at its booth. NCHM will be providing handouts and other collateral aids for use at the Job Fair. If you have an opportunity to promote VHI at similar events, let us know and we would be happy to help and support you in any way we can.
Keep Us Updated. Are you doing something related to veteran employment that we should know about? Please let us know by emailing Matt Garrow at mgarrow@nchm.org or calling him at 800-368-5625.
Thank you for your support of the Veterans for Housing Initiative.