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Meeting Minutes | K9's 4 Warriors | Godby High School JROTC Flooded | Veteran Job Opening
COMMANDER’S COALITION MEETING
May 1, 2024, 10 A.M.
American Legion Post 13
Minutes/Notes
Attendees: Ed Hood, John Folsom, Nell Hewitt, Marjorie McNeill, Chuck Howell,
Dennis Hall, Lee Skornia, Doyle Combs, Dan Hendrickson, Susan Caplowe, Craig
Benner, Frank Roycraft, Sean Golder, Fred Ingley, Gail Ernst, Richard Duley, Alex
(Butch) Topicz, Earnest Reed, Nicole Dempsey, M.H. Allen, Akin Akinyemi, Freddy
Robinson, Cartney Thomas, Ben Ringvelski, Cindy Laskowski, Marc Dickieson,
Stuart Scott, Amanda Daughtry, Roxann Dressel, Mary LaBatt, Danielle Woods,
Tony Minichello, Kent Watson, Joseph (Jay) Monismith, Kaitlyn Grimes, Melissa
Sheridan, Valencia Scott, Grant Kimball, Rodney Keener, Washington Sanchez,
Jevelle Robinson, Ben Ringvelski, Gordon Lightfoot, Berline Belizaire, Brooklyn
Enders, David Wilson, Eric Evans, Tom Carney, Keisha Washington, Ben Cleary,
Eddie McMillian, Michael Mann, Debra Mann, and Marianne Trussell.
Ed Hood, Adjutant, American Legion Post 13 led attendees in a salute to the
American Flag and the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag to open the meeting and a
salute to the Flag to close the meeting. He asked Earnest Reed to deliver a prayer.
Ed welcomed everyone, reminded everyone to speak up, and identify themselves
and their organization, and invited Tom McCluskey to begin. See comments
below.
Tom McCluskey, American Legion Post 13. No report.
Paula Hubert, Vice President, Women Veterans Unite. No report.
Ben Cleary, VyStar Credit Union. Veteran origins. Here to help veterans.
Frank Roycraft, Commander, VFW Post 3308. The Post is doing well. June 2024
Navy ROTC awards will be given.
Craig Benner, Veteran Advocate, Florida Dept. of Highway Safety and Motor
Vehicles. Handed out flyers; June 14 at noon will be the FLHSMV 9th Annual
Veterans Recognition Day. Presenter will be Captain Donnie Cochran, USN (ret.) a
former Blue Angels Commander. Free to all. Vendors/organizations should be
there by 11:00 am. Come find out what’s happening and get some free cake.
Thank you to Kaitlyn for all she does.
Berline Belizaire, Dept. of Veterans Affairs, VA Suicide Prevention Coordinator.
No report.
Earnest Reed, President, Fleet Reserve Association, Branch 34. No report. Honor
Flight was wonderful; thanks to all of you.
Alex (Butch) Topicz, FRA Branch 34, CVMA 20-12. No report. My wife Melinda
(also a veteran) and I went on Honor Flight this past Saturday. Our son and
daughter were our guardians. It was terrific. Thanks to all.
Dennis Hall, Army National Guard, Big Bend Honor Guard. There is a luncheon at
1225 Easterwood Drive every second Tuesday at 11:30; the next luncheon will be
May 14. Lunch begins at noon and ends about 1:00. A small donation is
requested, but even if you can’t donate you can still join in the luncheon.
Chuck Howell, Big Bend Honor Guard. The Big Bend Honor Guard (BBHG)
performed 13 interments during the month of April, 70 since January 1. That’s a
total of 1,188 interments since the Tallahassee National Cemetery opened. In
April the BBHG accumulated 343 volunteer hours.
Lee Skornia, Vietnam Veteran 69-70. He is learning about the American Legion
and the Commander’s Coalition meeting.
Nicole Dempsey, Department of Veterans Affairs. The North Florida South
Georgia Veterans Affairs will hold a wellness meeting right after this meeting.
Helping veterans prevent suicide.
Sarah Parker-Pike, Department of Veterans Affairs, National Suicide Prevention
Coordinator. No report.
Tom Carney, Air & Space Forces Association. The next meeting is May 14 at 6 pm at
Chow Time on Capital Circle NE. Mentioned the upcoming Jr. ROTC ceremony this
Saturday at 6 pm.
Amanda Daughtry, Congressman Dunn’s Office. No report. Call her.
Kent Watson, VFW Post 251, Jefferson County. He is on the advisory board to the
president of Keiser, which has the largest presence at military bases. One of its
focuses is on values which raised $10,000 for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Gordon Lightfoot, Commander, AmVets Post 1776. The AmVets 14 th Annual Golf
Tournament was a success. The VFW monument at the TNC has been approved
and a dedication ceremony should be scheduled soon. David Wilson is working
on the POW monument and the Army National Guard is also working on getting a
monument approved and erected. Thank you to all.
Stuart Scott, Third District Commander, American Legion. Veteran bills are being
signed. See him about budget requests. Most were approved.
David Wilson, AmVets, Vet Events Tally, Air & Space Forces Association. Previously handed out flyers about the “2024 Visit to Memory Gardens Cemetery”. Met at Roselawn Cemetery to honor six veterans on Sunday, April 28 at 4 pm. They will be at
Roseland in Monticello on May 19 at 4 pm. Four of the men to be honored
received the Navy Cross!
Dan Hendrickson, President, Tallahassee Veterans Legal Collaborative. Help is still
needed. Legal Clinics are held every Thursday at America Legion Post l3 from 3-5.
Set up begins at 2 pm. Often a good place to get a second opinion. Mentors are
still needed – the needs are great. Only about 1/3 of veterans with criminal
problems appear with a mentor. Check us out on Mondays at 3 pm at the
courthouse to observe and make a decision to become a mentor.
Susan Caplowe, Tallahassee Veterans Legal Collaborative. Legal collaborative
meets every Thursday from 3-5 pm. Become a mentor.
Cartney Thomas, Office of Mayor John Dailey, Tallahassee. The next City meeting
will be May 8 at City Hall.
M.H. Allen, married to an Army veteran. There will be a fundraising event called
K9s for Warriors, on October 9 from 5-7 pm at the Moon, 1105 E. Lafayette St,
Tallahassee. All proceeds from this event will be donated to K9s to help save
more veterans and first responders and to provide to them former rescue dogs by
turning them into well trained service dogs. Everyone is invited. No tickets are
needed. Donations are accepted. There will be free food. Flyers were made
available.
Ben Ringvelski, Commanding Officer, NROTC Unit FAMU and professor of naval
science. No report.
Tony Minichiello, American Legion Post 49, Monticello. On Memorial Day fried
chicken picnic will be held at the American Legion Post in Monticello from 11-2 on
South Water Street. He has tickets for the AR15 raffle.
Richard Duley, DAV Commander Chapter 5, Service Officer. The VA has a brand-
new program that is not income based. Told of a personal experience where he
was able to get a veteran’s spouse for caregiving to a 70% disabled veteran
$36,000 a year for her work as a caregiver.
Kaitlyn Grimes, Mission BBQ. Mission BBQ is serving free sandwiches to all
veterans during Armed Forces Week starting Monday, May 13. The following
schedule will be adhered to during the week: Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force,
Coast Guard, ending with all heroes (veterans) on May 18. She will not be at the
Stand Down.
Joseph B. (Jay) Monismith, Operations Officer, Tallahassee VA Outpatient Clinic.
He’s a 30-year retired Army veteran. Doing toxic exposure screenings from 10-12
and 2-4.
Sean Golder, VFW, Crawfordville. Call him on his personal cell at 850-210-2586.
Their mission is to bring in new blood into the VFW and to partner with
organizations.
Eric Evans, Fl Cares, Inc. Works on accessibility issues (ramps, half steps, etc.) for
veterans and spouses and children of veterans in Wakulla, Gadsden, Leon, and
Jefferson Counties. 100% volunteer organization. Constructs exterior
accessibility. Groups are ready but they need projects. Special build this
weekend for the widow of Robert Burnett, a Navy veteran. Referrals are welcome
– call or text him at 850-347-1445.
Cindy Laskowski, American Legion Post l3. No report. Went as a guardian on
Honor Flight.
Mary LaBatt, DAR, Caroline Brevard Chapter. No report. Ri
Michael Mann, Commander, Sons of the Legion, American Legion Post 13. The
next meeting will be Thursday, May 30, at 6:30 pm, at Post l3. He assisted with
Honor Flight.
Debra Mann, Women Veterans Unite. No report.
Roxann Dressel, Commander, American Legion Post 114, Crawfordville. No report.
Doyle Combs, Commander, American Legion District 2. The District 2
Constitutional Conference will be held in Marianna at Post 100 on May 18 at 10
am Eastern and 9 am Central. It is an open meeting, all are welcome.
Nell Hewitt, President, American Legion Auxiliary Unit 13. The electronic gates
(vehicle and personal) are in the 10-year budget to be installed at Vet Village. The
matter cannot wait another 9 years. It is at now up front. The Auxiliary will be at
the Stand Down and on Monday, May 13 Auxiliary members will be folding shirts
– please join us.
Marjorie McNeill, American Legion Auxiliary Unit 13 and District 2. May 4 District
2 Girls State; Florida Girls State is June 20-28; there will be Legislative sessions at
the Capitol and sessions at the Florida Supreme Court.
Washington Sanchez, Vice President, Tallahassee Veteran Outreach. The Stand
Down this year for homeless and at-risk veterans will be Friday, May 17 and
Saturday, May 18 at the FAMU Lawson Center. Cards instead of flyers are
available. Last year 250-300 veterans were served. Excited. Good response.
Radio and TV ads. Website: tallahasseeveteranorganization.org
Jevelle Robinson, Event Coordinator for Stand Down, Tallahassee Veteran
Outreach. The Stand Down this year for homeless and at-risk veterans will be
Friday, May 17 and Saturday, May 18 at the FAMU Lawson Center. It is all free.
There will be free hot meals, goody bags, dental care, housing assistance, Star
Metro rides to and from Stand Down, etc. Volunteers are needed. On Saturday,
May 18 spouses and caregivers can participate for free.
Keisha Washington, Veteran Resource Specialist, 211 Big Bend. The Veterans
Village was grateful for all food donated; they need meat. They will be at Stand
Down.
Eddie McMillian, 211 Big Bend. The organization will be at Stand Down.
Valencia Scott, Akin Akinyemi, Leon County Property Appraiser’s Office. Thank
you for all you do. They support all veteran initiatives. There are property tax
exemptions available to veterans and spouses. They will be at Stand Down.
Akin Akinyemi, Leon County Property Appraiser. His office will be at the Stand
Down. He was a guardian on Honor Flight this past Saturday. His veteran was
Freddy Robinson who is here today.
Freddy Robinson, veteran, on Honor Flight. Amazed and thankful to be on Honor
Flight. He put it off for years, thinking it was for old people. He realized he is old
and signed up. Thanks to all Honor Flight people, especially to Akin Akinyemi,
who pushed his wheelchair around all day, even in the rain. He was given an
ovation by attendees.
Rodney Keener, American Legion Post 13. Be at the Oakland Cemetery.
Melissa Sheridan, Administrative Officer, Tallahassee National Cemetery. This
year’s Memorial Day Ceremony will be on Sunday, May 26 at 11 am. Flags will be
placed at all gravesites at 4 pm on Thursday, May, 23. All are welcome.
Brooklyn Enders, Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Specialist, Career Source
Capital Region. They will be at the Stand Down.
Marc Dickieson, Commandant, Marine Corps League Chapter 472. The next
meeting will be on May 16l 18 at 6 pm at Chow Time on Capital Circle NE (corner
or Miccosukee and Capital Circle). Krispy Kreme donuts will be sold at the Ace
Hardware in Killearn every first Saturday of the month. Update on Henry Lowery:
he had a procedure on Monday, is home, and is doing well.
Steven Passetti, Family Promise, SSVF (Supportive Services for Veteran Families).
Contact the with homelessness issues. The organization will be at the Stand
Down.
Danielle Woods, Community Engagement Coordinator, Leon County. May 11,
Press the Chest event at the Tucker Civic Center from 10-12. Free; register at
leoncty.gov or call 850-656-6120. On Saturday, May 18, from 9-1 at the Eastside
Pedrick Library and Pedrick Pond Park there will be a Sustainability Summit; all are
welcome; bring your blankets, camp chairs, etc.
Grant Kimball, Culley’s MeadowWood Funeral Home. Veteran. We honor
veterans. Need a veteran community partnership. Reach out to him.
John Folsom, American Legion Post 13, Chaplain for AL District 2. Mentioned that
Chris Wilson has passed out copies of the latest Major Morale – look on page 10.
You can send items for Page 10 to John who will get them to Chris Wilson. He
also mentioned the FLHSMV event.
Ed Hood, Adjutant, American Legion Post 13. Please make sure he gets a copy of
all handouts, brochures, pamphlets, etc.
Marianne Trussell, Chair, Support Committee for the Tallahassee National
Cemetery, Inc. The next meeting of the Support Committee will be held on
Tuesday, July 16, 2024, at 5 pm at the Administration Building of the Tallahassee
National Cemetery (TNC). Meeting will last no more than one hour. There are no
workdays currently scheduled. Yes, the Memorial Day Ceremony at the TNC will
be held on Sunday, May 27 at 11 am. Everyone is welcome. Yes, it will conflict
with some who must attend church – you will be missed. Flag placement will NOT
be at the end of the Ceremony as in the past. Flags will be placed at all
headstones at the TNC beginning at 4 pm on Thursday, May 23. All ceremonies at
the TNC are open to all to attend.
The next Commander’s Coalition Meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 5,
2024, at 10 am at the American Legion Post 13 at Lake Ella.
Godby JROTC flooded during recent rains
-Funding needed to help restore program
Hello Mr. Hood,
It was a pleasure to speak with you.
I talked to my Principal Mr. Desmond Cole. He said any type of monetary funding would be great.
He couldn't come up with the exact type of supplies needed.
Howard D. Hardison, MSgt (Ret)
Aerospace Science Instructor (ASI)
M. MA., BS. HRM, AA
AFJROTC, FL-811
Amos P. Godby High School
1717 West Tharpe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32303
(850) 617-4700
Can you please share the message below in your next newsletter?
CareerSource Capital Region is seeking candidates for the State of Florida’s Local Veteran Employment Representative (LVER) position assigned to serve the capital area. Although employed by the state, the position will work within the CareerSource Capital Region system serving Gadsden, Leon and Wakulla counties (and soon, Jefferson county), to assist employers who wish to hire veterans and veterans who are ready to join the civilian workforce or are seeking a new position.
The LVER position is posted in People First here and will close on Monday, May 13th.
Please share this job opportunity with your contacts and encourage qualified applicants to apply.
I RAN OUT OF ROOM FOR THE K9 4 WARRIORS POWERPOINT PRESENTATION. I’LL SEND IT OUT IN MY NEXT WEEKLY REPORT.
I apologize for how the minutes turned out this month on mobile devices. Typically, I sanitize the formatting before pasting them into Substack. Hopefully, everyone was still able to read the minutes.