Posted on

Memorial Day – Reflect and Remember

Memorial Day – Reflect and Remember

“The selected lines from Laurence Binyon’s poem ‘For the Fallen’ honors sacrifice and serves as a reminder of the enduring respect and remembrance owed to fallen heroes.”

– The Center

Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services (the Center) dedicated the recent Memorial Day Weekend to a series of purposeful activities and initiatives.

Memorial Day Weekend at the Center is a time to honor and reflect on the courage and sacrifice of our nation’s fallen service members and their families. Embracing this year’s theme, Reflect and Remember, our team and families joined community and national celebrations—participating in ceremonies, parades, flag placements, concerts, and even swearing in our next generation of service members.

The Center mailed out 700 Memorial Day cards, reminding recipients to pause and honor generations who have given everything for the freedoms we cherish.

At the heart of our message and Memorial Day mailer was a powerful stanza from Laurence Binyon’s poem For the Fallen (written in September 1914):

“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.”

We hope you took a moment to reflect and remember those whose legacy lives on in our hearts and communities.

 

More Posts

Posted on

A War Widow Reflects on Memorial Day

A War Widow Reflects on Memorial Day

“I don’t wait until a holiday comes up to recognize those who have fallen – and the families of the fallen. I feel these service members – and the families who are left behind – should be recognized daily.”

– Latrese Dixon, Blue & Gold Star Family Partner,
Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services

Saturday morning, I got up early to take our son to football practice. At 9:15 there was a knock on the door, and I figured it was a neighbor.

But it wasn’t.

The 29th of September. 9:15 that morning. That’s when I learned my husband was killed in action during the war of Iraq.
___________________________

No matter how many years pass, it’s never easy. Memorial Day, a day of remembrance for our fallen service members, is never easy.

For some, Memorial Day is being viewed as a nice long weekend with bar-b-ques, and summer kick-off. And that’s okay, as long as we also keep in mind that this is a day we honor our men and women that have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

It’s my hope that by sharing my story, and perhaps some of my pain, that it helps to bridge that gap. Unless you have been impacted, you will not understand the feeling of getting that knock on your door, only to see two armed servicemen standing on the other side.
I’ve grieved. But the most important thing I want to tell people is that I don’t grieve any more. Rather, I honor.

As we celebrate, let’s remember our fallen heroes– and the families of the fallen.

I’m often asked how to do this? Simple, just say “Thank You”. I don’t think we understand how powerful a simple, spoken expression of gratitude can be for Gold Star families.

I know it can feel uncomfortable. I understand. That’s why I’m sharing my story, because it’s not as simple as what you may have seen on TV. If you talk to me, or any Gold Star family, you may not realize it, but you may be helping individuals with their mental health when you allow them to share their story.

For me, it’s hard to go back and reflect on that day, but I know there is purpose in knowing that my story , like many others will help you better understand the impact of Memorial Day.

About the Author

Dr. Latrese Dixon ,PhD, is a Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services Blue and Gold Star Family Partner, a National non-profit that takes its name from her husband, Army Staff Sergeant Donnie Dixon. He was killed in action while serving in Iraq in 2007. The Center isn’t named in memory of Donnie. It’s named to honor his values – loyalty and duty, respect and honor, integrity, and courage. Qualities that America’s military holds dear.


This column originally ran May 22, 2019 via Inside Sources and in our own newsletter.

More Posts

Posted on

Celebrating a Remarkable Achievement as the Development Team Secures $200,000 in Donations

Celebrating a Remarkable Achievement as the Development Team Secures $200,000 in Donations

The Center for Military and Veterans Services is proud to announce a significant milestone in our ongoing mission to empower and support our nation’s veterans. 

Over the past three weeks, our dedicated Development Team has coordinated and facilitated a remarkable $200,000 in donations from two generous family foundations, as well as other donors.

This achievement not only reflects the team’s unwavering commitment to our cause, but also highlights the trust and support our community partners have in our vision to improve the lives of military service members, veterans, and their families.

These contributions will directly fuel vital programs aimed at workforce development, health and wellness, and community integration for those who have served. The Development Team’s tireless efforts in building relationships and fostering collaboration have made this outcome possible, opening the door for new opportunities and lasting impact. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the family foundations and to everyone who supports our Center’s work. 

More Posts

Posted on

Building a National Network of Building Trades Partners

Building a National Network of Building Trades Partners

“We’re building a network of organizations that are singularly committed to creating positive outcomes for veterans and their families.”

– Colonel (Ret.) Sam Whitehurst, Vice President of Programs & Services,
Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services

Last week, the Center for Military and Veterans Services participated in the Building Trades & Municipal Veterans Symposium in New York City. Organized by the Union Labor Advisory (ULA) Network and featuring veterans committees from local unions across the city, the event brought together building and construction trades partners and those supporting veterans and their families to focus on connection, community, and career resources.

The Center’s participation underscored the breadth of its national network, which spans employers, labor unions, academic institutions, non-profits, and civic organizations. We deepened existing relationships with building trades union partners — expanding the web of organizations equipped to connect veterans with meaningful, lasting careers in the trades. Few sectors offer greater untapped potential than the building and construction trades for veterans and their families.

This is exactly the kind of grassroots, community-driven infrastructure that the Center seeks to strengthen. We ensured these organizations have the tools, knowledge, and connections they need to create an ecosystem where veterans and their families don’t just find a job — they find a career and a community.

The Center continues to expand its presence among building trades unions nationally, events like this one serve as a reminder of what is possible when the right partners come together with a shared commitment to those who served.

L: The Center engaging with the new Commissioner of New York City Dept. of Veterans Services, Yesenia Mata
R: The Center participating in the Building Trades & Municipal Veterans Symposium—discussing programs to support union veterans in NYC

More Posts

Posted on

Expanding the Center’s Impact Through Strategic Business Development & Resource Sharing

Expanding the Center’s Impact Through Strategic Business Development & Resource Sharing

“When looking to make a real difference in the lives of veterans and military families, veteran-supporting individuals and organizations – large and small, from around the nation – seek out the Center.”
– Duncan S. Milne, Retired US Marine Corps Colonel, President,
Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services

The Center for Military and Veterans Services continues to advance our mission of ensuring veterans and their families are empowered to thrive where they live and work, in part, by implementing strategic, relationship-driven business development efforts that foster long-term sustainability and expand our impact, as we work to establish meaningful, cross-connected relationships and partnerships in communities nationwide.
 
Over the past four months, the Center has entered into several collaborative agreements designed to share our intellectual property, leadership and expertise, as well as our programmatic resources, with aligned partners across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Through these partnerships, we enable our proven frameworks, curricula, and research-based tools to be adapted and deployed more broadly – expanding reach while preserving quality and mission integrity.
 
These collaborations also create diversified revenue streams through co-development, and shared-service models. We reinvest revenue generated from intellectual sharing directly into our core programs, and initiatives, ensuring long-term organizational resilience and reducing reliance on traditional funding sources alone.
 
Our approach reflects our team’s commitment to responsible growth – leveraging our thought leadership and institutional knowledge to benefit partners while advancing outcomes for military and veteran-connected families nationwide. 

More Posts

Posted on

Pipeline of Dreams

Pipeline of Dreams

“Achieving our vision to be the resource of choice for organizations and partners that work to improve the lives of veterans and their families requires a robust and aspirational pipeline.”  
 

– Eileen Greenlay, Director of Development 

Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services (the Center) is on track to reach our budget for FY26 which reflects a 12% growth from FY25. This is due to the unwavering support of our funders and donors.  

Our development strategy and activities are centered on the relationships of our current partners and donors. Just in the last 3 months, we have distributed our 2025 annual report, convened with our Command Council, sent gifts to over 20 donors, provided reports or updates to our seven largest funders and submitted or closed four grant renewals.  

Yet, we are diligent and committed to continued growth. Our vision to be the resource of choice for buildingcapacity nationally and locally that makes the lives of our veterans and their families better also requires actively seeking new opportunities. Our pipeline of “dreams,” as we call it, that gets us closer to this vision is three times the size of our FY26 budget. In the last 3 months, we have had ten meetings specific to new funding opportunities which have led to three proposal submissions.  

Dreaming big is a fun part of the process. Being strategic in working our pipeline is where the dreams are realized.  

More Posts

Posted on

Aligning Capabilities to Elevate Veteran Success

Aligning Capabilities to Elevate Veteran Success

“The Center brings a capacity-building lens—helping organizations strengthen how they deliver, connect, and scale impact—and we see real opportunity to support the Boeing Center in advancing solutions that benefit veterans, their families, and the communities where they live.”

– Sam Whitehurst, Vice President,
Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services

Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services (the Center) recently visited Virginia Tech’s Innovation Campus in Alexandria, Virginia, where our team met with Debbie Bradbard, executive director of the Boeing Center for Veterans Transitions and Military Families. The visit provided an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the Boeing Center’s vision and explore how our organizations can work together to strengthen outcomes for veterans and their families.

During our time together, we engaged in a strategic discussion focused on identifying opportunities to collaborate on innovative, scalable solutions that support veterans, the organizations that serve them, and the communities where they live. The conversation emphasized the importance of aligning higher education, workforce development, and community-based services into a more cohesive and effective ecosystem.

The Center shared how our experience in convening stakeholders, strengthening systems, and advancing workforce and credential innovation could complement the Boeing Center’s efforts, particularly in supporting student veterans and military families.

This engagement marked the beginning of what we believe will be a strong and strategic partnership. By combining Virginia Tech’s academic platform with the Center’s national capacity-building approach, we are uniquely positioned to help drive solutions that not only support individual veterans but also strengthen the broader systems that serve them.

More Posts

Posted on

The Center’s Command Council Update

The Center’s Command Council Update

The Command Council serves as the Center’s advisory committee as described in the Center’s FAQ Landing Page.

Over the past several weeks, Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services (the Center) has been actively preparing for our routine update to our all-volunteer Command Council. This update highlights and recognizes the collaborative efforts that have contributed to advancing the Center’s mission and vision.

Key Contributions from Command Council Members
  1. This year, several members of the Command Council played a pivotal role in facilitating the engagement of their network of friends, family, coworkers, contractors, and associations to support our mission, vision, and strategic planning. Their leadership and initiative have strengthened our organizational capacity.
  2. Several members participated in sharing ideas, strategies, contacts, and expertise during both in-person and virtual discussions. These exchanges have been instrumental in shaping our direction and fostering innovation.
  3. Multiple members have engaged in various aspects of philanthropic fund development, including individual giving and participating in donor engagement events and meetings. Their commitment has helped to expand our resources and further our goals.

We extend our sincere gratitude to all volunteers for their unwavering dedication and for sharing in our noble purpose: to make the lives of our veterans and their families better.

Command Council Members
  • Latrese Dixon – Blue and Gold Star Family Partner
  • John Anderson – Spring Creek Partners and Anderson Enterprises
  • John Coonradt – Marine for Life
  • Rick Freedman – Freedman Family Foundation
  • Danny Gardner – Affordable Housing Subject Matter Expert (SME)
  • Frank Gaudio – Finance and Organization SME
  • Tommy Haire – Soldier for Life
  • Brian Hull – UBS Americas
  • Carol Khoury – The Fedcap Group
  • Leon Mangum – Soldier for Life
  • Bob McCann – NewEdge Capital Group
  • Christine McMahon – The Fedcap Group
  • Holly Metzger – Artist
  • Jerry Pascucci – UBS Americas
  • David Sutherland – Chair
  • Ed Wenzel – Edward Wenzel Associates
  • James E. Williams, Jr. – Non-Profit Executive SME

More Posts

Posted on

The Center Recognizes the Service & Sacrifice of Vietnam War Veterans

The Center Recognizes the Service & Sacrifice of Vietnam War Veterans

“Our nation owes an eternal debt of gratitude for their sacrifice and that of their families. We cannot forget to remember.”

– Sara Heidenheimer, Program & Administrative Manager, 
Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services

March 29 marked a very important national observance: National Vietnam War Veterans Day. 

On this special day of remembrance, Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services (the Center) visited several historic locations, including the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Members of our team also joined local celebrations where they live, as we recognized the service, sacrifice, and achievements of our nation’s Vietnam veterans.

Our nation owes an eternal debt of gratitude for their sacrifice and that of their families. Today’s veterans can talk about their combat experiences in large part because our Vietnam veterans could not or would not. Furthermore, much of our battlefield knowledge and effectiveness can be attributed to what we learned from our Vietnam veterans.

National Vietnam War Veterans Day was established to recognize the sacrifice of those who fought in Southeast Asia. There are roughly 610,000 living veterans out of the approximately 2.7 million Americans who served in Vietnam.

More Posts

Posted on

Q1 2026 Outreach & Communications Update

Q1 2026 Outreach & Communications Update

“Create specific content for our audience (partners, donors, business drivers, and networks).”

– Stakeholder Engagement: Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services: Three-Year Business Plan (FY26–FY28)

From January to March 2026, Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services (the Center) has strategically enhanced its outreach and communication initiatives to build stronger connections with organizations, communities, and movements committed to supporting veterans and their families.

As outlined in the Center’s Three-Year Business Plan (FY26–FY28), our Stakeholder Engagement guidance states: “Develop tailored content for primary (partners, donors), secondary (business drivers), and tertiary (networks) audiences; Highlight impact stories, best practices, and innovations through newsletters, reports, and events; and Engage stakeholders in co-creation of initiatives and recognition of contributions.”

To advance these objectives, we maintained a robust editorial calendar, facilitating timely and relevant social media content across multiple platforms. Partners are encouraged to share significant updates during weekly check-ins to maximize visibility. Our social media analytics demonstrate notable engagement: Instagram reached 971 views (with 87% from followers), Facebook recorded a 70% increase in engagement (203 interactions and 2,953 views), Threads garnered 20 interactions and 128 followers, and LinkedIn impressions rose by 84% to 2,953, evidencing our expanding digital presence.

We continue to collect and analyze data to optimize the distribution and effectiveness of our Bugler E-Newsletter and blog posts, carefully monitoring open rates and traffic to ensure content remains pertinent and accessible. Podcast initiatives are progressing, with ongoing efforts in scheduling, guest outreach, and analytics enhancements. The website recently underwent a comprehensive update, and we invite submissions of high-resolution event photos for an upcoming image refresh.

Lastly, we are conducting a thorough review of all print collateral and collaborating with designers on a logo refresh as part of a broader brand audit, ensuring that our visual identity remains aligned with our mission.

More Posts