The SWVCC is pleased to announce that one of its members, Kathy Lowrey Gallowitz (LtCol, USAF, Retired) has been appointed to Governor Ducey’s Veterans’ Service Advisory Commission. The mission of the Commission is “to promote public awareness and enhance the well-being of past and present Arizona service members and their families.” The Commission provides policy advice to the Governor and the Director of the Arizona Department of Veteran Services regarding veterans’ issues.

On receiving news of her appointment Kathy remarked, “It is an honor to be chosen to serve Arizona’s Servicemembers, Veterans and their families in this capacity. I look forward to helping improve quality of life for those who sacrifice so much to protect and defend our freedom and cultivating civilian Veteran Champions.”

Before moving to Arizona, Kathy was the director of Community Outreach for the Ohio National Guard where, in response to 911, she created a never-been-done-before statewide outreach program to educate and engage civilians in support of troops and their families.

Through her business Vanguard Veteran, she equips civilians to become Veteran Champions, people who create mutually beneficial activities and services for Servicemembers, Veterans and their families that improve quality of life, workforce, and community. She helps employers source, hire and retain Veteran talent and volunteer faith community leaders establish military ministries within their place of worship. In her book Beyond ‘Thank you for your Service;’ The Veteran Champion handbook for civilians, she shares inspirational stories of civilians who step up – using practical and innovative strategies – and lead the Veteran Champion movement.

Tom Sheets, Executive Director of the SWVCC, added, “we are extremely pleased to have one of our members appointed to this important and prestigious commission. We already work closely with numerous private and government organizations to support Veteran business owners, as well as Veterans and their families in our communities. Kathy will give us another communication channel by which to communicate with state and local policy makers on Veteran issues.”

To learn more about Vanguard Veteran please visit https://vanguardveteran.com/. For more information about the SWVCC please visit https://swvcc.org/.