Scheduled Presentations
|
Susan E. Tonymon
Director Beck PRIDE Center for America’s Wounded Veterans
College of Nursing and Health Professions
Arkansas State University Jonesboro, AR
Designing Programs to Support Student-Veterans with Disabilities
Susan Tonymon is the director of the Beck PRIDE Center for America's Wounded Veterans, a non-profit program established in October 2007, on the campus of Arkansas State University; providing personal rehabilitation, individual development and seamless wrap-around academic and support services to veterans injured during combat service and their family members.
She is a social worker and assists veterans and their families with reintegration issues and rehabilitation post-deployment and provides resources such as; physical rehabilitation and emotional health counseling; extensive support services to higher education; disability services, mentoring, advocacy and socialization opportunities; and veteran's benefits resource assistance. To date, the program has assisted more than one hundred fifty participants (active duty and discharged members from all branches of military service) and their families and has seventy three participants currently enrolled.
Mrs. Tonymon is an advocate for veterans within the State of Arkansas and her focus has been on outreach to veterans, transition for new student-veterans arriving on campus, tying together campus and community veteran resources into a single center, and assisting student veterans with disabilities and families in transition to the workforce and other leadership endeavors. Susan is also an appointee for the Governor’s Yellow Ribbon Veterans Task Force in Arkansas and serves on the Health & Disabilities and Education Sub-committees. In 2009, she served as co-chair for the first Arkansas Higher Education Veteran’s Symposium. She is a Committee Member of the Arkansas Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (Dept. of Defense) and the Arkansas Operation Military Kids Partnership Team.
Other Affiliations:
Board member- Northeast Arkansas Clinic Charitable Foundation
Past President- United Way of Northeast Arkansas Board of Trustees
Member-Northeast Arkansas Chapter of National Association of Social Workers
Member-National Association of Social Workers,
Member-Delta Nu Chapter of Phi Alpha- Social Work Professionals
Craighead County Veterans Monument Foundation
Member- Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce
Education: MSW, UALR (May 2010) BSW, Arkansas State University (2007)
BS (Communications) Arkansas State University (1985)
Susan Tonymon is married to Kenneth Tonymon, MD a neurosurgeon. They have four teenagers (2 boys/2 girls) two dogs and a cat. She enjoys hiking Arkansas' trails, gourmet cooking, garden landscaping, "Blues" music, tennis and travel.
|
John Schupp
Director/Creator of the SERV program
The impact of a SERV program on multiple campuses,
beyond the GPA
Dr. John Schupp teaches chemical engineering at Cleveland State University. One day in the fall of 2006, one of his students, just back from a tour of duty in Kosovo, told him about the difficulties of her transition from the military to civilian life.
Schupp began to research how the GI Bill was being used in the 21st century, and found many veteran needs it just didn’t meet. He decided some reforms and new ideas were needed to serve the new generation of veterans. He also began determining whether there was university and community interest in a ‘vets only’ program at Cleveland State.
He received official university backing for what he called the SERV (Supportive Education for the Returning Veteran) Program in 2007. The State of Ohio put in $100,000 in funding to get them started. SERV welcomed its first veterans to the CSU campus in the fall semester of 2007. Shortly after starting, SERV received the Wal-Mart award of $100.000. They began coordinating with AMVETS national headquarters in November 2007 on a piece of legislation extending financial aid and other programs for veterans to be included in the Higher Education Act Reauthorization The SERV Act of 2008 was introduced in the senate February 2008 and passed as part of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 in August. Now there will be ‘Centers for Veteran Student Success on Campus’ at many schools across the country.
CSU’s first SERV class started last year for Fall 2008. There were 25 students total, and 23 went on to the spring semester—a 92% retention rate.
John has been working on the SERV database—“We created extensive data on ‘where the vets are’ by county for every state in the country, and for every demographic within the military last year,” he says.
The Sunday New York Times and National Public radio, all the armed forces media, and the Chronicle of Higher Education have taken an interest in SERV. And John Schupp loses no chance to spread the word at conferences and conventions around the country, as he continues to remind us of our responsibility to those who’ve served.
|
Pamela Luce
Executive Advisor - Field Operations Women Veterans Coordinator
Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs
Addressing the Needs of Women Veterans
First Sergeant (Retired) Pamela Luce entered the Army directly after graduating from High School in 1982. She completed Basic Training and Advanced Individual Military Police Training at Fort McClellan, Alabama and went on to successfully complete Basic Airborne Training at Fort Benning, Georgia in 1983.
Throughout her twenty-one year career as a military police officer, 1SG Luce’s leadership positions included team leader, squad leader, platoon sergeant, drill sergeant, senior drill sergeant, instructor, personal security agent, military police assignment manager, operations sergeant and first sergeant. 1SG Luce broke several barriers as a female soldier. She was the first of her gender ever selected Installation Drill Sergeant of the Year for Fort McClellan, Alabama, she was the first female First Sergeant of an Airborne Military Police Company in the U.S. Army and she was the first female paratrooper in her brigade to attain the prestigious title of a Centurion Jumper. She is a Master Jumpmaster with over 100 military parachute jumps. Her duty stations included Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort McClellan, Alabama; Stuttgart, Germany; Department of the Army, Alexandria, Virginia; Ft Myers, Virginia; and Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
1SG Luce attended the full complement of military leadership schools, culminating with the First Sergeant Course. In addition to her entry-level training, she also successfully completed Drill Sergeant School, Air Assault School, the Master Fitness Training Course, Repel Master School, the Protective Services Training Course, three Counter-Terrorism Evasive Driving Courses, and the Advanced Airborne School’s Jumpmaster Course. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from Fayetteville State University, her Masters of Education Degree in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Louisville, and is a Licensed Professional Counseling Associate in the state of Kentucky.
1SG Luce’s awards include six Meritorious Service Medals, three Army Commendation Medals, seven Army Achievement Medals, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, seven Good Conduct Medals, two National Defense Service Medals, the Master Parachutist Badge, Drill Sergeant Identification Badge, Air Assault Badge, Gold German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge, and German Parachutist Badge.
Upon her retirement from the Army in 2003, Ms. Luce began her career in state government. She is currently an Executive Advisor for the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs and the Women Veterans Coordinator for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. She serves her community as a therapist with Shelby Counseling Associates and resides in Shelbyville, Kentucky with her daughters Nichole and Heather.
|
Michael Sámano, Ph.D.
Project Director, Lane's Integration of Vets in Education (LIVE)
Rethinking the Philosophy of: "If you build it, they will come"
After completing a six-year military service obligation, Michael Sámano began his academic career at Lane Community College. He transferred to the University of Oregon where he studied Sociology and Ethnic Studies. He holds Master of Arts degrees from Humboldt State University, and the University of California, Davis. He also has a Ph.D. in Education from Oregon State University. Sámano is the program coordinator for Ethnic Studies at Lane Community College. In addition to his coordinating responsibilities, he is the project director of Lane’s Integration of Vets in Education (LIVE) grant.
|
 
David Blair
Veterans Outreach Coordinator
Ronnie White
Veterans Transition Coordinator
G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Center for America’s Veterans at
Mississippi State University
Recruiting and Retaining Veterans, Service-Members, Dependents, and Survivors
David Blair is the Veterans Outreach Coordinator at the Center for America’s Veterans at Mississippi State University. Before joining MSU in 2007, David served 25 years on active duty for the Army National Guard, serving his last 15 years in the Recruiting Command. David spent 9 years as a Recruiter and his last 6 as a Recruiting and Retention Supervisor. David retired as a Sergeant Major in 2007. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies from Excelsior College and is currently enrolled in Graduate School in Public Policy and Administration at Mississippi State University.
Ronnie White is the Veterans Transition Coordinator. He also handles Marketing and Special Events. Ronnie served 22 years active duty for the Army National Guard and retired in May 2004. After retiring from the military, he was a high school teacher/head coach for 4 years before joining Mississippi State’s Center for America’s Veterans. He holds a Bachelor of Public Administration from the University of Mississippi and is currently enrolled in Graduate School in Public Policy and Administration at Mississippi State University.
|
Chris Balsley, MA-LPC
ONE Freedom Inc,
a 501c3 Helping Veterans and Families Transform Stress into Strength
"Strength after Service: the Veteran Perspective; the Neurophysiology of Stress; and Skills to Transform"
Chris Balsley, MA-LPC, works with ONE Freedom as a team member and facilitator for Strength after ServiceÔ programs for returning veterans and families. Founded in 2006, ONE Freedom provides education on how the brain and body naturally adapt under adverse conditions and training in self-regulation of the stress response—all in a fun, interactive and experiential way. ONE Freedom has served thousands of US military service members, leaders, care providers, veterans and families along the Colorado front-range and nationally. Chris brings 25 years of professional counseling and physical therapy experience and combines it with the ONE Freedom’s neuroscience-based approach to understanding the combat and deployment experience. A U.S. Air Force veteran, Chris is able to relate as a veteran.
In addition, Chris holds two black belts in martial arts, is an avid Yoga practitioner, certified ontologist, magician, and outdoor enthusiast. He lives in Longmont, Colorado with his wife, 4-year-old daughter and two surprisingly well-behaved dogs.
|
Kathy M. Snead
Director
Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC)
Effective strategies for maximizing credit awards
for
military service
Dr. Kathryn M. Snead (Kathy) serves as the President and Director of Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC), a consortium of national higher education associations and over 1800 institutional members. Prior to her appointment in SOC's senior leadership position in March 2004, Dr. Snead has served SOC in a number of capacities since 1995.
Higher education and the military culture have been inseparable parts of Dr. Snead's professional career for over twenty-five years. As the spouse of an Army careerist making frequent moves for military assignments, she has held administrative positions with the following colleges and universities: Armstrong Atlantic State University, Georgia Southern University, Leeward Community College, Syracuse University, and the University of Central Texas (now Tarleton State University).
Kathy earned a bachelor’s degree with double major in Psychology and Anthropology from Wake Forest University, received her master’s degree in Education with major in Counseling and College Student Personnel from the University of Georgia, and her doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Syracuse University.
Snead serves on the Secretary of Veterans Affair's Advisory Committee on Education (2007-2010) and has recently been appointed as chair of the advisory committee.
|
Elizabeth O’Herrin
Associate Director American Council on Education
Serving Those Who Serve: Higher Education & America’s Veterans
Elizabeth O’Herrin is an Associate Director with the American Council on Education (ACE), coordinating ACE’s broad based, multi-year veterans education initiative: Serving Those Who Serve: Higher Education and America’s Veterans.
Prior to coming to ACE, Elizabeth served as a Staff Sergeant with the Wisconsin Air National Guard as a munitions systems technician: assembling, transporting, inspecting, and fusing explosives and weapons systems. She has deployed three times in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Through her own experiences and the countless veterans she has come into contact with, Elizabeth has become well acquainted with the challenges of transitioning from military service into higher education. In 2008, she co-founded the Student Veterans of America, a national non-profit association comprised of over 200 student veterans organizations on campuses across the country.
Elizabeth graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. While attending college, she served as president of the University of Wisconsin student veterans organization and resource center, Vets for Vets, acting as a liaison between the university administration, the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, and student veterans on campus.
Natesha L. Smith
Graduate Intern, Office of Military and Veteran Student Services,
University of Louisville
Terri Carr
Program Coordinator Sr., Office of Military and Veteran Student Services, University of Louisville
Enhancing Your Veteran Student Association
|
|
......
.....................