A New Chapter for Voice of the Veteran
By Albert “Al” Wise,
Editor in Chief
Executive Vice President of Veterans World Magazine
Board Member Voice of the Veteran
After years of building Voice of the Veteran, serving Veterans, all Military Members, First Responders and ALL their families, developing partnerships throughout our community, and working to create programs that truly make a difference, Voice of the Veteran is entering an important new chapter.
As part of that transition, Our Founder and CEO is stepping away from the position of Chief Executive Officer and turning the day-to-day executive leadership of Voice of the Veteran over to Dan Kamanao, who will serve as our Chief Executive Officer.
This is not a step backward for Maxwell. It is a major step forward for Voice of the Veteran.
One of the greatest responsibilities of a founder is recognizing when an organization has grown to the point where additional leadership, experience, and structure are necessary. Voice of the Veteran is entering the most ambitious chapter in its history, and putting the right people in the right positions is essential to accomplishing what we have set out to do.
Dan brings leadership, experience, discipline, and a deep commitment to the Veteran community. I have tremendous confidence in his ability to lead our organization as CEO and turn the vision we have created into meaningful results for the Veterans, military members, and families we serve, said Maxwell.
We have also welcomed Air Force Veteran Rob Maunu as President of Voice of the Veteran. Rob brings extensive business and leadership experience, along with a genuine understanding of the military community and the people we have committed ourselves to serving.
Additionally, we bring our Air Force Brother and Psychologist, Dr. Mario DeSouza as our Executive Vice President of Operations and Director of Veteran Mental Wellness. As a retired Air Force Veteran with 22 years of service, he is well-versed in the needs and programs to assist Veterans and their families. As our Executive Vice President of Operations, “Doc” brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in operations management and possesses the vision to help make a positive difference in the lives of all who will come into our new Veterans Supercenter Campus.
Together, Dan and Rob represent an important evolution for Voice of the Veteran: a transition from an organization built around its founder into a professionally structured organization designed to serve Veterans, Military members, First Responders and all their families for generations to come.
Recognizing Peter Palivos
As we begin this new chapter, everyone at Voice of the Veteran would also like to recognize and sincerely thank Peter Palivos for the time, energy, effort, and hard work he has given to our organization.
This leadership transition is in no way intended as a negative reflection on Peter or his contributions. Rather, it represents a change in direction for Voice of the Veteran as the organization evolves and prepares for its next stage of growth.
Our executive management structure is increasingly centered around Veterans who have personally worn the uniform, served our country, and understand firsthand many of the challenges facing Veterans, Military members, First Responders and their families. That shared experience has become an important part of the direction we believe Voice of the Veteran should take as we expand our services and develop the Veterans Supercenter Campus.
Peter has played an important role in the history of Voice of the Veteran, and we are grateful for his contributions.
All of us at Voice of the Veteran wish Peter nothing but the very best as he begins his retirement and enjoys more time with his amazing and loving family. We thank him for his service to our country our organization, Veterans and Military members, First Responders and all their families. We sincerely wish him continued happiness and success in the years ahead.
A New Board Leadership Structure
As another part of this organizational transition, the Board of Directors has unanimously voted Bob Maxwell to lead the Board.
At the same time, Voice of the Veteran is modernizing the traditional title of “Chairman of the Board.” Going forward, the position will be known as Presiding Director of the Board, with Bob Maxwell serving in that capacity.
The change reflects the culture we are building within Voice of the Veteran.
Titles are necessary for governance, accountability, legal responsibilities, and a clear organizational structure. But within our leadership team, titles are not what motivates us. The mission does.
Our focus is not on who has the biggest title or who receives the most recognition. Our focus is on putting talented people in positions where they can make the greatest difference for Veterans, Military members, First Responders, and all their families.
“As Founder and Presiding Director of the Board, I will continue concentrating on the vision, strategy, major partnerships, community and government relationships, fundraising, and long-term future of Voice of the Veteran—including one of the most important initiatives we have ever undertaken: development of the “Veterans Supercenter Campus”, said Maxwell.
The Veterans Supercenter Campus represents our belief that Veterans, Military Members, First Responders, and all their families deserve something extraordinary: a place where services, benefits assistance, education, employment resources, mental health and wellness programs, recreation, family programs, technology, camaraderie, and community can exist together under one roof.
We are not simply trying to build another Veterans organization. We are building an organization capable of changing the way America serves those who have served America.
That requires a team.
It requires strong leadership.
It requires shared experience.
And it requires having the right people in the right positions.
The leadership structure may be changing, but the heart of Voice of the Veteran has not changed. Our commitment remains exactly where it has always been—with the men and women who served our country and the families who stood beside them.
Organizations must evolve if they intend to grow. Leadership must evolve with them.
This is our next chapter.
And we believe our best work is still ahead of us. To quote our Founder and Presiding Director of the Board, “Results Don’t Lie”
