Press Release
August 22, 2011
No. 11-24
(Washington, D.C.) – John Rowan was reelected August 20 to a fourth term as National President of Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) at the organization’s 15th National Convention in Reno, Nevada. Rowan, who was elected to VVA’s highest office in 2005, has served as the chairman of VVA’s Conference of State Council Presidents, for three terms on the organization’s Board of Directors, and as president of VVA’s New York State Council. He served as a linguist in the U.S. Air Force’s 6990 Security Squadron in Vietnam and at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, providing the Strategic Air Command with intelligence on North Vietnam’s SAM sites to protect their bombing missions.
Rowan was a founding member and the first president of VVA Chapter 32 in Queens, New York. He retired from city service as an investigator with the City of New York’s Comptroller’s Office. He lives in Middle Village, New York, with his wife, Mariann.
Fred Elliott of Rochester, New York, was elected to serve as Vice President; Bill Meeks, Jr., of The Woodlands, Texas, was elected as Secretary; and Wayne Reynolds of Athens, Alabama, was elected as VVA’s Treasurer. In addition, 19 National Board of Directors were elected: Ten At-Large and nine Regional. The At-Large directors are Marsha L. Four (PA); Dan Stenvold (ND); Jerry Yamamoto (CA); Felix Peterson (OK); Pat Bessigano (IN); Richard C. DeLong (LA); Pastor Toro, Jr. (NY); Ken Holybee (CA); Joe Jennings (OH); and Jacqueline Rector (KY).
The nine Regional directors elected to serve a 2011-2013 term are: Region 1, John Miner (VT); Region 2, Herb Worthington (NJ); Region 3, Sara McVicker (MD); Region 4, Bob Barry (GA); Region 5, Sandie Wilson (MI); Region 6, John Margowski (WI); Region 7, Allen J. Manuel (LA); Region 8, Tom Owen (OR); and Region 9, Dick Southern (CA).
Vietnam Veterans of America is the nation’s only congressionally chartered veterans’ service organization dedicated to the needs of Vietnam-era veterans and their families. VVA’s founding principle is “Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another.”
Contact: Mokie Pratt Porter , 301-585-4000, Ext. 146