Iola Community Green Zone

Welcome to a keynote program that addresses the strengths and challenges of the Veteran population reintegrating into the community and how a community can take part in improvement and growth through the utilization of Veteran-centric skills. It is beneficial for everyone who can casually encounter a Veteran, Dependent, or Family Member in any number of circumstances, and the model is purpose-built to surround Veterans with community and saturate communities with invested Veterans. Presenters include Eastern Kansas VA Public Affairs, Loran Osborne from the Four County Mental Health Center, Inc. (CCBHC) Service Members and Veteran Families Navigator Office, a local provider of Veteran-specific insurance, Team Rubicon, the 1011th Quartermaster Co. US Army Reserve, and Southeast KansasWorks. Opportunities to partner with this endeavor still exist, and we welcome a period of time wherein Veteran visitors can share their experiences about employment, housing, and community in their region of Kansas. Some of the topics covered will be basic communication & interaction, questions not to ask, military culture familiarization & public-friendly terminology, best practices for forming community partnerships, Veterans returning to school, volunteering with Vets, how an employer can best utilize Veteran-prevalent skill sets, Veteran healthcare & insurance types, getting a Veteran to seek help & where to send them, and a few others.

Here is a brief teaser for the event!

DATE & TIME

July 14, 2023, 11:00 AM - 4:30 PM

Catered lunch will be provided, numerous opportunities to network and get involved, and motivated presenters will be teaching. Come train with us, because this system works!

If you want one of the most telling examples I can provide as to whether or not this system works and works well, I can provide a profile of a Veteran who came out of the military forced to retire for medical reasons 3 years short of their 20-year letter. With no local or transitional support, it took 6 months to get integrated into the local VA system, and 9 months to find a job that would hire them even with good qualifications and skills. The Veteran moved through 4 jobs in three years before getting involved in Veteran advocacy and beginning a path that would place them in contact with some of the leaders of our state and our nation and earn the respect of many of them. The Veteran I am referring to is me. I am SSG Loran Osborne, USA (Retired), and I am a Community Green Zone Advocate. 

Loran Osborne- SMVF Navigator, Four County Mental Health Center, Inc. 

See Organizer Description Below.

Michael Feiveson- Kansas Department of Commerce
Michael Feiveson served in the Army from 1985-2007 as a Military Policeman and a Recruiter. Since 2008, he has continued serving Veterans of SE Kansas through the Kansas Department of Commerce as a Veterans’ Employment Representative. His current duties are in assisting Veterans with job search activities to include: Resume building and polishing, Job interviewing skills, Job search activities, and any other essential job search assistance. Finally, he works with local employers and organizations all over Southeast Kansas to educate them on the benefits of hiring veterans.

 

SSG Farra McChesney- 1011th Quartermaster Co. Operations NCO (USAR)
SSG Farra McChesney is a noncommissioned officer, proven leader, and operations manager for a logistics, supply, and support Army Reserve unit based between Independence and Parsons, KS.  With multiple combat deployments, the last in OIF 11-12, she is uniquely qualified among our group to illuminate the challenges and successes which surround the gradual inclusion of women into not only the armed forces but also into combat roles and other hazardous conditions. As a new addition to our team, she brings a welcome enthusiasm and competence to a difficult and sometimes controversial subject.

Jeremy and Dana Tompson- Team Rubicon Southeast Kansas Field & Ops
Jeremy is invested in the SEK Veteran Providers Coalition, seeking Camaraderie, Reconnection, Reinvestment and Growth. A Veteran himself, he discovered himself lost without the connective influence of the military. He now trains, operates, cares for, and deploys volunteer members known as grey shirts to disasters and projects in support of a mutual benefit to the community in which they live/work. A dynamic, authentic instructor, Jeremy brings re-engagement in the world around you and your Veterans to the table. 

Jason Owens – Schenck Insurance, LLC Agent and Vet Rep
A respected member of the Veteran community in Montgomery County and elsewhere, and a native of Dearing and Coffeyville, Jason joined an incredible legacy of military family members to serve in the Army from 1994-2002. Jason coordinates with Veteran Service Officers and Providers, caseworkers, financial supports, family members, and others to ensure clients are educated about their options and that their financial and legacy best interests are met.

 

LiveConnectedKS Community Green Zone Page