Veteran's Advisory Board

Veteran's advisory board

Thank you for your Service and Sacrifice.

Juntos Unidos

Together United

 In recognition of the service of veterans and in an effort to meet the needs of veterans in this community, the Santa Fe City Council by unanimous vote approved a resolution to create a Veterans’ Advisory Board to advise the Governing Body on veteran affairs and streamline Santa Fe’s veteran services.

About: Citing unemployment, underemployment, aging, homelessness, and the difficulty of accessing the range of services available in the Santa Fe community, the Council voted unanimously to create an advisory board to “address matters affecting veterans, propose solutions to alleviate or address the needs of local veterans and recognize the contributions local veterans have made.”

The Veterans’ Advisory Board will: make recommendations on the use of funding; streamline transition services for recently discharged veterans; serve as a clearinghouse for physical and behavioral health services, housing, and financial benefit programs available for veterans; recommend local services to supplement federal and state benefits; work with local non-profits, the State of New Mexico, and the Santa Fe Resources Opportunity Center to streamline provision of services in Santa Fe; and, recognize and honor the accomplishments of local veterans.

The board will consist of nine residents of Santa Fe County appointed by the Mayor and approved by the Governing Body.  At least three members must be veterans or immediate family members of veterans.  

VETERANS RESOURCES VAB ACCOMPLISHMENTSUPCOMING EVENTSPAST EVENTS

2016 Veterans Day Parade

VAB News

On March 14th 2018 the Veterans Advisory Board welcomed back one of their members from active duty, Hannah Sigrid Mabel, seen here accepting a quilt from Patricia Forshaw of Quilts of Valor Foundation. Welcome Home Hannah!

VAB GRANT FUNDING AVAILABLE:

Grant funding is now closed; please check back frequently for updates.

UPCOMING MEETING:  

Meetings are held the third Wednesday of every month from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at 500 Market Station, Suite 200 (City Railyard Offices). 

CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS:

Calvert, Chris (Chair) (AIR FORCE)

 After I graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1970, I served five years in the USAF as a pilot (C-141). In 1975, after seperating from the Air Force, I enrolled at UC Berkeley to get a 2nd B.S. There I met my future wife, Carol; we married 20 years later. After a year as an intern for an assemblyman in Sacramento, CA I returned to UC Berkeley in 1977 to enter the Masters in Public Policy Program. After graduating in 1979, and a year off spend building a dome house in CA with my brother, I started work at Blue Cross of California. Initiallly I was a systems analyst located in Oakland, CA, and I later became a claims and customer service manager at the Woodland Hills office in southern CA. One day in 1989 I had my "take this job and shove it" moment. After remodeling my home in Pasadena, I began working for the US Postal Service as a letter carrier in 1991. In 1995, Carol and I reconnected and were married on a bridge over the Merced River in Yosemite National Park. In 1998, we moved from Pasadena, CA to Santa Fe, NM when I secured a transfer with the US Postal Office. In 2006 I was elected to the Santa Fe City Council, where I served 2 four year terms. In March of 2014 I chose not to run for re-election and so stepped down from the council, and also retired from the USPS. We are now enjoying the retired life here in Santa Fe and on our travels. 

Dettelbach, Kenneth (ARMY)

Kenneth Dettelbach, Captain ROTC University of Pennsylvani Distinguished military student 1966 to Vietnam, US Army Transportation Corp.

Boards: City of Santa Fe Veteran’s Advisory Board Vietnam Veterans of America Northern New Mexico Chapter 996 President – Roof & Ramps for Vets LLC Santa Fe Community College Foundation

Personal: Married to Pam Scotty 3 children 5 grandchildren 27 years in Santa Fe Entrepreneur

Seaton, Dorothy M. (ARMY)

Dorothy Seaton is a retired Army officer.  She served on active duty 1971-74, and then more than 17 years in the Army National Guard in four states.  She was assigned to the full-time staff at New Mexico National Guard Headquarters from 1989-91.

In addition to serving on the Veterans Advisory Board for the City of Santa Fe, she is a founding member of the Santa Fe unit of New Mexico Women Veterans.  She is also President of the Bataan Chapter of American Veterans for Equal Rights which serves Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Northern New Mexico.  She was a member of the Host Committee for the National Convention of American Veterans for Equal Rights held in Albuquerque in April 2016.

Dorothy is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a Master of Human Relations and of the University of Nebraska with a Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences. Her civilian career was primarily in the fields of Public Affairs, Quality Management, and Addictions Counseling. She is in her first term on her homeowners’ association Board of Directors, and she volunteers as a Voter Registration Agent for the Santa Fe County Clerk’s Office. 

Hernandez, Phillip

Keelin, Kenny

Mabel, Hannah Sigrid 

On active duty.

2 Vacancies

CONTACT 

Richard DeMella, Division Director
Youth and Family Services Division
Post Office Box 909
Santa Fe, NM 87504-0909
(505) 955-6603
(505) 955-6760 Fax

Julie Sanchez, Program Manager/Board Liaison
Youth and Family Services Division
Post Office Box 909
Santa Fe, NM 87504-0909
(505) 955-6678
(505) 955-6760 Fax

Lisa Noriega, Special Projects Administrator/Board Liaison
Youth and Family Services Division
Post Office Box 909
Santa Fe, NM 87504-0909
(505) 955-6236
(505) 955-6760 Fax