Press Release

Press Release	August 19, 2013	No. 13-17   Contact: Mokie Porter301-585-4000, Ext. 146
John Rowan to Serve Fifth Term As National President of Vietnam Veterans of America
(Washington, D.C.)--John Rowan was reelected August 16 to a fifth term as National President of Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) at the organization's 16th National Convention in Jacksonville, Florida. 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 U.S. 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. Marsha Four of Springfield, Pennsylvania, was elected to serve as Vice President; Bill Meeks, Jr., of The Woodlands, Texas, was reelected as Secretary; and Wayne Reynolds of Athens, Alabama, was reelected as VVA's Treasurer. In addition, 19 National Board of Directors were elected: Ten At-Large and nine Regional. The At-Large directors are Charlie Hobbs (TN); Dan Stenvold (ND); Felix Peterson (OK); Jerry Yamamoto (CA); Richard C. DeLong (LA); Pastor Toro, Jr. (NY); Linda Blankenship (AL); Joe Jennings (OH); Jim Pace (WA); and Joe Kristek (NC). The nine Regional directors elected to serve a 2013-2015 term are: Region 1, John Miner (VT); Region 2, Herb Worthington (NJ); Region 3, Sara McVicker (MD); Region 4, Bob Barry (FL); Region 5, Dennis Cohoon (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 (VVA) 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.”