San Mateo County Veterans Commission set to highlight contributions of local veterans and advocates at annual luncheon
San Mateo County, California – The Veterans Commission of San Mateo County is scheduled to honor a number of prominent individuals at their next 9th Annual Veterans Recognition Lunch in an in what appears to be an authentic celebration of service and community. Every year, the much-awaited ceremony honors those who have made major contributions to the county and the veteran population.
Awarded the esteemed title of Veteran of the Year, Bob Hoover, a revered U.S. Air Force veteran and major player in the growth of East Palo Alto, will be honored this year. Celebrated early this year, Hoover’s 90th birthday is well-known not only for his military service but also for his strong advocacy of civil rights and community empowerment.
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Having migrated to the Peninsula in the late 1950s with only $20 in his pocket, Hoover’s journey is one of resilience and dedication. Through ongoing mentoring of young people and emerging leaders, he has significantly changed his community over the years. His selfless efforts helped East Palo Alto develop into a community with a distinct and strong character.
“Bob Hoover is a shining example of a leader in every sense of the word,” said Donna Vaillancourt, chair of the Veterans Commission, in a news release. “Born and raised in the Jim Crow south, he served his country as an aircraft gunner and staff sergeant and went on to become a respected leader with a vision for his adopted community of East Palo Alto. We are the ones who are honored to honor him.”
Apart from Hoover, the Veterans Commission will also honor Congresswoman Anna Eshoo as Patriot of the Year for her over 30 years of service to San Mateo County first as a County Supervisor and then in Congress. Warren Slocum, San Mateo County Supervisor, will get the Lifetime Achievement Award for his great county service.
Moreover, the San Mateo Elks Lodge #1112 will be recognized as Enterprise of the Year for its contributions to local veterans’ initiatives. Ann E. Rondeau, Ed.D., Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.), and head of the Naval Postgraduate School will give the keynote speech highlighting the continuous value of leadership and education in both military and civilian sectors.
The Veterans Recognition Lunch is an important event that brings together veterans, active military members, and community leaders to honor and enjoy the great things that people and groups have done for San Mateo County. This event aims not only in honoring but also in increasing awareness of the vital services accessible to veterans throughout the society.
The luncheon is set to take place on Friday, November 8, 2024, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Westin San Francisco Airport hotel in Millbrae. Those who want to participate in this important event can buy tickets online to guarantee their attendance at what looks to be a remarkable and motivating assembly.
The 2024 Honorees are:
Veteran of the Year – Bob Hoover
Born in North Carolina, Hoover attended Penn State University and was a member of the U.S. national baseball team that played in the 1959 Pan American Games. He came west to earn a master’s degree from Stanford University.
During the 1960s, national civil rights activist Stokely Carmichael came to East Palo Alto and challenged Hoover to work with and educate youth in his community – the conversation stuck with him and set him on his life path.
Since that time, he has started numerous programs that serve youth including the East Palo Alto Junior Golf Program (which boasts a high school graduation rate about 90 percent to youth who attend) and the East Palo Alto Teen Summer Project teaching youth life skills through golf, making an undeniable impact in the East Palo Alto community.
He has also been a leader in the Live in Peace/Students with Amazing Goals (SWAG), where he has developed programs and services that reduced the drop-out rate of high school students.
Nominees must be San Mateo County residents honorably discharged from one of the U.S. armed services branches and “have gone above and beyond the scope of their daily work in service to the community.”
Patriot of the Year – Congresswoman Anna Eshoo
Nominees must be San Mateo County residents and a non-veteran who volunteer “serving veterans.”
Congresswoman Anna Eshoo is in the last year of a storied career representing San Mateo County. In Congress, she where she has served for 32 years, she consistently worked to ensure that our nation’s veterans have access to high-quality health care, working to end veteran homelessness and expanding economic opportunities for veterans.
In short, she has been a tireless advocate for military service members, veterans, and their families for decades. county and our country have been well served by her dedication and tenacity. Congresswoman Eshoo also served on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors for 10 years.
Enterprise of the Year – San Mateo Elks Lodge #1112
Nominees can be any for-profit or non-profit organization with significant operations in San Mateo County that serves the veteran community.
The San Mateo Elks Lodge #1112, an organization that has done so much locally to enhance the lives of veterans in San Mateo County, has a strong history of partnering with the San Mateo County Veterans Service Office and other veteran organizations to put on programming that helps improve the lives of active military, veterans and their families.
In the past year, the Elks Lodge has hosted the first annual Veterans Commission Service Providers Summit, the County Veterans Service Office Stand Down, the Hoover Institution Town Hall discussions on Veterans Needs and the Veterans Christmas Luncheon (a yearly event) – each of these events were successful and well attended.
Lifetime Achievement Award – Supervisor Warren Slocum
Supervisor Warren Slocum is in the final months of his storied career in public service in San Mateo County. For some 36 years, he has served the residents of San Mateo County – first as County Assessor/Recorder/Chief Elections Officer and for the last 12 years as County Supervisor representing District 4.
Veterans have always had Supervisor Slocum’s heart – he served in the Army in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. He firmly believes in leaving no soldier behind. Supervisor Slocum is known as the “Godfather” of the San Mateo County Veterans Commission, advocating for the creation of the commission to advise and recommend policies and positions on behalf of the County’s 27,000 veterans.
And because of his leadership and as a champion of veterans causes, the Veterans Commission was created in 2015 to work with the County Veterans Services Office to improve the lives of veterans and their families.
