2. A Word from the CEO
As of December 2011, our nation’s eight-year
engagement in the war in Iraq has terminated. While
a decade after 9/11 our military continues to serve
in combat in Afghanistan, there is a record number
of our nation’s military returning home and seeking
employment and reintegration into our communities.
These veterans are struggling to find a place in
civilian life during a time of economic hardship and
high unemployment
that is impacting the
entire country. Veteran
unemployment rates
currently reach as high as
20 percent for our younger
veterans and will increase
without viable programs for
training and employment,
including opportunities in
the green sectors.
This past year was a critical
time for Veterans Green
Jobs to grow as an organization, and to raise awareness
of our commitment to helping military veterans find
and secure meaningful career opportunities.
Key programs – including our income-qualified home
weatherization services in Colorado and our western-
states Veterans Green Corps outdoor conservation
program – connected hundreds of veterans with vital
training and employment opportunities. In November,
we received a major grant to start building our Veterans
Green Force program that matches military veterans
with green sector jobs. This program will be formally
launched in early 2012 with a commitment to place
300 veterans in full-time green jobs.
Throughout FY 2011, we continued to partner with
other nonprofits, veterans organizations, private
companies and government agencies to reach even
more former members of the armed forces. Putting
veterans back to work is a monumental task that cannot
be achieved by a few organizations alone, and there is
much more work to be done. We look forward to more
collaboration opportunities to ensure our returning
and deserving veterans find work that serves our
communities and the nation.
In Service to Veterans,
Dr. Bill Doe
CEO of Veterans Green Jobs
U.S. Army Veteran
A Word from the
Chairman of the Board
As chairman of the board and co-founder of Veterans
Green Jobs, I am often asked why this organization
succeeds despite a depressed economy. The answer
is our organization’s heart and soul – veterans and
their families. This past September marked the 10th
anniversary of the longest period of sustained warfare
in U.S. history. During this decade, only one-half of
one percent of the American population served on
active military duty. This small percentage of Americans
sacrifices everything for our country.
When we started Veterans Green Jobs in 2008, we
had a strong vision, but very little money. Thanks to
an early investment from the Walmart Foundation –
whose contributions have been leveraged with a return
on investment ratio of 9.4 to 1 – and an ongoing strong
commitment from additional partners, Veterans Green
Jobs now operates in eight states and assists hundreds
of veterans in their transition from the military to
the civilian workforce. Our operating budget is based
on pay-for-service
contracts that we
successfully compete
for in the open market
place, thanks to the
outstanding job
performance of our
veterans.
Veterans Green Jobs,
along with strong
business partners, has
the potential to recruit
and place veterans into thousands of green sector jobs
across the country. I ask that business leaders step
up and become advocates for veterans, and partner
with us in this venture. We need board members with
sound business backgrounds and a passion to work
for veterans. We need individuals and corporations to
volunteer. You can make a difference in the life of a
veteran. Please join us.
Thank you,
Dr. Mit Parsons
Co-founder and Board Chairman of Veterans Green Jobs
U.S. Army Veteran
VGJ CEO, Dr. Bill Doe, addresses
volunteers at a community clean-up in
downtown Denver.
Dr. Mit Parsons
2
3. VETERANS CITY CANoPY
From May to October 2010, 13 homeless veterans were provided with
classroom and hands-on training in urban forestry, tree planting,
tree maintenance, and basic landscaping. They planted 940 free
trees in Denver’s urban neighborhoods, lending more shade to
homeowners’ properties while gaining skills to look for jobs in
urban landscaping.
VETERANS GREEN CORPS
Veterans Green Corps expanded this year and provided experience for more veterans
than ever before. The introduction of fire mitigation crews provided certification
and valuable experience to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, some of whom went on to
pursue full-time firefighting careers. Veterans also joined
backcountry crews serving for 22 weeks in California’s
Sequoia National Park. In addition to fire mitigation,
crews worked on trail maintenance and invasive species
removal in California, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, New
Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming and Montana.
Veterans Green Corps partnered with the Southwest
Conservation Corps, California Conservation Corps,
Nevada Conservation Corps (Great Basin Institute),
Montana Conservation Corps, Rocky Mountain Youth
Corps, and Student
Conservation Association
to complete this work for
the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of
Land Management and many state parks.
In August and September 2010, Veterans Green Jobs and
the Carson National Forest reconstructed the historic
“Old Shuree” cabin located 100 miles from Taos, NM.
The project gave six veterans experience in log cabin
construction,
a working
knowledge of
cabin demolition,
and experience
in archeological
work, site
preparation, design and installation of drainage
and dry rock foundation.
Highlights
of our programs
Veterans
Green
Force
In March 2011, Veterans Green
Jobs received a $100,000 grant
award from Activision’s Call
of Duty Endowment to fund
the nonprofit’s Veterans Green
Force program. The grant
allowed Veterans Green Jobs
to begin laying the groundwork
for this nationwide outreach,
recruitment and placement
initiative, which will match
military veterans with green
sector jobs and training that
lead to sustainable career
opportunities. Veterans
Green Force has a goal
of connecting with 1,000
veterans within two years,
and placing 30 percent of
them in jobs.
Veterans Green Force
will rely on partnerships
with private businesses,
educational institutions,
government agencies and
other nonprofits that are
committed to providing
tools and resources
that will enable former
service members to
successfully transition
to the civilian
workforce.
Veterans Green Force will
place veterans into green
sector jobs. This photo shows
a furnace technician during
certification training.
A Southwest Conservation
Corps crew completes a day of
wildland fire mitigation training
in southern Colorado.
A veteran examines the day’s work
as the historic Shuree Cabin is
reconstructed.
A map of the western U.S. illustrating
Veterans Green Corps locations in FY 2011.
3
4. Income-Qualified Home Weatherization
Veterans Green Jobs successfully fulfilled its contract period by the end of June 2011 – an $11.2 million agreement with
the Colorado Governor’s Energy Office to weatherize income-qualifying homes in Denver and Jefferson counties and the
San Luis Valley. In partnership with EnergyLogic Solutions, a veteran-owned private services provider, Veterans Green
Jobs weatherized 1,630 households under the July 2010-June 2011 contract funded in part by the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The successful program continued uninterrupted
under a new $8.5 million contract which began July 1, 2011.
Between the Denver/Jefferson County and San Luis Valley weatherization services
operations, Veterans Green Jobs employed 23 military veterans in FY 2011.
“Our weatherization program is a success
story from three vantage points: We directly
hire military veterans in green jobs, we help
community members lower their energy bills
and be more comfortable and safe in their
homes, and we successfully deliver services
under a government contract,” says Chuck
Watkins, director of Denver operations for
Veterans Green Jobs.
Tamar Ellentuck, director of weatherization services
in the San Luis Valley, echoes this statement: “We not
only help our communities by improving quality of life for
many residents, we put military veterans in the role of providing these
services directly – boosting our servicemen and women’s sense of purpose and their
ability to continue serving their country.”
Highlights
of our programs
A weatherization technician
installs insulation in a
client’s crawl space.
A U.S. Army veteran stocks shelves
in VGJ’s weatherization warehouse.
Bucks County Community
College and the Green
Jobs Academy
Veterans Green Jobs partnered with Bucks County
Community College’s Green Jobs Academy in
Newtown, PA, to help veterans apply their military
occupational specialty (MOS) to skilled civilian
jobs. Twelve veterans completed a 12-week electrical
pre-apprenticeship training course in solar panel
installation and electrical basics. The veterans
earned OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health
Administration) certification plus First Aid,
CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation),
and AED (automated external
defibrillator) training.
Military Housing
Energy Efficiency
Project (MHEEP)
MHEEP was a Veterans Green
Jobs initiative that provided each of
100 Virginia military households
with $4,500 worth of auditing and
weatherization services at no cost.
Sponsored by the Sierra Club and
supported by the Laborers International
Union of North America (LiUNA),
WeatherizeDC, and Ardently Green,
MHEEP trained nine military veterans
in energy efficiency to complete these
projects.
4
5. GO GREEN
WAREHOUSE
This year, Veterans Green Jobs launched a unique
retail venture, the Go Green Warehouse. The
40,000-square food warehouse, which is open to
the public, is located at our national headquarters
and sells new and used home improvement materials,
which would otherwise end up in a landfill, at deeply
discounted prices. Income from sales supports Veterans
Green Jobs’ programs assisting former members of our
armed forces. The Warehouse also offers on-the-job
training opportunities for transitioning veterans,
where they can gain
experience in sales,
marketing, inventory
and customer service.
The warehouse relies on
donated products from
individuals and corporations
and others to fill its shelves. All contributions to the
warehouse are tax deductible and are picked up at no
cost to the donor.
Quindeshia Hornsby, NCCC Volunteer
During my time at Veterans Green Jobs I learned what an auditor
does, how to schedule an audit, and how auditors do their work,
including checking a furnace and carbon monoxide levels in the
home. My “big moment” happened when I went out into the field
with the auditors – I had a firsthand experience of how the work
at Veterans Green Jobs gets done.
Four crews of 18- to 24-year-old volunteers
from AmeriCorps’ National Civilian Community
Corps were vital to the opening of the store.
At the Go Green Warehouse, customers find
new and used donated materials ranging
from appliances and furniture to painting
supplies and bathroom fixtures.
Making an impact
5
Photos by Robyn Baer, One Tree Photography.
The Go Green Warehouse...
> anticipates a monthly average of 400 customers shopping in the store.
> needs to collect 5 donations per day, 5 days a week, to keep shelves stocked.
> anticipates a 20,000-ton reduction of material in the landfill as a result of its sales.
> expects to earn $435,000 in revenues during its first year of operations.
6. Service dayswere an important aspect
of Veterans Green Jobs’ work in FY 2011. In September
2010, representatives teamed up with partner organizations
to plant 24 trees in a living memorial for military service
members who have made the ultimate sacrifice. On Veterans
Day, November 2010, Veterans Green Jobs partnered with
ServiceNation: Mission Serve, Walmart, Bank of America,
Denver Parks and Recreation, the Governor’s Commission on
Community Service and the Sierra Club to clean up Denver’s
Confluence Park and adjacent green spaces along city trails.
In October 2010, Veterans Green Jobs’ Home
Weatherization Program was showcased by then-Colorado
Gov. Bill Ritter at a “Milestone Home” celebration,
highlighting the 600th residence weatherized by this
program. The event was hosted by a Denver resident whose
home received free weatherization services.
More than 200 people attended Veterans Green Jobs’
inaugural benefit, our Veterans Day Breakfast, on
November 11, 2010. The event featured keynote speaker
Colonel Randy A. George, the U.S. Army fellow at the
Council on Foreign Relations. The Breakfast
served as Veterans Green Jobs’ biggest
fundraiser of the year, bringing
in several thousand dollars and
providing a great way to honor U.S.
military servicemen and women.
Veterans Day Breakfast 2010 at
Mile High Station in Denver.
On Patriot Day, September 11, 2010,
eight disabled and able-bodied veterans
climbed to the top of Longs Peak, an 11,000-
foot mountain in Colorado. Sponsored by Boston-based
Force Factor and Boulder-based Veterans Expeditions, the
climb was designed to primarily engage physically and
mentally disabled military veterans who recently served in
Iraq and Afghanistan.
That same month, nine veterans graduated from VGJ’s
Bucks County (PA) Electrical/Solar program. The 12-week
program, made possible by innovative partnerships with Bucks
County Community College’s Green Jobs Academy and
Independent Electrical Contractors - Chesapeake, prepared
students to enter “green” careers through programs focused on
Electrical Pre-Apprenticeship and Solar PV basics.
Renowned playwright and U.S. Army veteran Tom Cole’s
one act play, “Medal of Honor Rag,” was staged in January
2011 at Su Teatro’s Denver Civic Theater by the Association
for the Retention of Cultural Heritages (ARCH). Audience
members at a matinee performance were invited to
participate in a post-performance panel discussion on issues
concerning veterans. Proceeds were donated to Veterans
Green Jobs.
In April 2011, Garett Reppenhagen, director of veterans
development, addressed the Committee on Veterans’
Affairs of the U.S. Senate in Washington, D.C., on the
topic of “Veterans Employment: Improving the Transition
From the Battlefield to the Workforce.” His testimony about
the unemployment of military veterans provided insight into
experiences and solutions that help veterans transition into
the civilian workforce. Reppenhagen made suggestions for
the committee to consider when drafting initiatives designed
to help veterans.
SPECIAL EVENTS
andSTAFF ACTIVITIES
Community clean-up in Denver’s Confluence Park.
Weatherization
training manager Eric
Lopez addresses the
audience alongside
then-Gov Ritter and
Chuck Watkins, Sr.
Director, Denver/
Jefferson County
Weatherization
Services, at our
“Milestone Home”
celebration.
L-R, Chuck Watkins, Eric Lopez
and Gov. Bill Ritter
6
7. On Armed Forces Day, May 21, 2011,
our first social enterprise, the Go Green
Warehouse, opened for business. Veronica
Collin, the store’s director, attributed the
store’s early success to the economy and to
America’s compassion for military veterans.
“Our deep discounts are a welcome benefit
for many homeowners today who want to
make improvements to their home without
spending a fortune. And, when people have
a choice between taking their functional
items to the landfill or donating them to a
cause that supports military veterans, many
choose to help our country’s servicemen
and women.”
CEO Dr. Bill Doe was among 75 national
business, government and non-profit
leaders invited to explore economic
issues including employment, education
and community engagement related to
America’s newest veterans during the
Clinton Global Initiative held in Chicago
in June 2011. The veterans-specific
working group addressed six key aspects for
veterans: outreach, reintegration, training,
education and employment and made
specific recommendations for follow-up.
Senior Staff
William W. Doe III, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
U.S. Army Veteran
Veronica Collin
Director, Go Green Warehouse
Tamar Ellentuck
Sr. Director, SLV Operations
Audie Murphy
Director, BCCC-GJA
U.S. Army National Guard (PA)
Garett Reppenhagen
Director, Veterans Transition
U.S. Army Veteran
Jo Schantz
Chief Development Officer
Dana Shea-Reid
Chief Human Resources Officer
John Toth
Senior Director, Veterans Programs
U.S. Army Veteran
Chuck Watkins
Sr. Director, Denver Operations
U.S. Army Veteran
Tara Williams
Chief Financial Officer
7
Financialreview
FY10/11 Expenses
FY10/11 Support and Revenue
Programs • 90%
Administration • 9%
Fundraising • 1%
Government Grants and Contracts • 94%
Contributions • 3%
Program Income • 3%
Weatherization,
Denver Metro
Weatherization,
San Luis Valley
79% 21%
Veterans Green Jobs’ free energy efficiency services give hope for a more
comfortable winter to homeowners like Renee Shirley of Denver. “We spend
most of our time in the living room, but it’s the coldest room in the house.
In the winter, we staple Army blankets to the walls and put plastic on the
windows. We’ll be warmer this year, thanks to Veterans Green Jobs. I’m
hoping our bills will go down by at least $100 a month,” she says.
Walter Heppard, the furnace technician who serviced her home, is a veteran of
the U.S. Army. He speaks of the rewards of his job. “We are doing good
things for the community – without asking people for money.” He
tells about the time an elderly client’s son thanked him: “The
guy gave me a bear hug for fixing his mother’s furnace. Then
he hugged me two more times. You don’t get that when
you’re charging money for the work.”
SERVING
Communities and Veterans
Families are safer and more comfortable, thanks to
Veterans Green Jobs’ Home Weatherization.
Veterans Green Jobs’ full FY 2011 financial audit is available upon request.
8. Visit Us on the Web www.veteransgreenjobs.org
Email Us info@veteransgreenjobs.org
Call Us 720-236-1300
National Headquarters Location:
2627 West 6th Avenue | Denver, CO 80204
Printed on recycled paper.C
Donor recognition
Board of Directors
2010 Veterans Day
Breakfast Sponsors
American Legion Auxiliary,
Department of Colorado
Baer Partners LLC
Comfort Air Distributing, Inc.
Diversified Energy Services
Dr.William W. Doe III & Dr. Sue Doe
Dollar-Sense, Inc.
Eagle Rock Supply Co.
EnergyLogic, Inc.
Fairfield and Woods, P.C.
PLP Solutions, Inc.
First Western Trust Bank
Monroe Infrared Technology
Olinger Chapel Hill Mortuary &
Cemetery
Paddock Imports, Inc.
Dr. Mit Parsons
Bob and Jo Schantz
R-Factor
Signal Graphics Printing, 854
Broadway
Sill-TerHar Motors, Inc.
Summit Utilities, Inc.
Walrath Heating & Air
Conditioning Co., Inc.
Weston Solutions, Inc.
Longs Peak Climb
Peter Cameron
Mare Cromwell
Alex Farlow
Patricia Fishback
Force Factor
Darren Forman
Howard Justice
Kelly Kozik
Marcel & Vicki Mayer
Thomas McConnell
Rian & Paula Mintek
David Nagel
Greg & Vicki Peterson
Tobias Shepherd
Caitlin & Donald Slutzky
Veterans Expeditions
Richard & Larayne Wahlstrom
Deborah & Richard Watson
Elizabeth Watson
Individuals
Mare App
Don Basler
Groucho Beckenhaupt
George Bilioux
Harry Bruell
Mike Cacchio
Kevin Conroy
Elizabeth Davidson
Dr. William W. Doe III and Dr.
Sue Doe
Darlene Dominguez-Trujillo
Janet Doolin
Ken Elliott
Shari Fessler
Colorado State Representative
Randy Fischer
Steve Foster
Gretchen Freeman
Dr. Neil Grigg
Pam Hoffer
Vincent Ingram
Nasreen Jacobson
Brian Jeffrey
John Jovanovic
Catherine Maley
Nicholas Muller
Dr. Mit Parsons
Kurt M. Petersen
Debra Porter
Jo Schantz
Dana Shea-Reid
Carter Smith
John H. Thomas
Susan Twetten
Colorado Senator Mark Udall
Alex Van Hoek
Kathleen Veit
Adam Wilson
Added Support
Association for the Retention of
Cultural Heritages (A.R.C.H.)
Justin Bukartek
Andrew Sponsler
Lone Star Steakhouse
Foundations
Employees Community Fund of
Boeing California
Call of Duty Endowment (CODE)
Causecast Foundation
The Grace R. & Alan D. Marcus
Foundation
Xcel Energy Foundation
Corporations
Cascade Strategic Defense
Consultants, LLC
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Protrails, LLC
The Home Depot–
Western Division
Partnerships and Contracts
AmeriCorps National Civilian
Community Corps (NCCC)
Ardently Green
Bucks County Community College
(Pennsylvania)
California Conservation Corps
City of Denver, Parks and
Recreation Department
Denver County Homeless Veterans
Reintegration Program (HVRP)
Denver Office of Economic
Development’s Division of
Workforce Development
Laborer’s International Union of
North America (LiUNA)
Mile High Youth Corps
Montana Conservation Corps
Nevada Conservation Corps (Great
Basin Institute)
Rocky Mountain Youth Corps
ServiceNation: Mission Serve
Southwest Conservation Corps
(SCC)
Student Conservation Association
(SCA)
The Bureau of Land Management
(BLM)
The Colorado Governor’s Energy
Office (GEO)
U.S. Forest Service (U.S.F.S.)
U.S. National Park Service (NPS)
Weatherize DC
In-Kind
Association for the Retention of
Cultural Heritages (A.R.C.H.)
Castle Rock Civitan Club
King Soopers
Vickie Miller
Mountain States Fire Protection
Debra Porter
R.W. Properties
Jo Schantz
Dana Shea-Reid
Signal Graphics Printing, 854
Broadway
Summit Utilities, Inc.
The Home Depot–Golden, CO
Go Green Warehouse
Founding Sponsors
David and Michelle Baldacci
Ken and Jana Elliott
First Western Trust Bank
The Hoffer Family
R.W. Properties, LLC
Walsh Environmental Scientists
and Engineers, LLC
Organizations
American Legion Auxiliary -
Unit 28
American Legion Post–Denver 1
American Legion Post #178–
Lakewood
Circle of Giving Incentive Fund
John S. Stewart VFW Post #1
Kiwanis Club of Monument Hill
Dean K. Phillips Memorial VFW
Post #5061
Harry Bruell (Treasurer)
President and CEO
Southwest Conservation Corps
Ken Elliott
Founder & CEO
Fidelis Environmental Risk
Management
Elizabeth Hawkins
Executive Director
ONE Freedom
Mit Parsons, Ed.D (Board Chair)
Retired Wildlife and Fisheries
Ecologist
USDA Forest Service
Veteran, U.S.Army
John Mills (Vice Chair)
CEO, Mills Motors, LLC
Veteran, U.S.Army, COL (Ret)
Harold “Rocky”Waite
VP Operations
Frank Smith Incorporated
Veteran, U.S.Army, LTC (Ret)
Nicholas R.S. Hall, PhD
Director
Saddlebrook Wellness Center
Theresa Z. Blumberg
Vice President
Women Veterans of Colorado
Veteran, USAFR, COL (Ret)
Deb Porter, JD (Secretary)
Fairfield and Woods
Steve Houston,
PhD, PE, LEED AP
Partner & Principal
Fidelis Environmental Risk
Management
Veteran, U.S.Army, LTC (Ret)
Dennis M. Orr
President and CEO
Colorow Consulting, Inc.
Veteran, USAF
Gail Schwartz
Colorado State Senator
District 5
Combined Federal Campaign (CFC): 30758
Combined Colorado Campaign (CCC): 1350
Key Partners
If you were a FY 2011 supporter of Veterans Green Jobs, and if we inadvertently missed you in this listing, please accept our apologies and please let us know!
Founding Sponsor
