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Meeting Minutes
Military and Veterans Affairs Commission
Regular Meeting
March 11, 2025
Council Chambers Conference Room
88 E. Chicago St., Chandler, AZ
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order by Chair Levinson at 5:02 p.m.
Roll Call
Commission Attendance
Chair Shane Levinson
Vice Chair Michael Simon
Commissioner Robert Dalpe
Commissioner Jacob Dort
Commissioner Carol Farabee
Commissioner LaShay Marks
Staff Attendance
Corey Povar, Staff Liaison
Tawn Kao, Deputy City Attorney
Luke Cerré, Recording Secretary
Consent Agenda
1. February Military and Veterans Affairs Commission Meeting Minutes
Comm. Dalpe motioned to approve the minutes; seconded by Comm. Dort. Motion carried
6 - 0.
Discussion
2. Discuss updates regarding the Freedom, Hope, Future Vietnam event, to be held April 26,
2025
Mr. Povar advised that the Military Order of the Purple Heart would be supplying challenge
coins and pins for the veteran recognition section of the program, as well as pins for Gold
Star families. He advised that the Hamilton High School JROTC will be available to assist the
Commission with coining and pinning if needed. ASL and Vietnamese translators will be
present at the event.
Page 2 of 3
There was discussion regarding including a brochure from the city’s Neighborhood
Resources Department, as they regularly assist veterans. Mr. Povar advised that the
Facebook event would be live within the next week. Comm. Dalpe stated that there were
two other Vietnam-related events in the next few weeks, and that it would be helpful to get
word out to those attendees.
3. Discuss event planning and assignments for Military Bound Event
Chair Levinson advised that he would have the full list of names from the recruiters in the
next two weeks. There was discussion regarding the food, with a consensus that light
appetizers would be sufficient, for approximately 200 people.
There was discussion regarding uploading the event task tracker to a shared location. Ms.
Kao advised that so long as Commission members only use the tracker to update the status
of tasks they had been assigned at meetings, and do not use the platform to communicate,
there should be no issues with Open Meeting Law concerns.
4. Discuss updates regarding external events
Comm. Dalpe advised that there were several events coming up the Commission might
want to be aware of:
Honoring Vietnam Veterans – 3/28, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., 31 N. Church St., Sacaton
Piestewa Events Series – 3/29, 4 p.m., Phoenix Mountain Preserve
Arizona America 250 – 4/18, 5:30 – 9 p.m. at the state capitol, 1700 W. Washington St.
5. Discuss groups and organizations being included in the Veterans Memorial Phase 3
Mr. Povar displayed a mock-up of the panel design. He explained that backlighting the
names unfortunately would not be feasible, as it would require a font that reduces the
number of names from 3000 to 600. He asked that the Commission provide him with the
correct abbreviations for each branch’s ranks. There was discussion regarding adding Killed
in Action, Missing in Action, and Prisoner of War designations.
Discussion turned to groups and organizations. A consensus emerged that the memorial
should reflect the shared commitment of all who serve, rather than distinctions based on
background. Allowing group representation was seen as a slippery slope, potentially leading
to pressure from numerous organizations to be included, which could create complications
and raise fairness concerns.
There was concern that excluding some groups could appear discriminatory, given the large
number of veteran-related organizations and nonprofits in Arizona. This could make vetting
submissions challenging, in addition to verifying an organization’s legitimacy and its
connection to Chandler. Including organizations was viewed as a risk to the memorial’s
mission, potentially shifting focus away from individual recognition.
Commissioners also felt that distinguishing specific groups would introduce unnecessary
division in a space meant to reflect unity, reinforcing the belief that all who serve wear the
cloth of the nation and deserve equal recognition. The Commission recommended against
inclusion of organizations in Phase 3, but acknowledged the potential of exploring
alternative methods to honor such groups.
6. Discuss annual report to council/memo to council
Discussion ensued regarding items to include in the memo, including the goals and
objectives raised during the retreat (Advise, Educate, Collaborate & Coordinate,
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Acknowledge & Honor). Deliverables accomplished during the year include the brochure,
highlight reel, and commissioner name tags.
Calendar
7. The next Military and Veterans Affairs Commission meeting will be held April 8, 2025 at 5:00
p.m. in the Council Chambers Conference Room, 88 E. Chicago St.
8. Freedom, Hope, Future | April 26, 2025 | 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. | City Hall Courtyard, 88 E. Chicago
St.
9. Military Bound | April 30, 2025 | 6 - 7 p.m. | Council Chambers, 88 E. Chicago St.
Information Items
10. Treasury Report - Luke Cerré, Commission Secretary
Mr. Cerré advised that there had been no changes since the last meeting, but that expenses
for the Freedom, Hope, Future event would start soon. Comm. Farabee suggested that the
Commission may want to start setting budgets for the Military Bound and Veterans Day events.
Adjourn
The meeting was adjourned at 6:01 p.m.