This was a year of new leadership at IAVA and increased membership input.
IAVA continued to lead the national discussion on veteran-specific topics and the special circumstances of 9/11 first responders.
There were BIG legislative wins this year affecting a whole generation of veterans and civilians who may have been adversely affected by toxic exposures related to public service.
Founder and CEO Paul Rieckhoff (US Army) stepped down to focus on new creative endeavors, including his second book, podcast, and other media projects. Rieckhoff continues to serve IAVA on its Board of Directors and to be a leading voice, beacon of light and passionate advocate for our community.
After a deliberate search, IAVA’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to select Jeremy Butler, (US Navy) to lead IAVA forward as Chief Executive Officer. Butler previously served as IAVA’s Chief Operations Officer, continues to serve our country as a Captain in the Navy Reserve and is uniquely qualified to lead IAVA through its next chapter and fight on behalf of all veterans.
IAVA aggressively fought to pass the Burn Pits Accountability Act, landmark IAVA-led legislation that required the Department of Defense (DoD) to evaluate whether each service member has been exposed to open-air burn pits or toxic airborne chemicals and document those exposures for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
IAVA achieved its goal when the provisions of this bill were incorporated into the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), signed on December 20, 2019.
IAVA celebrated a very personal legislative victory as we honored the Families of the 9/11 First Responders at the 2019 Heroes Gala.
The Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act, signed into law on July 29, 2019, extended authorization for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 through fiscal year 2092.
On June 11, 2019, IAVA Storm the Hill participants joined many other VSO partners and mental health groups outside the Capitol for a suicide prevention rally to share stories of hope and find inspiration. The issue of suicide is particularly painful and personal to the veteran community, and the rally was a sobering reminder that, while Storm The Hill is a fun, high energy week, we often must confront challenges that are very painful to our community.
In 2019, over 4,900 IAVA members responded to our Annual Member Survey – IAVA’s largest response ever. The survey results accurately and precisely reflect the thoughts and attitudes of IAVA’s diverse veteran and military membership nationwide.
IAVA CEO, Jeremy Butler, testified before the House Veterans Affairs Committee on March 6 and before a Joint Session of Congress on March 7.
IAVA’s new CEO, Jeremy Butler, discussed IAVA policy priorities with BoldTV live on March 15, 2019.
