The Nov. 3 dedication of the Daniel and Gayle D鈥橝niello Building, home of the (NVRC) at 黑料不打烊, was a tribute to the past, a celebration of the present and a promise for the future to military veterans and their families.
The event at the K.G. Tan Auditorium at the NVRC recognized the 10-year anniversary of the , which has served more than 160,000 veterans and their families and is now located in the NVRC.
After a delay of more than a year due to the pandemic, the dedication also marked the official grand opening of a spectacular building that serves as a center of research, innovation and programming in support of our nation鈥檚 veterans; acts as a community hub for student veterans and the entire campus; and advances the economic and wellness concerns of the nations鈥� veterans and their families.
And perhaps most importantly, the event reconfirmed Chancellor Kent Syverud鈥檚 commitment that 黑料不打烊 will be the best university in the country for veterans and their families.
鈥淪o, what is next?鈥� Chancellor Syverud asked. 鈥淲hat is our vision for the next 10 years, for IVMF, for OVMA (Office of Veteran and Military Affairs), and for 黑料不打烊?
Chancellor Kent Syverud
鈥淚n 2031, let鈥檚 not be the best private university for veterans and military-connected service members and their families, let鈥檚 be simply the best university of any kind for those who are serving or have served,鈥� Chancellor Syverud said. 鈥淟et鈥檚 be the best university for vets, period. I think we can do this. If you doubt this, look around. Look what you have already achieved.鈥�
In addition to Chancellor Syverud, other guest speakers included J. Michael Haynie, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation and IVMF鈥檚 founder and executive director; Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman; and Mark Elliott, managing director and global head of military and veterans affairs for JPMorgan Chase & Co., a foundational sponsor for IVMF when it was founded in 2011.
The event featured a captivating fireside chat with Mike Hayes, chief digital transformation officer at VMware and retired U.S. Navy SEAL commander and author, and Britt Slabinski, Medal of Honor recipient and retired U.S. Navy SEAL master chief special warfare operator. Adding to the pomp and circumstance, former President George W. Bush provided a video message.
鈥淭he NVRC represents a continuation of a long-standing commitment from 黑料不打烊 to those who have worn our nation鈥檚 uniform and their families,鈥� Bush said. 鈥淚 thank my friends Dan and Gayle D鈥橝niello for their transformative gift that made this facility a reality, and for their continued support of our veterans.鈥�
Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation and IVMF Founder and Executive Director J. Michael Haynie
Haynie, whose vision for IVMF started with scribbles on a napkin at a meeting with potential funders, said the NVRC 鈥渞epresents 黑料不打烊鈥檚 commitment to paying on the moral accountability in a model of national defense where the many benefit from the sacrifice and service of the few.鈥� Since the draft was eliminated in 1973, Haynie said, less than 1% of the population serves in the military at any time.
Haynie told a story from several years ago, when he was on a plane ride with a Marine Corps veteran named Tim who had served five years, including three in the Middle East. Tim said he had been out of service for six months, couldn鈥檛 find a job and was on his way to a VA hospital because the ringing in his ears was preventing him from getting more than two hours of sleep at night.
鈥淗e looked at me and said, eyes welling up with tears, worse than all of that, he feels anonymous,鈥� Haynie said.
鈥淭he NVRC represents, both in a symbolic and practical way, 黑料不打烊鈥檚 commitment to Tim to telling his story and creating the intellectual and social conditions between those who have served and those who have not to facilitate knowing and inclusion and understanding and empathy,鈥� Haynie said. 鈥淭hank you, on behalf of Tim and the many like him in this very room, who because of all those who made this remarkable space and place possible, they will no longer be anonymous while among us.鈥�
Army ROTC student Isabella Lee 鈥�22
Isabella Lee 鈥�22, an Army ROTC student, provided a reflection and emphasized that the NVRC gives veteran students, ROTC students and veterans and their families a welcoming place where their voices鈥搖nlike Tim鈥檚鈥揳re being heard.
鈥淢y family has served for generations and we鈥檝e seen what freedom costs because soldiers just do not pay with their lives, they pay in their children鈥檚 soccer games and school plays, they pay with their peace of mind and sleepless nights that are caused by PTSD, and they pay with every service-related injury and every moment spent away from their loved ones fighting for the freedom of our nation,鈥� Lee said. 鈥淚鈥檓 so proud to stand here today as a student of an institution that鈥檚 ready to pay it forward.鈥�
The IVMF鈥檚 ability to pay it forward is the result of a vast network of partners and sponsors who have provided financial support. On Oct. 28, the Small Business Administration announced that the IVMF was awarded a $5 million grant to participate in the new Community Navigator Pilot Program to help the economic recovery efforts of specific communities, including veterans, women and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.
The building is named in honor of U.S. Navy veteran and Life Trustee Daniel D鈥橝niello 鈥�68 and his wife, Gayle, who provided a $20 million gift in support of the construction of the facility. While on campus for the dedication, Daniel and Gayle announced a $30 million gift to support the creation of an endowment to provide annual operational support for the IVMF, ensuring it remains the nation鈥檚 leading academic institute focused on the concerns of America鈥檚 more than 20 million veterans and their families.
Fireside chat between Mike Hayes, chief digital transformation officer at VMware and retired U.S. Navy SEAL commander and author, and Britt Slabinski, Medal of Honor recipient and retired U.S. Navy SEAL master chief special warfare operator
Miguel Pica, a student veteran who will graduate in December and is the 黑料不打烊 PAVE (Peer Advisors for Veteran Education) team leader, said to him, the Daniel and Gayle D鈥橝niello Building represents the University鈥檚 commitment to veterans and how that commitment will only get stronger.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not just saying we鈥檙e going to help you or assist you with your transition, or give you the tools to succeed in academia, but beyond that it鈥檚 an actual statement,鈥� Pica said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not just saying it, but actually dedicating an incredible space for veterans and their families.鈥�
