[Editor’s Note: For military veterans contesting disputed use of the VA grounds, operation of the Veterans Park Conservancy has been a sorely contentious locations for years.]
The Veterans Park Conservancy – a local organization committed to honoring our military veterans by successfully preserving, protecting and enhancing the West Los Angeles VA property – has announced the appointment of Curtis Mack, retired U.S. Air Force colonel and nonprofit leader, as its new Executive Director.
Sue Young, who helped define Veterans Park Conservancy’s mission and legacy, will retire after 28 years on Friday, May 29.
Mr. Mack has spent his entire adult life in service to his country – in uniform, government service, and leading non-profit organizations. He will bring 30 years of experience to Veterans Park Conservancy.
“When we depend on more support and engagement from our community than at perhaps any other point in our history,” said Henley Saltzberg, board president, “we need someone who can hit the ground running. We need someone who understands what veterans need, and what nonprofits need to be successful.
“With Sue stepping down after years of amazing service to our local veterans,” Mr. Saltzberg said, “I can’t think of anyone we’d rather have taking the helm than Curtis.”
Mr. Mack will apply his many years of experience to engage community stakeholders and send a strong message about the importance of VPC’s role in the community.
“We have some critical work ahead of us to ensure that our efforts continue to serve local veterans,” Mack said. “I look forward to using my experience to benefit this organization and the veterans it serves, and continue our work for those who have gallantly served our country.”
Mr. Mack has been intricately involved in the cultural fabric of Los Angeles serving for more than 23 years as the president of the nationally respected Los Angeles World Affairs Council and was the founder and President of the Los Angeles Global Forum.
Mr. Mack spent almost 31 years in active and reserve military duty, retiring as a colonel in the U.S. Air Force. Among his personal decorations are the Legion of Merit and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. He further served in a sub-cabinet position in the Reagan administration. A Senate-confirmed appointee, he was an Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Deputy Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Earlier in his career he worked with the Veterans Administration as assistant to the director of the Los Angeles Regional Office and also as the Assistant Veterans Services Officer. There he was responsible for all public contact with veterans concerning non-medical benefits.
Mr. Mack holds a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees from USC, and is a life member of both the Air Force Assn. and the Navy League.
Mr. Chica may be contacted at anthony@cerrell.com
5 Comments on “Controversial Conservancy Names a New Director, Military Guy”
SO, the VPC has resorted to hiring a publicity firm, Cerrell and Associates, to try to rebuild its reputation after decades of stealing valuable land in the name of veterans at the West L.A> V.A. property, and claiming to be building a public park (As stated on their paperwork), while denying it in public. The VA has thrown them off the property, stopped their construction in the park, terminated their lease, and as it appears, finally got Ms. Young off of the property. Their list of donors shows politicians who claimed to want to help veterans, yet did nothing for decades to stop the corruption at the WLAVA, and in fact by their own actions, helped to promote the corruption and bad behavior. The old expression of lipstick on a pig applies here. Let’s not be fooled by the fox dressed up like a sheep. We must focus on one thing only: ending veteran homeless and getting vets the treatment they deserve.
Commonly referred to by fellow Veterans as “Veterans Park Conspiracy,” this group is not a Veterans organization by any stretch. It’s a wealthy and powerful homeowner group whose mission is to control sacred land deeded exclusively for housing and caring for disabled and homeless Veterans and converting it into a public park and entertainment center “for the enjoyment of the entire community.”
This cabal finagled an illegal “sharing agreement” from the VA for a 16-acre rent-free public park through the assistance of Senator Feinstein and other powerful members of a Congressional delegation.
After the agreement was adjudicated in Federal Court as “unauthorized by law and therefore void,” this rogue operative then illegally broke ground to build an illegal amphitheater which was blocked by a federal court order.
This homeowner group hoodwinked the Annenberg Foundation into donating $1 million to restore a “rose garden.” When the Annenberg Foundation found out that this land was deeded for a Home and not a park, they told them to keep the $1 million but to take their good name off any association with the group. In the group’s 2013 non-profit tax filing, they declared that the rose garden only cost $188,262. So where’d the other $800,000 go?
Here are two articles that will give you even more insight.
The Veterans Park Conservancy Deception
http://www.loscerritosnews.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/C_7_11_14-WEB.pdf
Sue Young’s Endless War on War-Injured Homeless Veterans
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2014/10/25/sue-youngs-endless-war-with-war-injured-homeless-veterans/
This group must be permanently banned from the Los Angeles VA property.
Moreover, FBI and Grand Jury Investigations must immediately begin into all the fraud and misrepresentation they committed and continue to flaunt, including the photo to this press release because the “national park” signage and plaques have been removed and they had zero to do with the hanging of the American Flags that they illegally claim ownership.
n addition, they continue to claim they are a “partner” with the VA and this is serious fraud as the group tries to illegally raise funds from the unknowing general public. They have essentially been permanently evicted from these sacred grounds and nobody should donate a penny to their unjust cause.
Lastly, the 16 acre, rent-free pubic park that they illegally manipulated must now be used for an emergency “Welcome Home Reception Center” to house and care for thousands upon thousands of war-injured and impoverished homeless Veterans.
God Bless America and the Veterans Revolution!
Curtis Mack is the best replacement they could find for abrasive Sue Young. Mack’s military credentials are hollow, his history of supporting veterans non-existent and his ties to politics and money absolute. He is a perfect empty hat place holder to oversee another few years of obfuscation and blatant class warfare by the rich of Brentwood against American veterans.
I’ve just finished reading VPC’s Web Site and mission statement. I hope this Mr. Mack changes/edits it real soon. The VPC’s History, since the 1980’s, has been one of prevention; preventing development of the Westwood VA’s land “from” honoring the Deed of 1888. The Deed stated that this land was to be “a Home for Veteran’s to heal after War”. Not to become a variety of feel good projects and business locations that did everything “but” offer Housing for needy Veterans: a 16 acre Public Park, a bus company and car rental storage area, a Rose Garden, a Hotel chain Laundry facility, a bunch of Lobotomy Prison buildings designated Historical and an outside theatre area for events.
The first thing Veterans need is a temporary Housing project that gets them off the streets and offers support for Veterans to move back into society. The first thing Mr. Mack should do is contact someone like a Mr. Ted Hayes, a Homeless Advocate, who’s an expert regarding “tent/dome cities”. With some immediate funding from the Brentwood Homeowners’ Group/VPC, in two months a thousand Homeless Male & Female Vets could be taken off the streets.
“Actions speak louder than Words” Mr. Mack!! Let’s see some action not prevention.
…”With Sue stepping down after years of an am a z i n g service to our local veterans,” you mean stealing from homeless Veterans and making money on their property? The fact that VPC continues to exist is confirmation of the ongoing parody of justice, and an insult to the memory of Veterans who died homeless while cronies and charlatans were lining their pockets and holding the key to the “misappropriated” property. This is certainly not the right time for a new nomination; it’s time for parasitic pest control.