The CSU Student Veterans Association recently announced the selection of new officers. Leading the group will be Rob Nease as president and Chris Grady as vice president as they replace outgoing President Edwina Edwards and Vice President Danail Knox.
Nease, a CSU student seeking a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership, is an Army veteran who served as a military police officer from 2000-2003 in Japan. As Department of Defense civilian, he was deployed twice for six-month increments to Kandahar, Afghanistan, in direct support of Contingency Contract Administration in 2010 and 2011. Currently, he is a program analyst for a defense contract management agency and provides contract administration services to the Department of Defense.
Grady, who is working on his bachelor’s degree in occupational safety and health, has served in the Navy since 2000. He has been stationed in Virginia aboard the USS Kitty Hawk, Eisenhower and Nassau in Japan. Grady is now stationed on the USS Harry S. Truman out of Norfolk, Va., which is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
The new leaders said are eager to get to work with the SVA at CSU.
“We want to continue the excellent volunteer efforts that Edwina Evans started,” said Nease. “Service to the veteran community is very important. Secondly, we should concentrate on how we can provide better liaison services to our existing and perspective veteran students at CSU.”
Nease added that they would like to share various ways of funding education through scholarships and tuition assistance for veterans who may not receive full GI Bill benefits.
Grady said he hopes the group can help “motivate and encourage our servicemen and women to pursue their education and be ready to transition to civilian life after they complete their military service.”
To contact Nease or Grady, please email SVA.President@columbiasouthern.edu