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Hours of Operation: Mon - Fri 8:00am - 8:00pm

Welcome toVetizens

Veterans Helping Veterans

ABOUT US

Vetizens is a registered non-profit U.S. 501(3)(c) not-for-profit organization and is a registered entity with the State of Nevada Secretary of State.


Mission

To educate, equip, support, and empower veterans for success in employment and in life.

Goals

Collaboration, communication, bridging gaps, non-duplication of other services.

Clients

Veterans transitioning from military to civilian life and senior veterans reentering civilian workforce.

RECENT WORK

Transition

Advocacy

Collaboration

Sponsors

The following examples are some of the services Vetizens provides:

  • Job Search & Interview Supplies
  • Interview Assistance (Wardrobe/Uniform/Grooming)
  • Communications (Phone Cards/Telephone Bill Assistance)
  • Temporary Lodging Support
  • Licensing Assistance (CDL/Professional Trades)
  • Transportation (Public Transit Passes/Fuel)
  • Other Resources (On a case-by-case basis)

Partners

Sponsors

DonateHere

MEET THE TEAM

Dr. Cynthia A. Donahe

Executive Director / Co-Founder

Cynthia's dedication and compassion to provide assistance to fellow veterans was borne from her own personal story.  Cynthia's firsthand experience in the value of both giving and receiving stemmed from growing up in poverty, homelessness, and abuse.  


Cynthia has fulfilled her calling in life by serving in public service in education, military, and public administration at various levels of government.  She believes success is not measured in personal wealth but by faith, service to God, and caring for others.


Cynthia is married to Mike, works for the State of Nevada, serves in the Army Reserve, and holds the degree of Doctor of Public Administration (DPA).

Michael A. Donahe, Sr

Director / Co-Founder (Director, Information Security and Operations Officer)

Michael's nearly 29 years of service in both the Army and Air National Guard of Massachusetts and California spanned from Vietnam, through the Cold War years, to Desert Storm. Those years included being both a traditional Guardsman and Active Guard Reserve soldier.  Mike's various assignments provided him opportunities from the age of 17 through the years to achieve the rank of Sergeant Major.


Mike leveraged his military experience in the areas of Military Support to Civilian Authorities and Incident Command and began an entrepreneurial path with a focus on security, risk, crisis management, and disaster management consulting,  This path provided him real-world disaster experience through his post-risk assessments and planning resulting from the 911 World Trade Center terrorist attack, and on-site response supporting the 2004 Banda Aceh, Indonesia Tsunami, the 2015 Peru Earthquake, and the 2007 Bangladesh Cyclone, along with other client-related consulting and disaster support.  


In addition to being the co-founder of Vetizens, Mike is a Disaster Recovery Institute (DRII) Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) and recently retired from MUFG Union Bank, N.A. as the Director of Crisis and Critical Incident Management for the Americas. 

Ray Lopez

Finance Officer

Ray entered active duty with the U.S. Navy in April 1980 and was stationed in Yokosuka Japan on board the Guided Missile Cruiser USS Reeves. In 1984, Ray completed his active duty assignment and entered the U.S Naval Reserve at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.  In 1993, Ray completed his obligation with the Naval Reserve and located to Puerto Rico.


In 2003, Ray reentered the Navy Reserve. In 2011  Ray was deployed to Afghanistan until 2012.  In 2014,  Ray was deployed to Djibouti Africa  until 2015. February 2019 Ray retired from the U.S. Navy Reserve with 23 years of service. 


Ray currently is employed as a Finance Manager with the Veteran's Administration in Reno, NV.

Chip Lewis

Secretary

Chip is a Marine Corps veteran, commissioned in 1971 and served as a 4002-Data Processing Officer until leaving service as a Captain in 1976.  Chip's industry experience varied between the oil & gas, mining & minerals, manufacturing and drug development industries until his retirement in 2017. 


As a certified Project Management Professional, Chip's job responsibilities over his career covered the range from programmer, systems analyst, and IT Telecommunications Manager to Global Application Development Manager. 


Chip likes to stay active, and regularly participates in Scuba Diving, Skiing and a variety of racket sports.

Lia Bensing

Director

Lia Bensing is a designer, artist and decorator, who has received acclaim for her work as a businesswoman and as a contributor to military-oriented non-profits. She is also the wife of a former military officer and the mother of an active duty officer candidate in the U.S. Navy. As a military spouse, Lia commanded many moves of the family home, all with young children, and endured multiple deployments. 


Lia’s patriotic and value-based bearing have prompted her involvement into numerous volunteer roles for Nevada-based charities, including her passion for the mission of the Nevada Military Support Alliance (NMSA). NMSA is a state-wide 501c3 which is committed to helping military members, veterans and their families transition out of the service into civilian life.


Lia graduated from the University of Maryland at College Park with a B.S. Degree in Graphic Design. She lives in Reno, NV with her husband and has four children – all of whom are happy, extraordinarily productive and call home too infrequently. 

CONTACT US

Vetizens

P.O. Box 19752

Reno, NV 89511


info@vetizens.org
(240) 401-3041