IRVINE — In honor of Veterans Day, Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris hosted the fourth annual Veterans of the Year ceremony, recognizing six veterans for their outstanding military service and contributions to fellow veterans and the broader community.
“It was truly an honor to recognize each of these incredible veterans, men and women, who have sacrificed so much in the service of our nation,” said Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine). “We owe a profound debt of gratitude to the brave men and women who have answered the call of a nation to serve in the United States Armed Forces and fought for our freedom and democracy.”
The 2022 Veterans of the Year awardees are:
- Johnny Rojas, U.S. Army – Costa Mesa
- Wayne (Russ) Dohrmann, U.S. Army – Huntington Beach
- Beverly Daugherty, U.S. Marine Corps – Irvine
- Charles J. Quilter, II, U.S. Marine Corps – Laguna Beach
- Donald R. Forden, U.S. Army – Laguna Woods
- Brian Fleming, Jr., U.S. Marine Corps – Newport Beach
During the ceremony, Irvine Valley College was presented a $2.5 million check for the expansion of the Veterans Services Center. Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris secured the funding as part of the 2022-23 budget.
“IVC is extremely fortunate to have a strong military community on campus with nearly 300 student veterans and dependents annually attending through its Veterans Services Center. As a college, we are very proud of our student veterans, not only for their service to our country, but also for their leadership on campus, and for the example they set for all students,” said Dr. John Hernandez, President, Irvine Valley College. “Irvine Valley College thanks Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris for securing $2.5 million in the California state budget to expand IVC’s Veterans Services Center and the resources it provides.”
Since 2014, Irvine Valley College’s Veterans Services Center has been dedicated to assisting veterans, active-duty personnel, reservists, and their dependents/spouses with the application for VA educational benefits and their certification process. Additionally, for the last nine years, IVC has been designated as a Military Friendly School, a standard that measures an organization’s commitment, effort, and success in creating sustainable and meaningful benefit for military students.