County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher on Nov. 7 honored the winners of his inaugural “Salute Our Veterans” awards. The three winners were selected from 50 total nominations received in three categories.
“Many service members when they leave active duty transition into doing great things for the community, but not often enough is their civilian service recognized; the Salute Our Veteran awards is my way of expressing my appreciation for their contributions to San Diego County,” said Fletcher, a U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran. “After meeting the winners I am even more encouraged by the contributions our veterans are doing to make our County a better place.”
Salute Our Veterans Community Leader Award: Kay Black, MSW
A U.S. Army veteran, Black was selected because she has been an advocate for numerous causes, including science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) events for underrepresented
youth. She promotes community building, and empowerment and speaks out against injustice. She has also taken it upon herself to raise more than $80,000 to support nonprofits and small businesses. To learn more, visit one1africa.com.
Salute Our Veterans Small Business Award: The Mental Bar, Tommy Walker
He is a U.S. Navy veteran who, along with his wife Daneyel, owns The Mental Bar in Southeastern San Diego’s Black Cultural Arts District. It’s a neighborhood business where the community gathers. Their coffee and tea products are used to help treat anxiety, chronic pain, substance use disorders, and central nervous system disease. To learn more, visit thementalbar.com.
Salute Our Veterans Non-profit Award: Black Deported Veterans of America, Inc.
In 2022, U.S. Marine Corps veteran James L. Smith II along with Army Veteran David Bariu started the Black Deported Veterans of America, Inc. nonprofit to bring home Black veterans who have been unjustly deported. Smith is a dedicated advocate who has been raising awareness of this issue for years; often self-funding efforts to support this population of veterans who have been separated from their families. Most recently he was involved in the return of David Bariu, his co-founder and newly repatriated veteran from Kenya. To learn more, visit https://62fe4ca8385d0.site123.me/.
In October, Fletcher launched the inaugural Salute Our Veterans aboard the USS Midway Museum. To learn more about the criteria, visit SupervisorNathanFletcher.com.
