VSC Board of Directors
PRESIDENT – Christopher Duesing
A former US Army Infantry Captain, Chris entered service as an ROTC graduate from Virginia Tech. After two deployments to the Balkans and serving at the platoon, company and battalion level in response to the 1990’s widespread genocide in the region, he transitioned to the National Guard and established airport security missions across the country as part of Operation Noble Eagle in response to 9/11. Chris deployed his rifle company to Guantanamo Bay in November 2002 in support of the Global War on Terror before retiring.
In November 2016, Chris was one of the first three veterans recruited to co-lead operations as thousands of veterans came to Standing Rock to protect First Nations’ right to peacefully assemble in opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline. Chris’s team also drove the post-Standing Rock mission operations to connect other groups and organizations to Standing Rock.
In February 2017, Chris and a core group of veterans established Veteran Service Corps to engage veterans in meaningful service within their communities. Chris brings a unique perspective on the issues many veterans face during and post transition and through this has influenced the vision of Veterans Service Corps as an organization.
SECRETARY – David Andrews
David Andrews served as staff sergeant and radar operator in the Rhode Island Air National Guard from 1989 to 1995. After graduating from the University of Rhode Island in 1994 with a degree in History, Dave began teaching high school social studies. Subsequently, he earned a Master’s Degree from Brown University in English Language Learners and Cross-Cultural Studies in 2012 and is currently pursuing a PhD in Education.
Dave volunteered to go to Standing Rock after seeing peaceful, unarmed water protectors pepper sprayed and beaten. After taking part in the building of Four Bands Camp and travelling to Eagle Butte to engage in Operation Eagle, he joined the board of directors of Veteran Service Corps in July of 2017 to take a more active role in VSC’s humanitarian efforts, both for indigenous peoples and veterans.
BOARD MEMBER – Maureen Walsh
Maureen Walsh joined the board of directors in July 2017. As the spouse of a US Marine Corps veteran, John Vittera, she became an ally to veterans over twenty years ago. She brings nearly 30 years of nonprofit experience. As the chief advancement and strategy officer for a large nonprofit serving the Minneapolis area, Maureen leads strategic planning, fundraising, communications and marketing, outcomes management, community engagement, and advocacy, in addition to several initiatives that advance the field of children’s mental health.
Maureen is passionate about creating opportunities for military veterans to engage in meaningful service in their local communities and in initiatives in targeted communities that could benefit from their skills and selfless dedication to our country.
CFO, Director of Opertions – J. P. Hutson
Hutson is a Veteran of the U. S. Navy, the Naval Reserves, the Ohio Army National Guard, and the U. S. Army. He served as an FMF Corpsman in the Navy and a medic in the Army. He completed training through the Naval School of Health Sciences and earned a Bachelor’s degree in History from The Ohio State University with graduate work in the Science of Sustainable Management at the University of Wisconsin-Superior with a research concentration in community scale sustainability.
Hutson is a founding member of the Veteran Service Corps leadership team and Board of Directors. He is a strong advocate for environmental and social justice, peace, and human rights through sustainability and public service.
