E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R ’ S M E S S A G E
J o h n F . K y n e s – H i l l s b o r o u g h C o u n t y B a r A s s o c i a t i o n
hCBa ’ smilitary & VeteransaffairsCommittee membersContinuetoinspireandServe
“ ourdebttotheheroicmenandvaliantwomenintheserviceofour countrycanneverberepaid . Theyhaveearnedourundyinggratitude . americawillneverforgettheirsacrifices .” — harryTruman
Since its inception in 2014 , the HCBA ’ s Military & Veterans Affairs Committee ( MVAC ) has worked to support local veterans and activeduty military personnel in a variety of ways . Now , just under a decade later , MVAC is seen as a model for other legal groups around Florida and the nation interested in supporting veterans and advocating for equal access to justice .
Ben Hill IV worked to establish MVAC during his year as HCBA president in 2014-15 .
“ It struck me back then that the HCBA didn ’ t have a formal committee in place to support local veterans and help them with their legal concerns ,” Hill told me recently .
“ We saw creating MVAC as a tremendous opportunity to connect the HCBA and our local military community , particularly given our proximity to MacDill Air Force Base and the large number of veterans who reside in our area ,” Hill said . “ It ’ s been a great team effort .”
mVaC hosted a watch party in November to celebrate Judge Daryl manning being recognized at the 2nd annual Florida patriot award virtual statewide ceremony .
Nearly 100,000 veterans live in the Tampa Bay area , according to the U . S . Department of Veterans Affairs .
Hill recalled that former HCBA president Bob Nader , Chris Brown , former judge Greg Holder and Harold
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