About AVVA

Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America (AVVA) began as a national, nonprofit membership and service organization dedicated to advancing the awareness of issues affecting Vietnam veterans, their families, and their communities. Since that time, we have evolved into an organization that has become cognizant and responsive to the problems affecting all veterans.

AVVA began as a group of members within Vietnam Veterans of America. In 1999, as the scope of activities and the number of members grew, the Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc was established. AVVA now functions as an independent membership and service organization. AVVA continues to works in conjunction with HYPERLINK "http://vva.org/" Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) striving to ensure that Vietnam veterans- as well as ALL veterans, attain the honor, respect, and benefits they deserve. We lend our expertise, support, and leadership to all VVA programs, legislative actions, community service, and social activities.

AVVA is the extended family of VVA. We are made up of parents, spouses, children, friends, and communities. AVVA is a nucleus for action, healing, reconciliation, mutual support, and fellowship. With more than 7,700 members, we are a thriving and strong organization.

AVVA is a non-partisan organization. Contributions to AVVA are tax-deductible.

Strategic Planning Committee

October 2010
Reported by Nancy Rekowski, Chair

During the 2010 AVVA National Convention, our voting representative's [unanimously] appealed to the Board to reinstate the Strategic Planning Committee.  With VVA being a 'last man standing' organization, National AVVA,  State Councils and Chapter's must be prepared to fulfill our promise of “Together Always”.  Strategic planning will focus on the future and the commitment that it will take to fulfill that promise. Nearly all of us have experienced a changing environment in our Chapters due to age, illness and even the passing of our VVA members. Most recognize that the Chapter environment is indeed changing, often in unpredictable ways. Strategic planning stresses the importance of making decisions, pre planning and education for its leadership and members to ensure the success of our members in response to those changes.  
 
Preceeding the October National AVVA Board of Directors meeting in Silver Spring, MD, the Board participated in a Strategic Planning exercise using the SWOT model. During the exercise, many of AVVA's strengths, weakness's, opportunity's and threats (SWOT) were identified by the Board.
 
While many issue's (both positive and negative) were brought to the forefront, the dominate theme was Communication. How do we send AVVA's message to our current and future members, better communication within the board and to our members and their communities? How do we better receive information from our members and include their voice in the direction and goals of the organization? Are we using all available technology to inform our members and the public of AVVA's mission and the great work of our members?
 
With the Boards recognition of what now needs to be done to further it's mission, there is still much work to be done to resolve issue's and prepare for the future of AVVA. The Board has recognized that it can not secure it's future without the membership so the members will also be invited to participate in a strategic planning session during the 2011 Leadership Conference in Reno, Nevada. Your voice will be heard!