National Adjutant Message

Barry A. Jesinoski, National Adjutant

‘DAV is in good hands’: a commander’s legacy and what comes next

Each year, DAV entrusts its mission to a new leader, our national commander. That transition is never just a passing of the gavel. It’s a moment to reflect on what we’ve accomplished and to look forward with intention at what comes next. This year, we have good reason for both.

Past National Commander Coleman Nee brought something to this office that can’t always be quantified but is impossible to miss: a genuine sleeves-rolled-up commitment to the work. His steering of the ship meant engaging chapters and departments, and that engagement reinforced for our members, our volunteers and the veterans we serve why DAV membership matters and what an active leader looks like.

One moment that stands out that speaks to Commander Nee as a person came at the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic. He didn’t just attend. He came to play—for hours, including two full games of sled hockey, competing alongside the disabled veterans the clinic serves. That kind of participation isn’t required of a national commander. That’s the point, though. It was a choice that said everything about his approach to the role. The best way to honor veterans is to show up fully, not just symbolically. Commander Nee left it all on the ice, and veterans noticed.

He also brought a rare and valuable depth of engagement to DAV. His familiarity with our initiatives, our goals and the decisions that shape this organization has made him a true partner.

That has strengthened DAV in ways that will outlast his term.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention that Commander Nee made the work fun. Not in a way that ever minimized the seriousness of what we do, but in the way that only someone with real wisdom understands. Laughter is sometimes the best tool in the room. I’m grateful for that, and I’ll miss it.

Now, we welcome National Commander John Donovan. He comes to this office as a longtime DAV leader, a department adjutant and a national line officer. He knows this organization inside and out. What sets Commander Donovan apart, though, isn’t his resume; it’s his character. Suicide prevention will be one of his top priorities as commander, and that’s no coincidence. He’s the kind of person who will stop whatever he’s doing to sit with a veteran, truly listen and think carefully about how to help. That instinct, patience and sincerity are exactly what veterans in crisis need.

Commander Nee built on a strong foundation and made it stronger. Commander Donovan now inherits that momentum and carries forward the same mission that has always defined us: keeping our promises to the men and women who kept theirs.

DAV is in good hands.

If you want to find out more about the National Adjutant, you can find his biography here.