VANC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created and operated by Veterans as a one-stop resource center for all active-duty military, Veterans, and their families. We centralize services from diverse agencies to assist with jobs, education, finances, health, and wellness.
We seek to honor and support those who have served our country, bridging the past, present, and future. VANC is a vibrant gathering place in North San Diego County, where all Veterans, active-duty military, and their loved ones can reach out for help and community. VANC engages and informs local Veterans organizations, service providers, and individuals, helping them work together. VANC seeks to be a model for other organizations that serve the military community.
Chuck is a 27-year Veteran who served in the Coast Guard Reserve, Marine Corps, and Air Force Reserve. Atkinson is the Commander of American Legion Post 760 and was named Veteran of the Year by the City of Oceanside in. He has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the San Diego Veterans Coalition among his many honors. Chuck has dedicated himself to helping Veterans and active duty military succeed.
Colonel Lee Farmer served in all four divisions during his 32 years of service in the Marine Corps. He retired as a Colonel while holding the Chief of Staff position at Camp Pendleton. After his service, he continued on to lead the Marine Corps Community Services at Camp Pendleton as Director implementing a variety of Programs to help increase the quality of life for our Marines, Sailors and Families until his recent retirement, he now continues to support several Community and military programs.
In her 30 years of business experience, Lori has been a successful local business owner, worked for Adventist Healthcare, and worked for the American Cancer Society. Over the past 20+ years, she has volunteered for numerous organizations such as the Oceanside Unified School District, the Oceanside Museum of Art, and the Assistance League of North Coast. She served as a Director for the North County San Diego StandDown in 2017. She also represents VANC through the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber’s Military Affairs Committee. Lori and her husband Michael live in Oceanside and Michael volunteers at VANC every week.
Dan began his career volunteering for the United States Army and attended helicopter pilots’ training. He was made a Warrant Officer 1 after which he flew combat assault missions in Vietnam with the 1st Cavalry. He received various awards including the Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Silver Star. Due to wounds received as a pilot, he was no longer physically able to fly and retired from the US Army. He subsequently earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Long Beach State University. He founded a glass company which he ran for thirty years, before selling it and retiring. He has been married to his wife, Jeanne, for forty years. Jeanne, who earned her Doctorate in Education, recently retired as a Director with the Oceanside Unified School District. They have three daughters and one son – all were raised in Oceanside. Their son is a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army.
Brenda in her 50 years of business experience has run businesses in New Jersey and California. She is the former VP/CEO of a major property management company and is currently an active Realtor in San Diego and South Riverside County. She has been named Best in Customer Service by San Diego Magazine for 7 years. Brenda and her husband Don live in San Marcos and have 5 sons and 3 grandsons. She has been with VANC since 2012.
Richard is a retired 20 year veteran of the United States Marine Corps. During his time in service, he served in Operations in Kuwait, Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan. He was also assigned duty as a Marine Corps Drill Instructor at Marine Corps Recruit Depot at San Diego, California. Richard received multiple awards while in the Marine Corps. His volunteer efforts include the City of Fallbrook, California and the Orange County, Fair. He has received recognition from the State Senate of the State of California. He has also been awarded the Presidential Volunteer Service Award. He has held numerous positions at Toastmasters International and is a member of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. Richard is the Lead for the Department of Labor aboard Camp Pendleton.
Col Whitley graduated high school in Edison NJ and received his commission as a Second Lieutenant after graduating from Trenton State College with a B.S. in Criminal Justice in 1997. He served most of his time as an artillery officer on the west coast, but also completed numerous deployments overseas to include Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition, he completed tours with recruit training, recruiting and the Joint Staff in the Pentagon. He earned a M.A. in Human Behavior from National University in 2004 and a M.S. in National Security Strategy from National Defense University in 2017
Mr. Robbins served in Vietnam from October 1967-April 1968 with Lima Co, 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division at various combat bases located throughout the DMZ battling with NVA forces. He volunteered for the Combined Action Group, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force. His squad of Marines was responsible for patrolling the villages and rice paddies for Viet Cong. He was wounded in action on 16 June 1968 while engaged in close combat near Hue City. During his nearly 25 years of active duty, he deployed on four separate occasions to the Western Pacific and served in three different Marine Corps Divisions (1st MARDIV, 3rd MARDIV, and the 5th MARDIV) He retired as a Master Gunnery Sergeant on 1 February 1992. Don and his wife Susan reside in Oceanside, CA where he enjoys playing golf regularly.
Sergeant Major Frank E. Pulley, USMC (Ret.) is a native of Springfield, Tenn. He enlisted in the Marine Corps on 11 December 1976 and reported to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) San Diego, Calif., on 1 August 1977. His military career spanned over 30 years where he served in each of the respective elements of the Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) in a wide variety of duty assignments, exercises and operations in both CONUS and OCONUS. His last active duty post was as the Division Sergeant Major, 1st Marine Division where he served from 2 February 2006 until 19 October 2007. Frank was formerly an appointee on the Secretary of the Navy’s (SECNAV) He has served on the board of directors for several non-profit organizations and currently serves not only on this board, but as well as a Military Advisor for the Navy and Marine Association (NMA). Frank’s civilian education includes a Master of Science Degree in Executive Leadership from the University of San Diego, Bachelor of Science Degree in Management/Human Resources (Summa Cum Laude) and an Associate of Science Degree in Personnel Management. Frank is married to the former Martha Alejandra Formariz-Ocampo of La Paz, B.C.S Mexico and they reside in Murrieta, CA. He has four children: Joshua, Brooklyn, Chrisshonda and Naomie (Age 8) and also six grandsons: Keenan, Armani, Malachi, Braxton, Braylon and Cayson.
Retired as a Command Master Chief (E-9) and nominated for Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON). Successfully performed in various roles including; senior operations manager responsible for the leadership and direction of military and civilian personnel, and the implementation and strategic management of the Navy’s most advanced weapons technology & training systems.
The Veterans Association of North County Resource Center is the inspiration of veteran Chuck Atkinson. As a Past Commander of the American Legion Post #146, his dream, initially, was to locate a place where his American Legion Post could meet on a regular basis. However, he had long felt that the North County area lacked a cohesive mechanism for providing important services to his fellow veterans and to the service men and women in the community, and so he began to collaborate with other veteran associations and the City of Oceanside to find a solution.His efforts resulted in the signing of a lease between the City of Oceanside and the Veterans Association of North County for the property at 1617 Mission Avenue in Oceanside. The site currently features a 13,500 square foot structure that previously housed the Oceanside Police Department. Construction began in 2013 to transform the existing building into a facility that addressed the specific needs of our veterans, retired, active duty personnel, and their families.Now we need your help to maintain the building and property, our many programs, and the future goals of VANC. There are many ways to provide your support. From sponsorship opportunities to donations of goods and services. We invite you to call us, walk in for a tour, or visit our website at www.vanc.me to learn more about VANC and our efforts to assist veterans throughout the area.
The Veterans Association of North County Resource Center is the inspiration of veteran Chuck Atkinson. As a Past Commander of the American Legion Post #146, his dream, initially, was to locate a place where his American Legion Post could meet on a regular basis. However, he had long felt that the North County area lacked a cohesive mechanism for providing important services to his fellow veterans and to the service men and women in the community, and so he began to collaborate with other veteran associations and the City of Oceanside to find a solution. His efforts resulted in the signing of a lease between the City of Oceanside and the Veterans Association of North County for the property at 1617 Mission Avenue in Oceanside. The site currently features a 13,500 square foot structure that previously housed the Oceanside Police Department. Construction began in 2013 to transform the existing building into a facility that addressed the specific needs of our veterans, retired, active duty personnel, and their families.Now we need your help to maintain the building and property, our many programs, and the future goals of VANC. There are many ways to provide your support. From sponsorship opportunities to donations of goods and services. We invite you to call us, walk in for a tour, or visit our website at www.vanc.me to learn more about VANC and our efforts to assist veterans throughout the area.
VANC was the inspiration of Veteran Chuck Atkinson. As Past Commander of American Legion, Mr. Atkinson wanted to find a place for meetings. However, he also felt North San Diego County lacked a cohesive system to provide important services for his fellow Veterans, active duty, Reserve, Guard, and retirees. Working with other Veteran organizations and the City of Oceanside, Chuck secured a 60 year lease of the 13,500 square-foot facility at 1617 Mission Avenue, which formerly housed the Oceanside Police Department. VANC is a place where Veterans, active-duty, Reserve, Guard, retirees, and their families can meet, work together, and build a better future. The center provides information about social services, hosts classes, and delivers other support for those who serve our country.
Through your generous donations and contributions, the VANC Resource Center is a reality. We need your continuing support to maintain and continue our mission and goals. Please open your hearts to those who have risked their lives for you. You can help by donating funds for building maintenance, project construction and engineering expertise, or volunteering your time to help maintain this much needed and used facility for our active duty and local veterans.
For more information, to make a donation or to sponsor, please contact us at 760-722-1277. Thank you for honoring the veterans from our own community who have gone into harm’s way to protect our freedom.
