National Veterans Homeless Support Board Member
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Women’s History Month is designed to commemorate and encourage the study, observance, and celebration of the vital role of women in American history. This includes both, women of yesteryear and women of the present.
Dana Blickley falls into the latter category. She is the current Brevard County Property Appraiser, but is much more than that, and I recently had the opportunity to talk with Blickley and was very impressed with what she had to say.
Do you have a mentor, or someone that you looked up to?
First and foremost, I am thankful for Grace, the precious gift of life, and my relationship with Jesus Christ, through which all things are possible!
I do not have a single person that has served as a mentor, rather, I have been abundantly blessed throughout my life with people that have both inspired me and played significant roles in my life. I was blessed with smart, strong, driven parents and two older brothers that served as “pseudo fathers” and were always invested in my success.
My father was an aggressive and confident Marine where love of Country and striving to do your best was never understated. My mother, although poised, was strategically-minded and was unapologetic in her pursuit of personal and professional success.
In addition to my parents, there have been many people in my life that have served as mentors and whom I have admired and respected. I have been preceded in elected office by some great women that have provided leadership, support and have personally cheered me on. Shirley Baccus supported me as a young, first-time candidate and would meet with me to make sure I was staying focused on the issues and unbothered by the political noise.
Both Lori Scott and Lisa Cullen were instrumental in the success of the Brevard County Property Appraiser and would move mountains to help us achieve our goals while managing their own constitutional offices. In my first term of office, their “above and beyond” support was stretched beyond any acceptable limits, and I am thankful.
In the spirit of Women’s History Month, and the election of the first female Clerk of Court, I have developed a good relationship with Rachel Sadoff and hope to “pay it forward” in her pursuits of change and enhancement for the Clerk’s office.
Outside of my husband, children, and some beautiful people along the way (they know who they are), there has been a man that has made a significant impact on my life and has given me a deep sense of what changing lives with such a simple mission can be. That man was George Lee Taylor, Sr., the founder of National Veterans Homeless Support (NVHS). I know George was a gift from God.
He changed my life and the lives of my family in more ways than I can adequately describe; and in new ways we continue to discover even after he has gone Home. For his unconditional love, friendship, and mentorship I will be ever grateful.
Why is the “National Veterans Homeless Support” so near and dear to your heart?
During my tenure with NVHS, I’ve witnessed the transformative power of our programs and the profound journey we’ve embarked upon. When I joined the board in 2012, our focus was on building relationships with veterans in the woods, alleviating the immediate burdens of homelessness, and most importantly, integrating them into the VA healthcare system and securing housing.
This approach was not merely about providing aid; it was about making a lasting impact, which we’ve achieved by reducing the homeless veteran population by 90% since NVHS’s founding in 2008.
Following our founder’s passing (George L. Taylor, Sr.), I observed a seamless transition to his successor, who ensured that the core activities of the organization, such as street outreach and transitional housing, continued, but with an added strategic focus on preventing veteran homelessness before it occurs.
We’re not just addressing the symptoms; we’re tackling the root causes to prevent veteran homelessness from starting. For example, in 2023, a third of all the veteran families we assisted were imminently at risk of becoming homeless, and through case management and financial assistance, their eviction was stopped, and they were placed on a more stable path going forward.
Additionally, we established a scholarship endowment for veterans and their spouses attending Eastern Florida State College in the trades, medical, and science career fields, as we believe this is a down payment on achieving our long-term mission to eliminate veteran homelessness.
My passion for NVHS stems from our commitment to making tangible, long-term differences in the lives of veterans and their families in our community. I am proud to be part of an organization that honors their service with such dedication.
What makes you continue to give back to the community?
To live in Brevard is to love Brevard so wanting to give back to the community is pretty organic for me.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Steve Wilson was born in DeRidder, Louisiana and grew up in both New Orleans and Macon, Georgia. He moved to Brevard County in 1984 and retired from local government as the Community Advocate/Assistant to the City Manager with the City of Rockledge in 2018.
Among the awards and accolades Steve has received over the years are 15 + year Rockledge Little League volunteer, Brevard Public School Jefferson Award Recipient, Rockledge High School Raider Booster Award 2001, 2006, City of Rockledge Employee of the Year 2006, Rockledge Kiwanian of the Year 2006-2007, City of Rockledge Quality Public Service Award 2008, 2012, 2017, Rockledge Kiwanis Citizen of the Year 2012-2013, Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame – Sportscasting 2015, Rockledge High School Leadership and Service Award 2016, Central Florida Humanitarian Award 2017, Space Coast Inspiration Award – 2018, Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame – Lifetime Achievement – 2020, Ecofest Achievement Award – 2022, Quality Floridian Award – 2022, presented by U.S. Congressman Bill Posey.
Wilson is especially proud of his chairing two fundraisers in support of pediatric cancer research through the St. Baldrick’s Foundation in honor of Merritt Island resident Julie Spurlock that raised over $25,000.00.
He has been a partner, along with Orville Susong, for the past 24 years with the Friday Night Locker Room, a broadcasting team that covers and reports on a wide variety of local events that are of significance to the residents of the Space Coast and beyond. Their mission is to promote youth sports, support first responders and law enforcement personnel, and showcase community and charitable events that are produced by our nonprofit partners in central Florida.
The Friday Night Locker Room has awarded hundreds of sports achievement plaques to Brevard County student-athletes over the years. They have also awarded more than $18,000 in academic scholarships to Brevard County high school seniors.
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