A Message from NACVSO President - July 2025

July 2025 President’s Update

Greetings NACVSO Members and Strategic Partners

Welcome to Louisville, Kentucky—home of the Louisville Slugger, smooth bourbon, and some of the greatest fighters in American history! It’s the perfect backdrop for the #NACVSO2025 Annual Conference, and we’re thrilled to gather with so many passionate, committed members and strategic partners.

This conference wouldn’t be possible without you—our members, volunteers, sponsors, and partners across the veteran advocacy landscape. Your ideas and your drive to improve veterans' lives are what make this event—and this organization—so powerful. Whether this is your first conference or your twentieth, we hope the week deepens your knowledge, sharpens your skills, and strengthens your connection to the mission.

As this year’s conference begins, it also marks the end of my term as your NACVSO President.

Leading this organization over the last two years has been one of the great honors of my life. From our legislative victories to our growing national presence, I’ve watched us not only rise to meet challenges—but shape the conversation about what veteran service can and should be. That success is a credit to all of you.

When I began this journey, I laid out four guiding pillars: efficiency, adaptability, initiative, and partnership. I’m proud to say we’ve made great progress in every one of those areas—modernizing how we operate, adapting to change with agility, witnessing the passage of the CVSO Act, and expanding our network of partners who recognize NACVSO as a national leader.

We’ve come a long way—and as always, we stand on the shoulders of giants. Every step forward we take today is built on the work of those who came before us, and I’m humbled to have had the chance to add my own chapter to NACVSO’s story.

To the next generation of leaders: trust your people, stay grounded, and be bold. If someone like me—a small-town guy with a backyard full of chickens and goats—can take the helm, so can you. Our veterans deserve nothing less than your voice and new perspectives to drive us forward.

Thank you for the opportunity, the trust, and the memories. I look forward to what’s next—for NACVSO, and for all of us.

With deep respect and warmest regards,

Christopher Hinton

President, NACVSO