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Katy Whalen posted an articleNOVA's 2025 election for its Board of Directors was held during the annual membership meeting in... see more
NOVA's 2025 election for its Board of Directors was held during the annual membership meeting in Washington, DC. Congratulations to Brett Buchanan and Michael Hoffman on their election to the board and to Timothy Franklin for his re-election. All will serve for a three-year term beginning January 1, 2026. We also thank Virginia Girard and Amy Kretkowski for their years of service as board members!
The complete list of 2026 officers and Board members is as follows:
Christine Clemens, President
John Tucker, Vice-President
John Niles, Treasurer
Julie Glover, Secretary
Brett Buchanan
Timothy Franklin
Art Gage
Leslie Gaines
Michael Hoffman
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Katy Whalen posted an articleThis year’s recipient has been a VA attorney for over fifteen years and spent ten years on NOVA’s... see more
Congratulations to Gynger Attig who received the Kenneth M. Carpenter Award for Excellence at NOVA’s 2025 Fall Conference! This award is given to an outstanding NOVA member whose exemplary advocacy on behalf of veterans is admired by all. This year’s recipient has been a VA attorney for over fifteen years and spent ten years on NOVA’s Board of Directors.
Early in her career, after attending a single seminar on veterans’ benefits, she represented a veteran pro bono and quickly realized how difficult it is for veterans to obtain disability benefits without legal representation. That realization prompted a flip of her thriving solo practice to focus solely on veteran's advocacy, built by modeling Ken Carpenter's example as an advocate. After years of handling VA and BVA claims and appeals, she learned how to handle CAVC and then Federal Circuit appeals. Like Ken, our recipient has fought windmills at the Fed Circuit, and like Ken, succeeded in the fight.
This year’s winner has also widely shared the knowledge and expertise gained - working hard to be available to veterans and veterans’ advocates. She created the Veterans Law Blog before law blogs were even contemplated by most lawyers. The blog continues to inform veterans today, providing them assistance in handling their own claims.
Similarly, she has volunteered and taught numerous seminars, speaking at the American Bar Association, at NOVA conferences and at numerous local and regional VSOs.
Never shy with an opinion, or afraid of confrontation, she has often led the charge on changes in the practice area. She worked to normalize FOIA requests, to enable veterans to obtain their paper claim files before files were digitized. She has pushed the edge of law at the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, creating precedents that support veteran's claims. She has also taken appeals to the Fed Circuit in the hopes of changing law or raising awareness where laws/regulations need to change.
Her firm is devoted to underrepresented veterans and the success of the firm is a direct result of dogged determination and insistence that all veterans deserve to be treated with dignity. She has been a vocal, passionate, caring, effective advocate for veterans for most of their adult life.
NOVA members say, “She advocates, as Ken has advocated ... not for the win, but because she knows it's the right thing to do.”
“This member has been a pillar of NOVA and the veterans' advocate community for over a decade” and “I cannot think of a person more deserving of this award.”
Congratulations, Gynger!!
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Katy Whalen posted an articleMore than 500 veterans advocates from around the country are gathering in Washington, DC for... see more
More than 500 veterans advocates from around the country are gathering in Washington, DC for NOVA's 2025 Fall Conference which began today! We are thrilled to welcome everyone back to DC.
Special thanks to all of our presenters, exhibitors, sponsors, AV team, and attendees!
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Kelly Bales joined National Organization of Veterans' Advocates, Inc. .
Deputy Director, November 5, 2024 - August 21, 2024
Veterans Service Officer, August...
see moreDeputy Director, November 5, 2024 - August 21, 2024
Veterans Service Officer, August 21, 2025 - Current
Our office of 7 FTEs supports over 10,500 Veterans and families in Outagamie County located in Northeast Wisconsin in Appleton, WI.
September 09, 2025 -
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