[February 08, 2016]

Joe Czyzyk Elected U.S.VETS Chairman

Joe Czyzyk, Chairman and CEO of Los Angeles-based Mercury Air Group, has been elected chairman of U.S.VETS, the nation's largest nonprofit serving homeless and at-risk veterans.

Czyzyk, 68, was born in Poland, the son of Holocaust survivors, and grew up in Canada. At the age of 16, he moved to the United States with his parents and soon became a citizen. A graduate of California State University at Los Angeles, he volunteered for two tours of duty with the U.S. Navy Mobile Construction Battalion (Seabees) in Vietnam. He is a board member of the CEC/Seabee Historical Foundation, who built and operate a museum commemorating the CEC/Seabees in Port Hueneme, CA (News - Alert).

"Our veterans who have so bravely fought for our freedom deserve someone to fight for them," said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. "As the new chair of U.S.VETS, I am confident that Joe Czyzyk will do exactly that. I look forward to our continued work together to take care of our veterans who have sacrificed so much for us."

Czyzyk, who was elected to the U.S.VETS board in 2012, serves on the Board of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, where he was Chairman in 2011, and also serves as Treasure of the Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC). He is a member of Governor Brown's Military Council and is Chairman of the Board of Visitors, Graduate School of Public Policy at Pepperdine University.

"Having spent most of my personal and professional career in support of our country's military infrastructure and efforts, I now have the opportunity to commit myself to improving the lives of those who have bravely served our country," Czyzyk said. "A homeless vet is a national disgrace and U.S.VETS will continue to lead and grow in providing housing and rehabilitation for our veterans."

Czyzyk's election was also praised by U.S. Congressman Ted Lieu, whose district includes the West Los Angeles VA Campus.

"I wholeheartedly congratulate Joe Czyzyk on being named chair of U.S.VETS," Lieu said. "As a veteran of the United States Navy who has worked tirelessly for decades on veterans issues, Joe is the perfect person to lead U.S.VETS vital and urgent mission to address veterans homelessness. We will not solve veterans homelessness in America unless we solve it in Los Angeles County and I greatly look forward to working with Joe on crucial issues such as revitalizing the campus of the West Los Angeles V.A. so that it provides the best possible care, support and housing for our community's veteran heroes."

Since its inception in 1993, U.S.VETS (www.usvetsinc.org) has engaged over 118,000 veterans, provided residential services to nearly 50,000 veterans and placed 12,000 veterans into jobs. It assists veterans at 21 residential sites and nine service centers in 14 cities across six states, the District of Columbia and the territory of Guam.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160208006369/en/

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