Our Leadership Team

Michael  Valila honorably served in the US Army & MA Army National Guard from 2006 – 2015 as a 88M (Motor Transport Operator) & 63B (Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic), serving with the 110^th Maintenance Company, and later deploying with the 1166^th Combat Het Company 2010-2011 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, and Operation Northern Lights. He also served with the 54^th Regimental Honor Guard conducting military funerals across the state of MA from 2008-2010.

Following his deployment to Iraq, Mike came home impassioned to assist his fellow veteran transitioning to civilian life. He created a peer-support group at his local hospital for veterans to connect and work through their common troubles. He also began assisting veterans in submitting disability claims and advocating on their behalf. Mike was scouted through his work with veterans by Past National Commander Alan Bowers and introduced to DAV. Shortly after this Mike started his apprenticeship as a DAV National Service Officer at the JFK Federal Building in Boston, MA.

While working as a NSO, Mike started volunteering his free time at the DAV Veteran Advancement Programs in Gardner, MA. He felt it was his way of giving back because he had previously resided in this transitional housing program, prior to DAV acquiring it. Within a months he started working in a part-time capacity as a Case Manager.

Following the COVID Pandemic, Mike decided to leave the NSO Corps, and began working full-time in Case Management for the Advancement Program. In 2022 Mike was appointed as Department Assistant Adjutant by Commander Richard Connor. Mike dove right in immersing himself in Department and Chapter functions at all levels. He soon began growing the Transportation Network, Reorganizing Chapters, building up DAV Department of MA’s public marketing campaign, and built their social media and website presence.

In September 2023 Mike was appointed to Department Adjutant, following his predecessor stepping down from the position. As Department Adjutant Mike now oversees all aspects of DAV. He oversees all of our fraternal Chapters across the state, fundraising efforts throughout the year, works with state legislators on DAV’s critical policy goals, holds national accreditation and assists veterans veterans and their dependents with claims and benefits, oversees 120+ service officers across the state, manages the VA voluntary service program and transportation network, and all other DAV Department of MA service programs.

Mike is a lifelong resident of Gardner, MA where he resides with his wife of 17 years Kayla, and their 2 daughters, Lillian (15), and Alison (4). Mike is a LifeTime member of DAV Worcester Chapter 4 and Past Chapter Commander. His wife and daughters are his biggest support, and are also active members of DAV Auxiliary Unit 4 Worcester.

Bob Bronson is a Vietnam War Veteran, and a Gold Star Brother. He was an Air Force Staff Sergeant and served as an F4 Fighter Jet Mechanic in the 4^th, and 3^rd Field Maintenance Squadrons from 1968 to 1972. After leaving the Air Force he joined the Disabled American Veterans in 1973 and has been a DAV Life member for the past 50 years. He has held the position of Treasurer for Chapter 30, Fitchburg, since 2015 and is presently Commander of the DAV Department of Massachusetts.

In 1970, while halfway through his enlistment, he married his high School sweetheart, Sue Meunier. Their son, David, was born one year later, just before Bob deployed to Kunsan, South Korea. One year after leaving the Air force, their daughter, Tammy, was born. They both have grown up to be amazing, successful people, and to Bob and Sue’s delight, they have three wonderful grandchildren, Kati, Henry, and Nora.  Bob started working for Digital Equipment Corporation in Services and Repair in 1973. He worked there for 37 years through two mergers with Compaq and Hewlett Packard. He continued in computer services for 8 years, at several other businesses.

Bob comes from a family of service and sacrifice. Both of his grandfathers served in World War 1. His Grandfather, on his father’s side, was wounded in France in the battle of St. Mihiel. A TBI wound that would eventually take his life. His mother, Barbara, was a Navy WWII Veteran, serving in Washington DC. His father, William Sr., was career Army. In WWII, Bob’s father, a member of the 1^st infantry, fought in the Battle of the Bulge and remained in Germany after the war as part of the U.S. Occupation Force. Bob’s father was one of the first to be sent to Korea in 1950, right after Bob was born. After passing away in 1996, Bob’s father was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, in Washington D.C.  Bob’s brother, Billy, was a Marine Corporal who fought in Vietnam as an M60 Machine Gunner and was mortally wounded during the 68 Tet. Billy passed from the same type of TBI wound that their grandfather had suffered 50 years earlier. In 2004, after more than 15 years of trying, Bob and his family was successful in having Billy’s name added to the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington DC. That was the year the World War 2 Memorial was dedicated, and it gave us the opportunity to be there for it, and for his mother to be honored as one of the Greatest Generation.  Bob’s mother and brother rest side by side at the Massachusetts State Veterans Cemetery in Winchendon.

Dennis Devine is a U. S. Navy Veteran serving from April 1967 through November 1971.  He served on 3 ships: USS Northampton CCI, USS Puget Sound AD38 (as a plank owner) and a tin can USS Purdy DD734, and was a second-class Boatswain Mate BM2.

Dennis have been married to his wife Cookie for 55 years and we have 4 children (3 sons and 1 daughter).

He’s have been a member of the DAV for 50 years, and currently a member of Silver Star JFK Memorial Chapter 3 Boston.  On the Chapter level Dennis has held the positions of Jr. Vice, Sr. Vice, Commander, and Treasurer.  On the State level he held the positions of Inspector, Treasurer, and Chaplain and currently is the 1st Jr. Vice Commander for the DAV Department of Massachusetts overseeing the Membership Committee.

Many family members of his were also in the military.  His father was a WW2 veteran of the Navy as a Seabee.  Two uncles also served during WW2.  One served in North Africa with the US Army.  The other served with the USMC as a Carlson Raider who island hopped in the Pacific.  Colonel Carlson was instrumental in starting special ops back in WW2.  Dennis also had a brother-in-law who served during the Korean War at the Frozen Chosin Reservoir.  Two of his brothers were veterans, with one serving in the US Navy during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the other was in the USAF and served in Vietnam 1965-66.  Many cousins, nieces and nephews have also served.  One of his cousins just retired as a full bird colonel after serving 33 years in the US Army.

Filing claims for veterans is a big part of the DAV.  People don’t realize how hard veterans must fight for benefits they are entitled to for serving their country.  Less than 5% of the population actually serve our country.  When a veteran calls to tell Dennis their claim has been approved, he says he feels a sense of satisfaction that he helped accomplish that, and that’s what keeps him going!

Eugene McGreevy grew up in Holyoke, Massachusetts, attended Catholic School for twelve years, and graduated from Holyoke High School in 1966. He attended Holyoke Community College for one year.

He joined the United States Army in 1967 and completed basic training at Fort Jackson, SC. He was sent to Fort Leonard Wood, MO for Advanced Individual Training. After completing AIT in November 1967, he was sent to Vietnam. In Vietnam, he was assigned to the 27^th Combat Engineers in Xuan Loc Province. The mission of the 27^th keeping Highway 1 operational, with its secondary mission of supporting the 11^th armored Cav. Six months into the tour, the 27^th was transferred to Phu Bei with the same mission, keeping Highway 1 operational and supporting the 101^st Airborne. With a year and a half left in his enlistment, he was stationed at Fort Lewis, WA with the Sixth Army Artillery and was promoted to Staff Sergeant. He was honorably discharged in 1970.

After leaving the military, he went to work for one of the largest computer companies in the world at the time, Digital Equipment Corporation. He started working in a stockroom and ended up as business manager, managing three different facilities that produced high-rish products (one facility in Western Massachusetts, one in Eastern Massachusetts, and the third in Colorado Springs, CO).

Digital Equipment Corporation closed in 1992, and he took that opportunity, with a partner, and wrote a business plan to start a contract manufacturing company called NTC. It took a little over a year to complete the planning and securing the financing, opening the company with twelve employees and one contract. Within two years the company grew to 120 employees and $15,000,000 in revenue. In 1995 he was elected regional Entrepreneur of the year.

He resigned from NTC and took a position with another contract manufacturer, called ICDI, with the responsibility of improving technology and increasing revenue. He stayed with ICDI for six years and increased revenue from $400,000 to$7,800,000 a year. He converted the old technology to state of the art contract manufacturing technology. Shortly after that, the company was bought out by a larger company and he retired.

Gene’s first encounter with the DAV was in 2010 when they assisted him in filing for a service-connected disability. He joined DAV in 2011 and has been an active Life-Member since. Gene has held positions as a Chapter Commander, Department Auditor, Board of Directors Representative, (VAVS) VA Voluntary Service Representative for the Northampton VAMC, (SVSR) State Volunteer Service Representative for the Holyoke Soldiers Home, Chapter and Department Service Officer. He is currently the Department’s 2nd Junior Vice Commander, overseeing the Service & Charitable Committee.

During all that he managed to build a pizza restaurant, Aurora’s Pizzeria that has been a mainstay in Chicopee, MA for the last 30 years. Gene resides in Longmeadow, MA with his wife of 30 years. They have 3 children, Edward, Thomas, and Erin; and 3 grandchildren, Nathan, Mia, and Olive.

Debora Olson was Commander of Disabled American Veterans Department of Massachusetts 2019-2021. She is currently serving as the Department Inspector and as a Department Service Officer.

She graduated from Billerica Memorial High School in 1977, where she completed 4 years of the Marine Corps JROTC program. She was the first female Commander and was in the first group of females to complete the 4-year program. She received an alternate nomination to Annapolis the second year they were accepting women. Not chosen to attend the academy, she enlisted into the Marine Corps on the delayed enlisted program in January of 1977, leaving for basic training at Paris Island shortly after graduation. Upon completion of basic Deb was stationed at Marine Corps Logistics Support Base in Albany, Georgia, serving as a procurement specialist. She also served a year at Camp Butler, Okinawa, Japan. Where she was assaulted by friendlies under hostile conditions. Upon discharge from the service, Deb joined her then husband, also a Marine, on his next tour of duty as a recruiter in Texas. Deb came home to Mass with her daughter in 1985 where she worked for Dynatech Scientific R&D for 2 years, Kraft Foods for 13 years, and JOHNSON & JOHNSON for 4 years as well as other various companies.

Open Deb’s return home in 1985 she wanted to become involved in a Military organization to give back, but she was turned away. To their loss, there was something bigger and better out there for her. In 1999 a friend asked her to become a member of the DAV. She became an active member of Malden Chapter 85, and this then became her passion. Within a year she held the position of Chapter Adjutant. In 2003 she became the Chapters first female Commander. She has held the position of Adjutant for most of her 25 years with the Chapter. Deb has held and continues to hold various supporting roles within the Department. The position that holds Deb’s passion is the position she has held since 2004, Chapter Service Officer, assisting Veterans, dependents and their survivors completing the necessary forms to receive benefits earned through their service.

Deb currently resides in Everett, is unmarried, and has 2 children, her heart and soul, Crystal and Emma. Crystal has blessed her with 2 grandchildren, her sun and stars, Angel and Austin.