Veteran Scholarships Forever announces Board of Directors

GREENVILLE, SC – Four people will serve on the inaugural Board of Directors for Veteran Scholarships Forever, an endowment program aimed at helping veterans get needed funds to pursue vocational and skilled trades training that can lead to employment.

The board’s primary functions will be to steer Veteran Scholarships Forever (VSF) towards its mission, and determine which colleges and programs will be funded by VSF scholarships, said Ron Demonet, the endowment’s managing director.

The four members are Craig Robinson, Jan R. Howard, Princella Lee-Bridges and Dr. Bert Strange.

• Craig Robinson is the senior vice president/Upstate market president, and small business executive for Certus Bank in Greenville. In prior years, he was a senior executive for Pinnacle and First Citizens banks, along with more than 30 years with Bank of America. He earned a marketing degree at the University of South Carolina, and is a graduate of the Banking School of the South at Louisiana State University.

• Jan R. Howard has been active in the non-profit sector since 1986, and is development director for the Pleasant Valley Connection, a non-profit organization in Greenville, South Carolina, that offers affordable programs that help residents ages 3 to 93. Previously, she was a professional administrative assistant to senior executives at Michelin Tire, Dunlop Sports and The Spinx Company.

• Princella Lee-Bridges is a Desert Storm veteran who served 13 years in the U.S. Air Force as an aeromedical evacuation nurse and medical crew director. She is founder and executive director of Bridges from Augusta, a non-profit organization serving burn survivors in the Upstate of South Carolina. She is a commissioner of the Housing Authority of the City of Greenville, serves on the Memorial Community Advisory Council of the Greenville Hospital System, and is an active volunteer with United Way of Greenville. She has nursing degrees from Greenville Technical College and Graceland University, along with her masters in nursing from the Medical University of South Carolina.

• Dr. Bert Strange served 24 years in the U.S. Army (the last 20 as a chaplain), retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He has taught at five colleges and universities, including Furman University and Greenville Technical College, where he is currently an adjunct instructor of religion. Since retiring from the Army, he has been active in the community, including serving as the president of the Greenville Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America, and president of the Rotary Club of Greenville. He is a graduate of Furman University, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Duke University, and the University of Exeter (England) where he earned his doctorate.

About Veterans Scholarships Forever:

Veterans Scholarships Forever is a501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the goal to help Veterans transition back to civilian life quickly and successfully. Learn more at www.scholarshipsforever.org.