By A.J. Kaufman, Managing Editor
Veterans of the armed forces constitute more than 10% of Northeast Tennessee and the Tri-Cities. Whether it’s the low taxes, serene landscape or patriotic nature of its residents, those who serve our nation enjoy calling the Appalachian Highlands home.
Some veterans, however, struggle after transitioning out of the military. Many miss the camaraderie, but others lack an understanding of the available resources and benefits they’ve earned. In fact, more than half of veterans’ benefits and services reportedly go unclaimed.
NETVETS is a support group with a mission to directly impact veterans, their families and legacies by connecting them with the resources and support they earned. The organization’s long-term goal is to literally create a brick-and-mortar, centralized resource hub where any veteran, veteran spouse or surviving child can simply walk through the front door.
NETVETS named Tony Melson its new interim executive director this autumn.
“NETVETS isn’t looking to replicate, reproduce or make redundant any of those services that are already being provided. Our main mission was born out of the realization that all those 40 veteran service organizations, as good as they are, they’re compartmentalized,” Melson, a veteran himself, explained. “Our vision is to create one single consolidated, multi-state veterans resource center or what we like to call the farmer’s market model…We want to be the connective tissue between all those organizations that are doing noble and valued work.”
Melson brings more than three decades of military, corporate, nonprofit and community leadership experience to the organization linking veterans and their families across Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and Western North Carolina with trusted resources, support and community connections.
Melson oversees operational responsibility for NETVETS following Travis Featherstone, who had been with the organization since its inception and conversed multiple times with the Business Journal. During his four years with NETVETS, Featherstone helped build the infrastructure and community relationships that established the organization as a resource for veterans and their families.
A retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel whose assignments included serving as an intelligence applications officer, security forces squadron commander, deputy support group commander, and wing executive officer, Melson also spent 27 years with Eastman Chemical Company, retiring in 2023 as a director. He currently serves as executive director of the Julia C. West Foundation, a Kingsport-based private foundation that supports charitable organizations and individuals in education, the arts and animal welfare.
“I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve NETVETS and advance our mission of supporting those who wore our nation’s uniform,” Melson told the Business Journal regarding his new role. “Our collective strength reflects the dedication of our veterans and members, along with the community’s exceptional support. Together, we will deepen key partnerships and connect veterans and their families with the benefits and services they have earned and richly deserve.”
NETVETS’ overarching vision is a region where every veteran is connected, supported and empowered to thrive. When it comes to the future hub, they are currently in discussions with several entities, including the City of Kingsport, Eastman Chemical, ETSU and others.
“Multiple properties are being investigated,” Melson said. “And hopefully soon, we’ll have a converged idea of where it is going to be.”
Once the building is operating, the property will become the nation’s first multi-state, comprehensive veteran resource hub.
“NETVETS will not replace or duplicate existing services,” retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Mitch Richardson, co-founder and chairman of NETVETS, told the Business Journal. “Instead, we will develop processes to consolidate, connect and collaborate with regional support organizations and our veterans. By bringing these resources under one umbrella, we can bridge the daily gap between fragmented local services and the heroes who need them.”
For what it’s worth, Melson has the confidence of the general.
“To use a baseball analogy, Tony is a five-tool player,” Richardson added. “He brings extensive nonprofit experience, military leadership and a deep, well-known commitment to our community as a servant leader. We are honored to welcome him to the team as we work together to bring a dedicated veteran resource hub to our region.”
Statistically, there are more than 1,000 veteran-owned businesses in Northeast Tennessee alone that employ over 11,000 people, and the estimated annual Direct Economic Impact of military for the 10 counties in the 1st Congressional District — according to a soon-to-be-published ETSU study — is $6.3 billion.
