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May 27, 2025
MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency's (MVAA) hosted the 2025 Michigan Leadership Summit for the first time in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. In its fourth year, the summit brought together veterans, veteran advocates and stakeholders from around Michigan to discuss the challenges that veterans face and to find new ways to better serve the more than 516,000 veterans that call Michigan home.
"This summit is about more than recognizing past accomplishments and building on that foundation. It’s about sharpening skills, expanding networks, and stepping boldly into the roles our communities, our businesses, and our veterans need from us," MVAA Director Brian L. Love said in his opening remarks. "Leadership is not a chapter that ends when the uniform comes off. It evolves. It adapts. Just as transitioning service members do every day when they first leave the service."
The 2025 Summit kicked-off on May 19, with a social hour and Vietnam War-era veteran pinning ceremony held at Ore Dock Brewing Company. During this moving event, Director Love pinned 18 Vietnam War-era veterans, thanked them for their service and officially welcomed them home on behalf of a grateful nation.
The next day, May 20, the Summit sessions officially began. Day one of the 2025 Michigan Veteran Leadership Summit included a tribal drumming ceremony from the Keweenaw Indian Community, sessions spotlighting rural and tribal veterans and the VFW National Home, and panels on veteran employment and education. The day ended by honoring the Michigan Commanders Group 2024 Veteran of the Year and the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency 2024 Veteran of the Year.
Michigan Commanders Group 2024 Veteran of the Year
This past January, Marine veteran Jim Provost, was awarded the Michigan Commanders Group 2024 Veteran of the Year award. A Vietnam veteran, he has spent his post-service years advocating for mental and physical health for veterans. During his remarks, Provost shared that he and fellow members of the Marquette County Veterans Alliance had received a call from a veteran in a mental health crisis while they were attending the Summit. They were able to coordinate help for the veteran and ensure that they were safe, supported and getting the care they needed. This real time support reminded attendees why serving Michigan's veterans and their families effectively is critical and that the need is always present.
Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency 2024 Veteran of the Year
This past November, at the 2024 Military and Veterans Gala, Mike ‘Flagman’ Bowen was awarded the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency 2024 Veteran of the Year Award for his dedication to remembering those who lost their lives in service to our nation. Bowen is a Vietnam-era veteran who joined the Army in 1968 at the age of 19, and served in Germany. Dealing with survivor’s guilt after his return, Flagman decided to run a mile for every one of the more than 2,500 Vietnam soldiers who were killed or missing in action but whose remains were never recovered. After completing that goal, he decided to run a mile for each of the more than 58,000 names inscribed on the Vietnam War Memorial Wall. And when that was done, he chose to run a mile for each American life lost on Sept. 11, 2001. In total, Flagman has run nearly 80,000 miles and gone through more than 800 pairs of shoes, all while carrying a POW/MIA flag.
On May 21, day two of the Summit featured sessions on grant writing, veteran re-entry care coordination and a panel on veteran service officers. Participants also had time to visit with sponsors and vendors which included:
Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency
The MVAA is the central coordinating agency, providing support, care, advocacy and service to veterans and their families. As a state agency, MVAA works to identify and break down barriers veterans face in employment, education, health care and quality of life, to make Michigan a great place for veterans and their families to call home. More information about MVAA is available at Michigan.gov/MVAA.
MVAA Director Brian L. Love poses with 18 Vietnam War-era veterans after pinning ceremony held May 19, 2025, at the Ore Dock Brewing Company in Marquette, Mich.
MVAA Director Brian L. Love poses with 18 Vietnam War-era veterans after pinning ceremony held May 19, 2025, at the Ore Dock Brewing Company in Marquette, Mich.
Michigan Commanders Group 2024 Veteran of the Year, Jim Provost, speaks to more than 150 attendees at the 2025 Michigan Veterans Leadership Summit in Marquette, Mich., May 20, 2025.
Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency 2024 Veteran of the Year, Mike 'Flagman' Bowen, was recognized at 2025 Michigan Veterans Leadership Summit with video tribute, May 20, 2025.