These advocates work tirelessly to help veterans succeed in the civilian workplace. Get to know who they are, what they do, and how they advocate for the veteran community.
Shawn Durnen is the President of NineLine Veteran Services. He was a Specialist (E-4) in the Army, 2006-2010.
Champion’s Reaction:
“‘Service Above Self’ is the motto of NineLine Veteran Services and the guiding light of my life’s work. Truly it is an honor to serve my fellow veterans, as an OIF Veteran who came back with very little, I am honored to be able to create a model of support that provides gainful employment, training, and affordable transitional housing for our at-risk and literally homeless vets. Educate, support and uplift are the guidance and core values that have made our team, our organization and myself the success we are today.”
Champion’s Job Responsibilities:
Shawn drives home the responsibilities of managing a diverse group of people in the fast paced world of social and veteran services, as president of NineLine. Shawn has been a paramount part of our support to our clients, meeting with any referrals personally to ensure that the veterans or family members are connected with care and support and that no detail is overlooked. He also works tirelessly to connect providers, local businesses and institutions of higher learning with qualified candidates for employment, access to services and true connectivity when talking about goal centered outcomes. He goes above and beyond to ensure that every client feels part of a family.
Why Durnen was nominated for the Veteran Champions of the Year in Corporate America Award:
Shawn started NineLine in his basement eleven years ago and now runs two warehouses with several corporate contracts filling orders and manufacturing needs with an all military and veteran staff covering four states. Shawn is a business innovator, leveraging a philanthropy based model and support for immediate and long term needs. He is the definition of this award and would be your ideal recipient for this award.
Mr. Durnen is a powerhouse; he built a company that built bridges in a reduction in homeless veterans, evidence based models of care in mental health, peer support, employment training, case management and much more. He uses his own story of loss in combat as a US Army veteran, his battle with PTSD and homelessness during his transition and how his losses helped build a company that not only streams an amazing revenue stream for the south sound, but also creates opportunities for our military community stretching along the entire West Coast. Shawns model of services takes a unique approach, creating beneficial business partnerships in manufacturing, home ownership, education and creating your own success. His employment and housing program takes formerly homeless, incarcerated or at risk veterans and places them in second chance employment and gets them off the street. Shawn has found the ultimate answer by creating a beneficial business that works with the corporate sector but also enriches and empowers those at need and at risk.