Commissioners
The Commission is made up of war-era Veterans who reside in Woodbury County. The Commission determines the operating procedures of the office and meets on a monthly basis. Day-to-day operation and administration of policy is handled by office staff. Budget concerns are decided by the Board of Supervisors.
Joe Donovan Chairperson
Bio
About Joe Donovan
Retired chief master sergeant joseph. m donovan
Chief Master Sergeant Joseph M. Donovan is the Command Chief Master Sergeant at the 185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa Air National Guard, Sioux City, Iowa. In this role his responsibilities include advising the Wing Commander on matters influencing health, welfare, morale, and effective utilization of Wing enlisted personnel. He serves as representative to the Wing Commander and represents the Wing enlisted force on various committees, councils, and boards, and represents the Wing enlisted force at military and civilian functions.
Chief Donovan enlisted with United States Air Force in 1995 and served in the Financial Services career field. Chief Donovan joined the Air National Guard in 2002 he mobilized or provided direct support to OPERATIONS DESERT FOX and NOBLE EAGLE. He executed a tour at the National Guard Bureau in the financial management crisis cell, and has worked with the State Partnership Program in Kosovo. Chief Donovan served as the Retention Office Manager, and the Professional Development NCOIC where he advised senior leadership on strategic initiatives pertaining to recruiting, retention, mentoring, and force development. He also served as Financial Management Flight Superintendent, where he supervised the finance staff and provided oversight for a $51M annual payroll, Chief Donovan was a member of the NGB Force Support Field Advisory Committee.
Chief Donovan is a past appointee to the Effective Fiscal & Public Policy Committee for the City of Sioux City. He is on the Executive Board of Directors for Active Generations, and has taught as adjunct faculty in the business departments of both Western Iowa Technical Community College and Briar Cliff University. Prior to assuming his current position the Chief was the Mission Support Group Superintendent for the 185th Mission Support Group, in Sioux City, Iowa.
EDUCATION
- 2002 Airman Leadership School, Correspondence, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
- 2004 Associate Degree in Financial Management, CCAF
- 2004 Bachelor of Science in Philosophy, Cum Laude, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
- 2004 Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Cum Laude, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
- 2004 Financial Management Craftsman Course, Keesler AFB, MS
- 2006 USAF NCO Academy Course, correspondence, Maxwell AFB, AL
- 2006 Financial Management Advanced Agent Training Course, Silver Flag, Tyndall AFB, FL
- 2007 Graduate Management Certificate, Briar Cliff University, Sioux City, IA
- 2008 USAF Senior NCO Academy Course, correspondence, Maxwell AFB, AL
- 2009 Air National Guard Recruiting Course, Lackland AFB, TX
- 2010 Advanced Retention Management Course, McGhee Tyson ANGB, Knoxville, TN
- 2010 Masters of Arts Degree in Human Resource Management, Briar Cliff University, Sioux City, IA
- 2011 ANG Officer and Health Professional Recruiting Course, Orlando, FL
- 2012 USAF Professional Manager’s Certification, CCAF
- 2012 ANG Instructor Certification Program, McGhee Tyson ANGB, Knoxville, TN
- 2014 Senior Enlisted Professional Military Education Course I, Joint Forces Staff College, Correspondence
- 2016 Department of Defense Financial Management Certification Level 3, # 30026120
- 2017 Reserve Component National Security Course, National Defense University, Ft McNair, DC
- 2017 Chief Master Sergeant’s Executive Course, ANGRC, Andrews AFB, VA
- 2018 Contemporary Base Issues Course, Tulsa, OK
- 2018 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education II, Joint Knowledge Online, Correspondence
- 2018 Continuous Process Improvement for Execs, U of Cincinnati, Institute for Defense & Business, Cincinnati, OH
- 2019 China, Russia, & North Korea Seminar: A political-economic conflict seminar, Capitol Hill Club, Washington DC
- 2019 Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA) Phase I Course, Correspondence
- 2019 Command Chief Master Sergeant Training Course, Lackland AFB, TX
- 2020 Air Mobility Command Nuclear Leadership Course, BG Bud Day Field, Sioux City, IA
- 2020 Middle East and South Asia Seminar: A political-economic conflict seminar, Capitol Hill Club, Washington DC
- 2020 Transnational Issues Seminar: Alexandria, VA
ASSIGNMENTS
- March 1996 - August 1999, Financial Services, 28th CPTS, Ellsworth AFB, SD
- February 2002 - December 2006, Financial Management, 185th FW, Sioux City, IA
- December 2006 - October 2009, Retention Office Manager, 185th MSF, Sioux City, IA
- October 2009 - April 2012, Professional Development NCOIC, 185th FRS SQ, Sioux City, IA
- April 2012- August 2017, Financial Management Superintendent, 185th CPTF, Sioux City, IA
- September 2017 - September 2019, Mission Support Group Superintendent, 185th MSG, Sioux City, IA
- September 2019 - Present, Command Chief Master Sergeant, 185th ARW, Sioux City, IA
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
- Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
- Air Force Commendation Medal
- Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
STATE AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
- Iowa National Guard Meritorious Service Medal
- Iowa National Guard Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
- Enlisted Association of the National Guard-Lifetime Member
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
- 1998 Wing Staff Airman of the Quarter, Ellsworth AFB, SD
- 2004 185th ARW Group Airman of the Year (NCO tier)
- 2008 ANG Rookie Retention Manager of the Year (Master Gold Badge)
- 2008 ANG Recruiting and Retention National Patriot Award (Team)
- 2010 Region II Golden Eagle Award Recruiting and Retention (Team)
- 2014 185th ARW Airman of the Year (Senior NCO tier)
- 2016 ANG Financial Management Comptroller Office of the Year (Team)
- 2016 ANG Financial Management and Comptroller Award: Financial Services Office of the Year (Team)
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
- Airman, Oct. 4, 1995
- Airman First Class, Aug. 13, 1996
- Senior Airman, Oct. 4, 1998
- Staff Sergeant, Sep. 1, 2002
- Technical Sergeant, Sep. 1, 2004
- Master Sergeant, Feb. 15, 2007
- Senior Master Sergeant, July. 1, 2013
- Chief Master Sergeant, Sept. 15, 2017
Zane Chwirka Vice-Chair
Bio
About Zane Chwirka
Zane Chwirka was born and raised in Sioux City, IA and graduated from North High in 1999. Zane is married to wife Jayme and has two boys, Zander and Dylan.
Zane joined the Army National Guard in March of 2001. He served on the Army side for 7.5 years as an 88M then as an MP before crossing over to the Air Guard. In May of 2008 he became a member of the 185th Air Refueling Wing in the Security Forces Squadron where he spent the rest of his military career, and retired as Master Sergeant in March of 2022. 21 years in total of wearing the uniform and ready to answer the call. Zane says he has been in some cool places, some not so fun places, but meeting people and friends along the journey has been one of his greatest experiences. The good memories outshine the bad memories.
Currently Zane is in his 16th year with the Woodbury County Sheriff’s office as a Deputy Sheriff. He started as a correctional officer, working in the jail 1 month short of 5 years before becoming a Patrol Deputy. Zane's current role is an SRO, School Resource Officer. He is looking forward to helping and meeting fellow Veterans in Woodbury County.
Emily Clayton Bio
About Emily Clayton
Emily Clayton is a United States Air Force veteran who was born and raised in the Siouxland area. She graduated from Briar Cliff University with a BSN in 2003. Mrs. Clayton has also been on a volunteer fire and rescue department for over 20 years and is a training officer for local EMTs. She is married with two sons.
John Mansfield Bio
About John Mansfield
Col. John L. Mansfield USA (Ret.)
Born and raised in Sioux City, John is a Vietnam veteran who served as an officer in the Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve for over 30 years, retiring as a Colonel in 1996. He also retired from the IRS in 2013 after a career of over 42 years as a Leadership Instructor and Manager. He has a Business Administration Degree from Westmar College (Iowa) and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Shippensburg University (Pennsylvania). He also has published two articles on Leadership and Moral Courage, a short poem and a book about his Vietnam experiences titled Twenty Days in May; Vietnam 1968 which was published in 2008. In his spare time he stays busy working as a volunteer for the NAIA tournaments, his church, and the Knights of Columbus as well as driving the DAV van to the Sioux Falls VA Medical Center. He and his wife Sandy, a retired Clinical Nurse Manager, have been married for over 47 years. They have two children and five grandchildren.
TJ Fennell Bio
About TJ Fennell
CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT THOMAS J. (T.J.) FENNELL (Ret.)
Chief Master Sergeant Thomas J. (T.J.) Fennell served as the 7th Iowa National Guard Command Chief, Joint Forces Headquarters, Johnston Iowa. He was the top Air National Guard senior enlisted advisor to the Adjutant General on morale, development and quality of life issues for the state’s 1800 enlisted Airmen. In addition, he acted as liaison with the Assistant Adjutant General Air, the Senior Enlisted Leader Army, Director of Staff and other Joint Forces staff members. He provided counsel to the Wing commanders and worked closely with the Wing command chiefs and first sergeants. He had oversight of four geographically separated areas within the state, encompassing Airmen at the 132d Wing in Des Moines, 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City, 133 TS in Fort Dodge, and Joint Forces Headquarters near Camp Dodge.
Chief Fennell enlisted with the Iowa Air National Guard in 1988 in the munitions systems career field and deployed in support of operations PROVIDE COMFORT and SOUTHERN WATCH. Chief Fennell was assigned to the Quality Assurance office prior to retraining into the Personnel Career Field where deployed as a Personnel Support for Contingency Operations (PERSCO) Team Member and Chief in support of operations ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM. He served as the 185th Air Refueling Wing as assistant retention manager, human resource advisor, mission support group superintendent. Chief Fennell was selected as the 185th Wing Command Chief, and made significant contributions developing 21st century combat ready Airmen until assuming his present position in October 2019. Chief Fennell was an instructor for the Air National Guard Human Resource Advisor Orientation Course and serves on the Enlisted Field Advisory Council advising the Air National Guard Command Chief Master Sergeant.
Chief Fennell was a drill status guardsman and has worked as a Juvenile Court Liaison for the Iowa 3rd Judicial District and Sioux City Schools for 29 years. As a liaison for Juvenile Court, he promotes healthy development and mentoring of adolescents while working in conjunction with the Court, local law enforcement, the school district, and area agencies. He is also a cross country and track coach for Sioux City Schools.
EDUCATION
- 1990 USAF NCO Preparatory Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala. by correspondence
- 1993 Bachelor of Arts, Briar Cliff University, Sioux City, Iowa
- 1997 USAF NCO Academy Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala. by correspondence 2002 USAF SNCO Academy Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala. by correspondence
- 2005 Associate Degree in Munitions Systems Technology, Community College of the Air Force
- 2005 Associates Degree in Human Resource Management, Community College of the Air Force
- 2006 ANG Retention Mgmt. Course, McGhee Tyson ANGB, Knoxville, Tenn.
- 2009 ANG Human Resource Advisor Orientation Course, Grapevine, Texas
- 2009 ANG Four Lenses Facilitator & Diversity Champions, Grapevine, Texas
- 2009 Graduate Certificate in Public Management, Iowa State University
- 2010 Master’s Degree in Public Administration, Iowa State University
- 2010 SEJPME, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va. by correspondence
- 2011 USAF Senior NCO Academy, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Ala.
- 2011 ANG Leadership Challenge Program II, Sioux City, Iowa
- 2012 USAF Professional Manager’s Certification, Community College of the Air Force
- 2012 ANG Instructor Certification Program, McGhee Tyson ANGB, Knoxville, Tenn.
- 2016 ANG Chief Executive Course, ANG Readiness Center, JB Andrews, Md.
- 2017 USAF Chief Leadership Course, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Ala.
- 2017 Continuous Process Improvement for Executives, Institute for Defense & Business, Cincinnati, Ohio
- 2017 ANG Command Chief Master Sergeant Orientation Course, Lackland, AFB, Texas
- 2017 SEJPME II, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va. by correspondence
- 2017 USAF Enterprise Leadership Seminar, North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, Chapel Hill, N.C.
- 2017 USAF Command Chief Master Sergeant Training Course, JB Andrews, Md.
- 2018 USAF Leading Strategically, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Co.
- 2018 Contemporary Base Issues, 123rd AW, Kentucky ANGB, Louisville, Ky.
- 2018 Keystone CSEL Course, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
- 2019 Strategic Mindset Seminar, Council for Logistics Research, Arlington, Va.
- 2019 Enterprise Perspective Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1988 - September 1999, Munition’s System Specialist, 185 FW, Sioux City, Iowa
2. October 1999 – December 2003, Quality Assurance Inspector, 185 FW, Sioux City, Iowa
3. February 2003 – October 2009, Personnel and Retention Specialist, 185 ARW, Sioux City, Iowa
4. November 2009 – September 2015, Human Resource Advisor, 185 ARW, Sioux City, Iowa
5. September 2015 – May 2017, Mission Support Group Superintendent, 185 ARW, Sioux City, Iowa
6. May 2017 – September 2019, Command Chief Master Sergeant, 185 ARW, Sioux City, Iowa
7. October 2019 – November 2022, Command Chief Master Sergeant, Iowa ANG, Johnston, Iowa
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
- Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
- Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
- Air Force Achievement Medal
- Joint Meritorious Unit Award
- Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with four oak leaf clusters
- Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal with nine oak leaf clusters
- Iowa National Guard Medal of Merit
- Iowa National Guard Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
- Iowa National Guard Commendation Medal with eight oak leaf clusters
- Iowa Humanitarian Service Ribbon
- Iowa National Guard Recruiting Ribbon
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
- 1997 Recognition Article – Iowa Bench Press, September-October
- 1999 Advocate Award – Siouxland Human Investment Partnership
- 1999 Recognition Article – Making a Difference, Front Page Sioux City Journal, 8 February
- 1999 Siouxland Person of the Day – KKMA Radio, Le Mars Iowa, 16 February
- 2007 Mission Support Group Airman of the Year
- 2007 State of Iowa Governor’s Volunteer Award
- 2009 185th ARW Airman of the Year
- 2013 Iowa Air National Guard Honor Guard Member of the Year
- 2014 Air National Guard Human Resource Advisor Field Recognition Award
- 2015 Iowa Air National Guard Community Influencer Award
- 2016 Air National Guard Human Resource Advisor Legacy Award
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
- Air Force Sergeants Association, Airlift Tanker Association, and Enlisted Association of the National Guard
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
- Senior Airmen, Apr. 1, 1990
- Staff Sergeant, June 1, 1993
- Technical Sergeant, Dec. 1, 1998
- Master Sergeant, Dec. 1, 2000
- Senior Master Sergeant, Feb. 1, 2010
- Chief Master Sergeant, June 1, 2015
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