Officers

Robert R. Piaro

• 100% disabled Vietnam Veteran, received the Purple Heart, Bronze Star with Combat V, Combat Action Ribbon, Vietnam Service Medal, and various Republic of Vietnam citations.

• Since Vietnam, Bob has had to deal with the problems of a physical disability loss of his left leg, combat stress, chemical dependency and family problems. In 1985 he entered the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) treatment program at the VAMC Tomah, WI. After he completed that program, his life took a new direction – helping other veterans with similar problems.

• In 1992, Bob began volunteering for the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) in establishing a homeless veteran program in Wisconsin. He spent 3 months as a homeless veteran in the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans in Boston, MA to collect data for the Veterans Assistance Program (VAP) where he worked with no salary as interim director of the Veterans Rehabilitation Program, latter known as the VAP.

• In January 1994, Bob established the Veterans Assistance Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation to operate Veterans Assistance Centers for the purpose of transitioning homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless veterans into society’s mainstream by providing an environment where they could receive needed services to make that happen. At that time, the VAF wanted to establish a VAC in the Fox Valley region in Wisconsin. It has expanded to operate the following programs:

• Veterans Assistance Center – King, WI. A 27-bed facility located on the grounds of the King Veterans Home near Waupaca, WI. Opened April 1995.
• Veterans Assistance Center – Madison, WI. A 7 bed, transitional facility located on the grounds of Central Wisconsin Center in Madison, WI. Opened July 1996. 
• Veterans Assistance Center – Fort McCoy, WI. The VAF assumed responsibility for this Center from the WDVA in July 1996. Fort McCoy has 14 program beds. 
• Veterans Assistance Center – Tomah, WI. The administrative operations of the Fort McCoy facility moved to the grounds of the VA Medical Center in Tomah in September 1998. VAC Tomah has 67 program beds 
• Veterans Assistance Center-Bakersfield CA.  There is a 32 bed transitional veterans program. 2003 
• Veterans Assistance Center-Bakersfield CA.  A 9 Bed transitional veterans program. 2004
• Resource and Referral Center – Bakersfield, CA. This is a day service program designed to provide assistance in conjunction with area service providers.
• VAF-Kern County Annual Stand Down- Stand Down is in reference to the military term allowing a combat unit removed from the field of battle to an area of safety and security and has been widely heralded as an innovative and effective way of assisting homeless veterans to break the self-perpetuating cycle of homelessness.

• Bob is a nationally recognized leader in homeless veteran advocacy. He travels around the country providing assistance to veterans programs and organizations. Bob is knowledgeable and persuasive in dealing with veterans issues with government agencies and organizations. He has exercised this talent while being a pivotal actor in developing National, State and Local veterans programs. Bob has developed and continues to expand a professional knowledge of veterans problems and possible solutions. He has, as an individual, the ability to communicate with his fellow veterans on a sympathetic but no-nonsense level that gets results for them that has earned him a reputation as someone that can really help.

• VAF Professional Affiliations

• National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
• Kern County Homeless Collaborative
• Kern County Network For Children
• VAF-Kern County Veterans Stand Down

• Personal Affiliations

• Vietnam Veterans of America
• American Legion
• Disabled Veterans of America
• DAV
• AMVETS
• VFW
• Health Care for the Homeless Clinicians Network

Heather Kimmel

 Heather Kimmel is a Bakersfield native, who graduated from North High School, and then attended Bakersfield College. She spent 6 years as the Site Supervisor of an afterschool program for North of the river Parks and Recreation Department. After that program lost funding she started her career with homeless veterans. Heather joined CVAF in 2009 as the Operation Assistant, and was promoted to the Operations Director in February of 2010.

Since becoming an employee of CVAF she has had the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally. In the time that followed she married Steve Kimmel and expanded her family: she has two wonderful children, Aubrey and Gabriel.

It has become Heathers professional goal to offer assistance to every veterans she meets. "Even though I am not a veteran myself, I have many family members who served, allowing me to understand and uphold the motto, Veterans Helping Veterans."

Professional Affiliations:

Veterans Employment Committee
Antelope Valley Homeless Providers Collaborative
CVAF-Kern County Stand Down


 

Deborah Johnson

Deborah Johnson is the President of the California Veterans Assistance Foundation. She is an honorably discharged Wisconsin Army National Guard veteran with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

While serving in the Wisconsin National Guard, she served in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm from Aug 1990 to August 1991 where she received the Army Commendation Medal. In addition, she was Troop Command Soldier of the Year for 1986 and received the Wisconsin Guard and Reserve Military Achievement Award.

Deborah started her career with homeless veterans in 1996 working at the Veterans Assistance Center at Fort McCoy, WI in 1996 as the Office Manager and was promoted to Director of Operations. In July 1999, she became Executive Director of the Veterans Assistance Foundation.

In January 2009, Deborah transferred to the California Veterans Assistance Foundation in Bakersfield and was named President in December of that year. She is involved with grant writing and administration of the transitional housing programs operated in Bakersfield.
 

Professional Affiliations:

• Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1468, Bakersfield, CA
• Kern County National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
• Kern County Homeless Collaborative
• Kern County StandDown
• National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV)

Smoki Francisco

Education University of California, Los Angeles, CA
Master of Science, Nursing; Family Nurse Practitioner,
with specialization in Occupational and Environmental Medicine: June 1996
Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA
Bachelor of Science, Nursing: June 1973

Certification ANCC Certified Specialist, Family Nurse Practitioner
California Board of Registered Nursing, Legal Nurse Expert
License California R.N. and F.N.P. License 234281 / 8423

Academic California State University, Bakersfield School of Nursing Clinical Preceptor

Professional Catholic Healthcare West, Bakersfield, CAExperience Director, Employee Health and Workers' Compensation 2002 to Present
Regional Manager, Employee Health Services 1999 to 2001

Department of Veteran Affairs, VISN 22, Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Administrator, Bakersfield Community Based Outpatient Clinic 2001 to 2002

Mercy Healthcare Bakersfield
Supervisor, Employee Health Services 1992 to 1999
Nurse Practitioner, Urgent Care 1996 to 2001
Human Resources Advisor, Nurse Recruiter 1990 to 1992

Kern Medical Center, Bakersfield, CA
Employee Health Nurse, and Facility Safety Officer 1989 to 1990

San Joaquin Community Hospital, Bakersfield, CA
Director, Surgical Services 1982 to 1989
Staff Nurse, Surgical Services 1981 to 1982
Associate Director, Nursing Services 1979 to 1981
Nurse Clinician, Oncology Service 1978 to 1979

California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
Department of Psychological and Social Medicine
Clinical and Administrative Supervisor, Nursing Service 1976 to 1978
Charge Nurse, Acute Psychiatric Service 1975 to 1976

Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA
Charge Nurse, Acute Psychiatric Service 1974 to 1975
Charge Nurse, Oncology/Hematology Service 1973 to 1974

Academic 1994 CSUB School of Nursing Research Award
Scholarships 1995 Sara Jenks Educational Scholarship Award, Occupational Health Nursing
1995 & 1996 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Grant

Memberships American Association of Occupational Health Nurses
California State University School of Nursing Advisory Board, Graduate Division
California Central Valley Occupational Health Nurses Association
Kern County Nurse Practitioner/ Physician Assistant Association
Kern County Homeless Task Force, Clinica Sierra Vista Homeless Shelter

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