HAMILTON, Mass. — MassGOP and MA RNC Committee endorsed candidate for governor, Mike Minogue, today announced the launch of ‘Veterans for Minogue’ and the coalition’s inaugural 61 members, chaired by fellow West Point Graduate and former President and CEO of Haemonetics Corporation, Brian Concannon.
“I’m excited to lead this effort and have worked with Mike for nearly two decades helping veterans,” said Brian Concannon. “Our goal is to make Massachusetts the model for America on how to honor veterans and their families.”
Minogue will be honoring veterans and families and celebrating the launch of the Coalition tonight with an event at the Scituate VFW Post 3169 at 6:00 PM.
“Veterans like these men and women make our communities stronger, and I’m honored to have them as part of our movement,” said Mike Minogue. “Their dedication and commitment to saving Massachusetts reflects the spirit of service that led them to put on the uniform in defense of our country and our fellow Americans. That same spirit of service is what motivates me in this campaign, and it will guide me as governor to do everything I can to lift up those who are struggling to get by or get ahead in our state. Massachusetts will be a BEACON of hope for our veterans: We’ll prioritize Benefits, Education, Advocacy, Community, Opportunity, and Navigation. The days of veterans being overlooked, especially while millions of tax dollars are spent on benefits for criminal illegal immigrants, ends when my administration begins.”
BEACON of Hope:
Benefits: It is unacceptable that right now Maura Healey is spending millions of dollars on benefits for illegal immigrants while veterans struggle with housing, healthcare, education, transportation, and basic services. Minogue will prioritize veterans by expanding access to housing assistance, healthcare resources, transportation support, and mental health services.
Education: Veterans and their families should be at the front of the line when it comes to getting an education, workforce training, or trade certification. Minogue will expand access to higher education, workforce training, apprenticeships, and trade certifications for veterans. Military spouses, Gold Star family members, and eligible dependents will also have access to education and workforce development opportunities that help them build successful careers in Massachusetts. Minogue will explore additional tuition benefits for Gold Star Siblings, recognizing the sacrifices made by the entire family.
Advocacy: Within his first 100 days in office, Minogue will launch a statewide “Hire a Veteran Day” initiative and establish a Veterans and Gold Star Family Employment Council made up of business leaders, veterans, Gold Star families, and workforce experts.
Community: While men and women serve, their families sacrifice as well. Minogue will also make Massachusetts the first state in the nation to formally study and create support programs for Gold Star Siblings. Too often, siblings of the fallen are forgotten despite losing a brother or sister, caring for grieving parents, and putting their own lives on hold. Massachusetts can lead the nation by examining educational benefits, civil service preferences, and tax relief for Gold Star Siblings. No veteran and no Gold Star family should be left to navigate tragedy alone.
Opportunity: It will be a priority to have >25,000 veterans hired over the course of Minogue’s first term. As the founder of MedTechVets, Minogue has already committed to supporting veterans successful transition into high-impact civilian careers. MedTechVets has helped connect veterans with opportunities in the medical technology industry by translating military leadership, discipline, and technical expertise into private-sector success. As governor, Minogue will expand this model across Massachusetts.
Minogue will also strengthen and protect Veterans Preference and Gold Star Family hiring protections in state and municipal government. Veterans and Gold Star families earned these opportunities through service and sacrifice, and those protections should not be diluted. This will be achieved by giving tax incentives to businesses, streamlining the hiring process, and partnering with private companies who want to serve the community.
Navigation: Veterans and military families should never have to navigate a maze of government agencies to get help. Minogue will create Massachusetts’ first dedicated Gold Star Family Advocate within the Executive Office of Veterans Services. This advocate will serve as a direct resource for surviving families, ensuring they have access to benefits, services, counseling, and support during life’s most difficult moments. Minogue will also establish a Bay State BEACON Hotline and app to be a resource for all military families to access concierge service to navigate their specific situations. No one should go without help because they do not know where to look.
We thank the following inaugural coalition members for their service and are honored to have them join Team Minogue:
- Lisa Adams, U.S. Navy
- Dan Allie, U.S. Army
- Ralph Atwood, U.S. Air Force
- Charles Bailey, U.S. Army
- Thomas Barbeau, U.S. Army
- John Beatty, U.S. Army
- Bruce Brown, U.S. Coast Guard
- Ryan Burnett, U.S. Marine Corps
- John Carey, U.S. Navy
- Dale Carleton, U.S. Navy
- Bruce Chester, U.S. Army
- Roland Chretein, U.S. Army
- Lynn Cody, U.S. Air Force
- Brian Concannon, U.S. Army
- Guy Cooper, U.S. Marine Corps
- Steven Craft, U.S. Army
- Kyle Culotta, U.S. Air Force
- Ian Dargin, U.S. Air Force
- David DeCoste, U.S. Army
- Joe Doherty, U.S. Army
- Paul Downing, U.S. Army
- John Driscoll, U.S. Army
- Thayer Eastman, U.S. Army
- Michael Fish, Army National Guard
- David Frost, U.S. Army
- John Gaskey, U.S. Coast Guard
- James Good, U.S. Navy
- Gary Grossi, U.S. Army
- Curtis Hall, U.S. Marine Corps
- Julie Hall, U.S. Air Force
- Tim Hamel, U.S. Navy
- Ed Jolley, U.S. Army
- Kendall Lankford, U.S. Army
- Christopher Lane, U.S. Air Force
- Sandra Lombardo, U.S. Navy
- Dan Magoon, U.S. Army
- Steve Mapa, U.S. Army
- Thomas Mathers, U.S. Army
- Larry McAnneny, U.S. Army
- Albert McCarthy, U.S. Air Force
- John McCarthy, U.S. Army
- Michael Milner, U.S. Air Force & U.S. Public Health Service
- Paul Monohon, U.S. Army
- Dennis Moore, U.S. Air Force
- James Morose, U.S. Air Force
- Christopher O’Connell, U.S. Army
- George Olson, U.S. Navy
- Kevin Perry, U.S. Air Force
- Craig Pina, U.S. Army
- Stephen Pina, U.S. Army
- Anthony Renzoni, U.S. Army
- Christopher J Ryan, U.S. Army Special Operations Command (Green Berets) Retired
- Ed Shaffer, U.S. Army
- Dan Shedd, U.S. Army
- Thomas Shields, U.S. Navy
- Steven Snider, U.S. Navy
- Nick Spolsino, U.S. Army
- Stephen Ternullo, U.S. Army
- Jeffrey Thompson, U.S. Navy
- Aldo Ursino, Army National Guard
- Kate Van Auken, U.S. Army Reserves
Minogue is a West Point graduate and combat veteran who served as an Infantry officer in the U.S. Army, where he earned multiple distinctions including RANGER tab and the Bronze Star for acting as the lead navigator and Platoon Leader for the U.S. Army’s invasion (24th Infantry) into Iraq for Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Minogue also founded MedTechVets, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that helps military veterans discover career opportunities in the medical device industry.