On November 9, 2023, L.A. Care hosted a Veteran’s Day Brunch at its Downtown L.A. headquarters, to honor veteran staff members who not only serve our communities, but also, our country.
Joined by L.A. Care’s CEO, John Baackes and Chief Human Resources Officer, Terry Brown – among other executives from around the organization – the morning was filled with food, music, inspiring words, and comradery.
“I’ve been with L.A. Care for a little over 7 years; I was in the Marine Corps. I’m here today to enjoy the food with some fellow brothers in arms that served this country, given up their time and efforts, and their lives in some cases to fight for this country. We believe in what we do, and are very proud of our service.” - Rudy Martinez, Safety and Security Program Manager III in Facilities Services
The alignment between being of service to Los Angeles County, and of service to the country, was not lost at the festivities.
“It’s not a far leap from the military to L.A. Care. It’s a service mentality that continues, and thank you so incredibly much for doing so.” - Terry Brown, Chief Human Resources Officer
“I am so thankful for this organization cause it does allow [me] to put what I value, which is service.” - Yesenia Monique Marquez, Care Management Community Health Worker II in Care Management
A slide deck played in the background that featured photos of veteran staff members in their uniforms, and in the field, which only added to the diversity of experience that is found with employees at L.A. Care.
“Most of us were young bucks at 18 and 19 [serving in the military] just trying to find our way – and thankfully we all found our way here [to L.A. Care].” - AJ Lopez, Director, Provider Contracts and Relationship Management, in Provider Network Management
As we celebrate the holiday season, we are humbled and thankful to our veteran colleagues for serving our organization, our communities, and our country!
