Lt. Col. Alvin A. Salge
President
Lt. Col. Alvin A. Salge is currently Chair of the Santa Barbara County Veterans Advisory Commission, Commander of Solvang VFW Post 7139, Solvang Military Liaison to Vandenberg SFB, and Vice President of We Support the Troops Board of Directors. Lt. Col. Salge graduated from the University of Texas in Austin in 1966. He entered the USAF in 1966 and was commissioned in 1967 through the Officer Training School. His tours included Vietnam, Germany, U.S. AFBs, Tehran Iran, Hawaii, and the Pentagon. He retired from the USAF in 1987 and became a Program/Business Development Manager for Science Applications International Corporation, Hughes Aircraft, and Raytheon until 2008. He is currently retired from his professional career, living in the Santa Ynez Valley.
Victor Virgen
Treasurer
Victor Virgen was born and raised in the Santa Ynez Valley and, after graduating high school, went on to serve eight years on active duty in the United States Marine Corps. He served three tours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as a Motor Transportation Diesel Mechanic in 2004 with Combat Logistics Regiment-15 in the Al Anbar Province, and with Third Battalion Fifth Marine Regiment in 2006 in Fallujah. During his last tour Victor served as Combat Advisor on a Point of Entry Transition Team at the Jordan and Iraq point of entry, helping train the Iraqi Police, Security Forces, and Customs Police. As a veteran, Victor attended California State University Channel Islands and earned his bachelor's degree in Psychology. He is now the Program Manager for the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program at New Beginnings Counseling Center, working with veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and providing outreach and education to the community.
Matthew Nancarrow
Secretary
Matthew C. Nancarrow, born March 1984, served in the US Army from 2002-2005 as a member of the 101st Airborne Division, 502nd Combat Infantry. He deployed to Iraq in 2003 as part of the invasion force and left military service in September 2005. In 2012 he lost his brother, Jeffrey Nancarrow (also a member of the 101st Airborne), to veteran suicide. In 2015 Matthew worked with a local veterans group, the Fellowship of Brothers, focused on helping veterans cope with everyday life. Matthew is currently an active Realtor with Engel & Voelkers. In July 2023 he was appointed by First District Supervisor Das Williams to the Santa Barbara County Veterans' Services Commission.
Joseph Fletcher
Director-at-Large
Joe Fletcher was born and raised in Santa Barbara and is a third-generation Santa Barbarian. After graduating from Dos Pueblos High School he attended Santa Barbara City College, where he played baseball, before joining the United States Air Force. Joe served as a Military Police Officer for 9 1/2 years, living in Europe for four of those years along with three deployments to the Middle East. After his service he worked as a Federal Police Officer in Los Angeles County and then at the Lompoc Bureau of Prisons. Joe is currently a Veteran Service Representative for the County of Santa Barbara, a role he has held for 7 1/2 years, providing free support to the veterans and community in which he grew up and currently resides.
Val Nicholas
Director-at-Large
From his start in local television to two decades at NBC Entertainment and NBC News, Val Nicholas has extensive experience in all aspects of media and marketing, with a unique talent for creative innovation designed to fit the audience, the product, the time, and the place. Known in the industry for his vision and craft, he has won countless awards for his on-air promotion and sales initiatives, including 7 Emmys. While at NBC he drove creative for national ad campaigns and spearheaded research-based sales and marketing campaigns that drove results.
He has produced more than 3,000 hours of television across daily news, talk shows, news magazines, syndicated programs, sporting events, and live primetime specials at both the local and national level, and has staged live in-person events and Sales Upfront Meetings for major TV networks. As a partner in Eyes on Target, he produced the reality show "Ten Weeks," following four recruits through Basic Training, which aired on the Roku Channel in a co-production with Blumhouse. He has several shows in development with 2nd Thought Productions and served as a creative consultant for Curtco Media.
His production and marketing credits led to the creation of Mediflix, an AI-powered health website offering access to 200+ of the world's top medical experts, and he was instrumental in creating Vetiflix, its arm that is free to veterans. He holds ownership interests in other AI startups including Mangoes AI, and as Senior Vice President of Creative Services for Summit Media's Radio Network he has customized that listening technology to guide audiences to local information, events, and products.
Nicholas has created several career-development courses; his "Maximum Creative" class earned the highest ratings at GE's elite Leadership School in Crotonville, NY, and he has taught at NBC Universal, Comcast, Gannett, the New York Film Academy, and GE divisions worldwide.
A U.S. Army Armored Cavalry veteran, Val has served on most major American veteran and military-family initiatives over the past 25 years. He is a Board Member of Blue Star Families and an advisor to We Are the Mighty, the USO, the American Legion, and Hiring Heroes.
Dewane "Dazz" Brown
Director-at-Large
Dewane "Dazz" Brown was born in South Central Los Angeles, California, and relocated to Houston, Texas, at age 15. After graduating from high school in 1989, he enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1990. During his 24-year military career as a Medical Logistician, Dewane deployed in support of Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and Operation Enduring Freedom in Gardez, Afghanistan, in 2009, where he served as part of a 12-member embedded team supporting operations at a 250-bed Afghan hospital. Later in his career, he supported military hospital construction projects and was recognized as Air Combat Command Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year in 2011. He earned his bachelor's degree in Business Administration and retired from the Air Force in 2013.
Following retirement, Dewane continued supporting the military community as an Initial Outfitting and Move Project Manager from 2014 to 2023. Working on Department of Defense healthcare projects throughout California, Hawaii, Korea, and Chicago, he helped outfit and transition clinics and hospitals serving military members, veterans, and their families. In 2019, he earned his Master of Business Administration from Trident University.
In 2023, Dewane relocated to Santa Barbara, California, where he currently serves as a South County Veterans Case Manager with New Beginnings Counseling Center, helping veterans and their families achieve housing stability, access critical resources, and prevent homelessness. From military service and healthcare project management to veteran advocacy, Dewane has remained committed to one purpose: serving those who have served and improving the lives of veterans and their families.
Jerry Farmer
Director-at-Large
Jerry Farmer, of War Torn Productions, LLC, held his first Salute to the Vets in Goleta, California, in 2012. He founded the event to bring together local veterans and their families, along with members of the community, to honor service men and women, and was instrumental in establishing the Santa Barbara County Veterans Foundation as a nonprofit organization.