Interim director of military, veterans campus leads from the front

Lt. Col. Ana McKenna oversees new Franklin center

Lt. Col. Ana McKenna, interim director of the Easterseals NH Military and Veterans Campus in Franklin, was introduced at a public gathering March 10 at the Manchester Country Club in Bedford. (Courtesy of Easterseals NH & VT)

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Ana McKenna handled her coming-out party like a trooper.

Dressed in a flowing green jumpsuit and heels, the new interim program director of Easterseals NH Military and Veterans Campus was introduced to a select gathering of community leaders March 10 at the Manchester Country Club in Bedford.

“In the three months Ana has served as interim director, she has truly shaped and advanced the campus in meaningful ways,” said Maureen Beauregard, president and CEO of Easterseals NH and VT.

McKenna was hired in December after the sudden resignations of the campus leadership team. The departures sent a shockwave through the long-time nonprofit provider just a few months after such a promising start when the $23 million, 15-acre grounds in Franklin opened last September.

“There’s no better person to be the echo chamber than you,” Beauregard said. “You walked the walk.”

During a 2004 deployment to Iraq, then 1st Lt. McKenna was acting commander of a New Hampshire Army National Guard transportation company. Its supply convoys were under daily enemy attack.

“She was in the convoy when they lost (Sgt. Jeremiah Holmes),” said retired Maj. Gen. Kenneth Clark, one of a handful of invited military guests.

Clark, an Air Force two-star, hired McKenna as his first executive officer when she returned from war and he became the state’s adjutant general.

“I told her, ‘I’m new here and so are you. I need you to interpret the Army for me,’” Clark recalled. “She did a good job in the military, and she’ll do a great job for Easterseals.”

McKenna has nearly 30 years of professional experience both in and out of uniform. She has worked in operations, logistics, human resources, family assistance and behavioral health support.

“When I came home (from my deployment), I struggled with connections,” McKenna said. “A campus like this would have made a huge difference for me and a lot of others.”

The property, a former farm and orphanage, consists of 29 subsidized veteran apartments, a 22-room hotel, and 1,500-square-foot conference center.

McKenna is halfway through a six-month agreement to oversee day-to-day operations at the campus, which includes the beginning of phase two of a planned buildout, Beauregard said. The expansion will feature three wellness spaces: the Solinsky Equine and Recreation Center, the Solinsky Empowerment Center (named after donors Ken and Grace Solinsky, founders of Insight Technology) and a fitness center that may include a pool for aquatics therapy. An additional $50 million is needed to complete the projects and “sustain the campus for future generations,” according to the campus website.

Rent from the apartments, which are all in use, sustains the apartments, said Michele Talwani, chief communications and marketing officer for Easterseals NH. The hotel and conference center are part of the sustainability plan for the rest of the campus.

Maureen Beauregard, president and CEO of Easterseals NH and VT, talks about the Military and Veterans Campus in Franklin on March 10 at Manchester Country Club in Bedford. (Courtesy of Easterseals NH & VT)

“We’re doing what we said we were going to do,” Talwani said. “The veteran community decided what the needs were, and it’s Easterseals NH that’s bringing it to life.”

The “entrepreneurial” business model soured some in the ranks, but on this unusually warm, summerlike afternoon there was no sign of disillusionment. The mood inside the reception was upbeat. There was 45 minutes of mingling, a cash bar and steady stream of gourmet hors d’oeuvres.

A certified music therapist, Navy veteran Tony Varga, played acoustic covers of ‘70s folk classics.

“Everyone is super clappy,” said Jamie Staton, host and Easterseals NH major gifts officer.

Well-worn military boots served as patriotic centerpieces. Slumped at the ankle, each boot was filled with flowers and an American flag. They were donated after Easterseals NH began serving active duty and their families in 2007.

“Ana always says she’s most comfortable in her combat boots,” said Erin Schaick, public relations and government events director for Easterseals NH. “So, I had to do it.”

In a room full of prominent supporters, McKenna carried out her mission with ease. She moved from one conversation to the next armed with a smile and pitch.

“We want more people to use the services,” she said. “We want more staying and volunteering at the campus.”

“How many?” a reporter asked. “Hundreds,” she said.

‘She did a good job in the military, and she’ll do a great job for Easterseals,’ commented Major General Kenneth Clark.