Mobile Bay Area Veterans Commission

10/15/2026

South Alabama Athletics is proud to honor and celebrate the brave men and women who have served and continue to serve our country!

Join them on Saturday, October 31, as the Jaguars celebrate Military Appreciation Day during their football game against Louisiana Tech. They invite all active-duty military members, veterans, and their families to be part of this special day as they recognize your service and sacrifice.

As a thank-you for your service, eligible military affiliates can claim up to two (2) FREE tickets to the game!
How to Claim Your Tickets:

Visit usajaguars.com/tickets.
Click Promo Code in the top right corner of the screen
Enter MILITARY to claim your free tickets.
Thank you for your service, sacrifice, and dedication to our country. Hope to see you on October 31!

Go Jags!

09/27/2026

EXCITING NEWS - WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 11, Veterans Day Parade, The Mayor has given permission to have throws during the Veterans Day Parade at 10:00 am on Government St, Downtown Mobile
Veterans Day Parade throw regulations:

Keep them kid-friendly, safe, and patriot-oriented
Normal parade throws may include items such as stuffed animals, small toys, trinkets, candy, snack cakes, beads, cups, frisbees, and other similar items.

Select and distribute all items thrown from parade units with public safety in mind to ensure a safe and enjoyable parade experience.

09/18/2026

Anthony Naman’s legacy is more than a family name or a business. It is in the values he lived, the way he treated people, and the example he left for every generation.

Mr. Naman led with a servant’s heart. Customer service meant serving people with genuine care. He taught us that every customer should feel welcomed, appreciated, and treated like family.

People who worked beside him were more than employees; they were family. That sense of belonging, loyalty, and hard work remains at the heart of Naman’s Catering and His lessons continue to shape our team today.

Mr. Namans example built more than a business. It built a way of serving others.

We are honored to have learned from him and work alongside his sons, Alec Naman and Thomas Naman every day.

This week we say goodbye, but you will always be remembered.

Your family at Namans Catering

09/18/2026

09/16/2026

The Mobile Bay Area Veterans Commission invites your organization to join us in celebrating Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. The Department of Veterans Affairs has named Mobile, Alabama, a Regional Site for the celebration of Veterans Day. As such, it is one of approximately twenty locations in America whose Veterans Day Parade the federal government officially recognizes.
This year is a special celebration as we honor RDML Kent Davis, CEO, Vets Recover, as our Patriot of the Year, and Thomas Jerome “Tom” Schwarz, U.S. Navy, Treasurer, SAVC, as our Veteran of the Year. The Honors Luncheon will follow the Veterans Day Parade and be held at Ft. Whiting Armory, 1630 S. Broad St., from noon to 1:30 p.m.
To Purchase Tables or Individual Tickets to the Luncheon, visit our website and follow the EVENTBRITE link:
https//vetscommission.com/honors-luncheon-link

09/15/2026

Press Release from the Mobile Bay Area Veterans Commission
PRESS RELEASE — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mobile Bay Area Veterans Commission Names
Thomas Jerome “Tom” Schwarz, U.S. Navy, Vietnam Veteran, 2026 Veteran of the Year**
MOBILE, AL — The Chairman of the Mobile Bay Area Veterans Commission, Mayor Spiro Cherigotis, and the President of the Commission, Colonel Steve Carey, U.S. Air Force, Retired, are pleased to announce this year’s Veteran of the Year, Thomas Jerome “Tom” Schwarz, U.S. Navy, Vietnam Veteran in recognition of his extraordinary lifetime of military service, leadership, and unwavering dedication to Alabama’s veterans.

09/08/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Col. Patrick Downing
September 8, 2026 251-751-6619
[email protected]

Press Release from the Mobile Bay Area Veterans Commission
PRESS RELEASE — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mobile Bay Area Veterans Commission Names Rear Admiral W. Kent Davis, U.S. Navy (Ret.) - 2026 Patriot of the Year**

MOBILE, AL — The Chairman of the Mobile Bay Area Veterans Commission, Mayor Spiro Cherigottis, and the President of the Commission, Colonel Steve Carey, U.S. Air Force, Retired, are pleased to announce this year’s Patriot of the Year, Rear Admiral W. Kent Davis, United States Navy (Retired), in recognition of his extraordinary lifetime of military service, leadership, and unwavering dedication to Alabama’s veterans.
A Patriot Shaped by Service and Sacrifice
The son of a combat-wounded World War II Army veteran, Rear Admiral Davis completed nearly 31 years of active and reserve military service before retiring in 2016. His career began aboard the historic World War II battleship USS Missouri (BB-63), which was recommissioned in the 1980s and 1990s, and continued through a series of high-impact assignments across the Navy, Army, and joint military commands.
Davis served at:
• Naval Air Station Atlanta
• The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72)
• Multiple locations within the U.S. Navy Office of Information
• U.S. Central Command Headquarters in Tampa
• U.S. Joint Forces Headquarters in Norfolk
• The U.S. Sixth Fleet in Italy
• The Pentagon
In the 1990s, he completed an interservice transfer to the U.S. Army, where he served as a military attorney at the rank of Major. He later deployed for extended ground tours during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2006 and 2012, contributing directly to combat-zone operations and strategic communications.
He retired as the Navy’s Vice Chief of Information, capping a career defined by leadership, integrity, and service at the highest levels of the U.S. military.
A Leader for Alabama’s Veterans
After retiring from the military, Davis continued his service as Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs, leading the state’s veteran programs for more than five years and supporting Alabama's more than 400,000 military veterans. His tenure strengthened statewide outreach, modernized operations, and expanded support for Alabama’s veteran community.
For the past year he has served as CEO of Vets Recover in Mobile.

His civilian career also includes:
• Director of Communication and Outreach, Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base
• Director of Economic Development and External Affairs, City of Anniston
• City Manager, City of Anniston
• Senior manager and attorney, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• Attorney with King & Spalding in Atlanta
Across every role, Davis has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to public service, community leadership, and the well-being of those who have served. He is deeply involved in nonprofit and civic organizations, including the Rotary Club of Mobile (past President of the Montgomery Sunrise Rotary Club), the River Region Veterans Coalition (current Vice President), the South Alabama Veterans Council, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Marine Corps League, Navy League, Military Officers Association of America, the Mobile Bar Association, and others.

Education, Family, and Community Roots
A native of Montgomery, Davis also grew up in Atlanta and New Orleans. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Louisiana State University and a Juris Doctor (magna cm laude) from Georgia State University, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review.
He and his wife Lisa, a retired Navy veteran and former special education teacher, have been married for 37 years and reside in Montgomery. They have two adult children.

Commission Statement
“The Mobile Bay Area Veterans Commission is honored to recognize Rear Admiral Kent Davis as our Patriot of the Year,” the Commission announced. “His distinguished military career, leadership in combat and crisis, and unwavering dedication to Alabama’s veterans exemplify the highest ideals of patriotism. Admiral Davis embodies the very best of those who serve our nation.”
Media Contact
Mobile Bay Area Veterans Commission
251 605 1290
[email protected]
https://vetscommission.com