Joseph Chenelly is the national executive director of American Veterans (AMVETS), the nation’s most inclusive Congressionally-chartered veterans service organization, representing the interests of more than 19 million American veterans and their families. A combat veteran of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Chenelly enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1998. Before becoming a veterans advocate, Chenelly was a Washington-based reporter for Gannet’s newspapers. He was named one of the “most influential journalists covering armed violence” in 2013.
The inaugural Eradicate Hate Summit was a truly impressive gathering of leaders dedicated to finding lasting and effective solutions to violent extremism. I was particularly moved by the prominence given to survivors and family members of victims of hate and violence throughout the event. Their stories and those of so many others must be at the center of what we do and why we do it.
