Smith Anderson’s David Hayden Elected as Chairman of North Carolina Veterans Life Center to Help At-Risk Veterans

Smith Anderson attorney and retired United States Army Colonel David Hayden has been elected Chairman of the Board of Directors for Veterans Life Center in North Carolina. Expected to open in the fall of 2019 in Butner, the new VLC is a first-of-its-kind facility dedicated to assisting today’s struggling military veterans and reintegrate them back into society through individual development plans.  

"I'm honored to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors for VLC," said David Hayden. "Our North Carolina veterans have proudly served our country and deserve every opportunity we can provide to positively reintegrate into civilian society." 

The VLC is designed to help at-risk 21^st-century veterans and prevent them from falling into crisis, such as chronic homelessness, incarceration, suicide or premature death. Its mission is to improve the lives of North Carolina’s veterans who are experiencing reintegration challenges by providing temporary housing and services with the goal of achieving self-reliance in two years or less.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility was held in October 2017, and financing for the construction was provided by a HUD Community Development Block Grant administered by the North Carolina Department of Commerce as authorized by the General Assembly. The center has already received a $7.8 million HUD Community Development Block Grant, which is the largest ever awarded in the state. Currently, the VLC is conducting a capital campaign to finance operations in this public-private partnership. 

David served in the United States Army during a 29-year active military career. In November, Governor Cooper appointed David for a two-year term to serve as a Commissioner of the North Carolina Military Affairs Commission. He joined Smith Anderson in 2011 and has extensive experience in government contracting, corporate investigations and employment law. He regularly advises companies, and their directors and officers, on corporate governance matters and other general corporate and business matters. David also represents a variety of defense contractors, advising on a broad range of federal contracting issues. He continues to serve North Carolina veterans through his participation in the nonprofit North Carolina Heroes Fund.

To learn more about the Veterans Life Center, please visit http://vlcnc.org/ or call (919) 803-5516.