Executive Board
David West
CACVSO President
Morgan Boyd
First Vice President
Jack Murphy
2nd Vice President
Rhonda Murphy
Junior Past President
Yvette Mason
Secretary
Matt McCoy
Sergeant at Arms
Don Parsons
1st Year Trustee
Kyle Pennington
2nd Year Trustee
Gregory Coffos
3rd Year Trustee
Amy Klock
Treasurer
Jose Lopez
Parliamentarian
James (Jim) Zenner
Legislative Chair
Capt. James J. McHugh
US Navy (Ret.),
Funding Process
Committee Chair
Eric Ensley
Education Chair
Tammy Bender
Chaplain
Marion Moses
Executive Director
Yvette Mason
Yvette has been a Veteran Service Representative since January 1990. She has held 6 accreditations since 1993 and has held many positions with CAVSO throughout the years including Newsletter Editor; Interim Secretary; Secretary; Website Administrator; and Automation committee member. She has composed NACVSO conference brochures; has been secretary/board member for various advisory councils/committees within her counties and hosted a CACVSO training conference in 2011. She was recently awarded San Luis Obispo County’s Moment of Resolution within her county and Yvette Mason Veteran Representative Award for Excellence with the Association which was named after her. Her passion is helping those who served and their families in ensuring they are getting the services/benefits they deserve; and being a team player for her county and the association.
Captain James J. McHugh, US Navy (Ret)
Captain James J. McHugh was born in Newport, Rhode Island. He is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University as an NROTC student with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology. He holds two Masters of Arts Degrees, one in Computer Resources and Information Systems Management from Webster University and a second in National Security and Strategic Studies from the United States Naval War College. In April 2021 he became the Ventura County Veterans Services Officer. He is a staunch advocate for veterans and those who stood beside them. Prior to this he spent 26 years in the Navy as a Naval Flight Officer flying the E-2C Hawkeye and accumulating over 2,800 flight hours and over 400 carrier arrested landings, while deployed on the USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65), USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN-72), USS CONSTELLATION (CV-64), USS NIMITZ (CVN-68) AND USS JOHN C. STENNIS (CVN-74). He commanded an E-2C squadron, and his final tour of duty was as Commanding Officer of Naval Base Ventura County. His personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, three Meritorious Service Medal, three Navy Commendation Medals, a Joint Achievement Medal, three Navy Achievement Medals and various Unit and Service awards.
Morgan Boyd
Amy Klock
Jack Murphy
Jack Murphy is the Director of the County of Monterey Military and Veterans Affairs Office and serves as the County Veteran Services Officer for Monterey and San Benito counties. Prior to joining the County as a Management Analyst and accredited Veterans Representative in November 2020, Mr. Murphy served as Deputy Executive Director of the Veterans Transition Center (VTC), a non-profit providing housing and services for homeless and at-risk Veterans and their families.
Mr. Murphy volunteers as an Advocate and Mentor for the Monterey County Veterans Treatment Court and Military Diversion Court programs, providing justice-involved Veterans and active-duty servicemembers with community-based rehabilitation and treatment. Mr. Murphy serves on the County of Monterey Behavioral Health Commission and is a non-profit Board Director for Dentistry4Vets, the Military Officers Association of America- Monterey Bay Chapter, and the Fort Ord Veterans Foundation.
Mr. Murphy served in the Army for 21-years, retiring in May 2016 as a Lieutenant Colonel. A veteran of multiple combat deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, his leadership and staff assignments included service in the 10th Mountain Division, 82nd Airborne Division, and 101st Airborne Division.
He and his family reside in Monterey, CA.
Marion Moses
David West
A year following his discharge David found himself homeless, often sleeping in his car or on different people’s couches. Despite being with a home, he worked as a labor in the custom home construction industry, where he worked to the position of Project Manager prior to the 2008 housing crisis. David chose to use the benefits that he earned through his service and began pursuing his bachelor’s degree at Sierra College in Rocklin, CA. It was here that he first starting advocating for veterans through the schools “Veterans Club” and was instrumental in the dedication of the schools Veterans Resource Center, which has become a model for other schools across the country.
David soon began a career with the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), where he was President of the office’s VA Employee Association, where he achieved 100% organizational involvement. He also served as a VBA Centralized Trainer, who trained employees throughout the VBA on how to develop claims for compensation with the VA. He was promoted to position of Rating Veterans Services Representative (RVSR), where he made decisions on claims for compensation. Additionally, he graduated from the organizations Leadership, Effectiveness, Accountability, and Development (LEAD) Leadership Program, before relocating to Kern County.
It was in Kern County that David worked in the oil & gas industry where he learned the importance of data collection and the benefits of process improvement. David has transferred these two basic principles to his current position as Nevada County’s Veterans Services Officer (NCVSO). Over the course of the past two years through the process of successful collaboration, Nevada County has housed 67 veterans and reduced its number of homeless veterans to seven. The county remains focused on eliminating veteran’s homelessness in its communities.
Tammy Bender
Don Parsons
Don retired as an acting First Sergeant in 1997 and has been the Colusa County CVSO since 2016. He has been active in the CACVSO, where he currently serves as the Automation Committee Chair. He is also part of the Finance Committee. He serves on the Executive Committee as a Trustee. Don is very active in his community. He is on the Board of the Yuba Sutter Stand Down as well as Karen’s House, a Domestic Violence non-profit. In 2020, Don was elected to the City Council of his hometown, Williams, CA where he currently serves as Mayor.
Matt McCoy
Born and raised in Northern California, in Glenn and Butte Counties, I joined the US Army after graduating High School in Chico, CA. While in the Army, I served as a power generation equipment repairer. Assigned to Ft Drum, NY with the 10th Mountain Infantry Division. I deployed to Somalia for Operation Restore Hope with the 10th Mountain Division in 1993. I transferred to the California National Guard in 1995, serving at the National Guard Armory in Red Bluff, CA. I left he National Guard in 2000. I attended Cal State Chico, and graduated with a degree in anthropology in 2003. Between 2003 and 2013, I worked for a local steel construction company, before accepting a position at Butte County. Originally, I was hired as MediCal/ CalFresh eligibility specialist. I did that job for almost 30 days before joining Team VSO as a Veterans Service Representative. I served as a representative from 2013 to 2021 when I accepted promotion as Butte County’s Veterans Service Officer. I joined the CACVSO executive team as a Trustee in 2023 at the request of the association president, Rhonda Murphy.
Jose Lopez
Jose Lopez is the Kern County Veterans Service Officer. Born in Mexico, and raised in Bakersfield, CA. Upon graduation from Ridgeview Highschool in 2005, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as an all-wheel vehicle mechanic deploying to Iraq in 2006 and 2008-2009, where he earned two Army Commendation Medals, an Army Achievement Medal, and a Combat Action Badge. After honorably discharging from the U.S. Army in 2009, he moved back to Bakersfield and enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves for an additional two years. During this time, he also attended Bakersfield College and the University of Phoenix, graduating in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. Jose began serving the County of Kern as a Human Services Technician in 2015 at the Department of Human Services. Shortly afterwards, he made the move to the Veterans Service Department where he has been assisting veterans and their families throughout Kern County apply for the benefits earned by the veteran’s honorable military service.
Kyle Pennington
As a seasoned professional with a diverse background, Kyle brings a wealth of experience and expertise to every endeavor. Graduating from Fresno State University in May 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies, Kyle embarked on a remarkable journey marked by dedication and service.
In June 2000, Kyle was commissioned as an Infantry Officer, setting the stage for a career defined by leadership and commitment. His journey took him to the forefront of some of the most challenging environments, including deployments to Bagram, Afghanistan in February 2002, Iraq in October 2005, and Afghanistan once again in October 2007.
Driven by a thirst for knowledge and personal growth, Kyle pursued advanced education while balancing their military responsibilities. In April 2010, He earned a Master of Arts in Organizational Psychology, enhancing his understanding of human behavior and organizational dynamics. Building upon this foundation, Kyle achieved another milestone in June 2013, completing a Master of Business Administration (MBA), further solidifying his strategic acumen and business expertise.
Transitioning from the military to civilian life, Kyle continued his unwavering dedication to serving others. In November 2017, he was appointed as a Local Veterans Employment Representative at the Employment Development Department, where they leveraged his experience to support fellow veterans in their career pursuits.
In October 2022, Kyle assumed the role of Veterans Service Officer (VSO), continuing his mission of advocating for and assisting veterans in accessing the resources and benefits they deserve. Through their roles, Kyle remains a steadfast advocate for veterans' rights and welfare, embodying the principles of integrity, compassion, and resilience.
Matt McCoy
Scott Holwell
While on active duty, Scott earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Organizational Leadership from Chapman University. He came to work for Kings County as the Deputy Veterans’ Service Officer and Public Guardian in February 2014. In July 2016 Scott was appointed as Public Guardian/Veterans Service Officer.
Eric Ensley
I have eight years of military service in the United States Navy, with deployments to 56 countries and 5 continents. I am married with two children, a son 24 years old and a daughter 11 years old. I currently serve as the County Veterans Service Officer for Orange County and Administrative Manager of the Veterans Employment Program under our Workforce and Economic Development Division/ Orange County Workforce Development Board.
I relocated back to California from Oregon in 2017, where I became the supervising veterans claims representative for the Orange County Veterans service office to manage the programs advocacy to military, veterans and their families as they pursue access to entitlements from federal, state and local resources. My area of expertise is applying and interpreting Title 38 of the United States Codes as a State and Nationally accredited agent to represent veterans and their families before the Federal Veterans Administration including representation before the Board of Veterans Appeals Administrative Law Judges.
I have over thirty years of experience in public and nonprofit business leadership including responsibilities in finance, operations, asset management, contract acquisitions and restructuring businesses across multiple industries.
Significant areas of interest and activism has been around anti-poverty and criminal justice reform as well as addressing barriers among underserved veterans within communities of color, women veteran, veterans experiencing homelessness, LGBTQ Veterans, veterans and military families that experience domestic violence/ intimate partner violence, and veterans and military families with children in school that experience poverty or economic disparities.
My most notable career highlights have been the development of a charter school in Portland Oregon for at risk youth, speaking with Gov. Kate Brown regarding legislative decisions that impact veterans and their families, and providing public testimony to the Oregon Legislature specifically the Senate Joint Ways and Means Committee and the Veterans and Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee on Economic Stability and Housing, which contributed to the budget approval of $10 million dollars being adopted into the budget from lottery funds to support veterans and their families.
Rhonda Murphy
Ms. Rhonda Murphy enlisted in the US Navy in April 1987. She served as a storekeeper on the USS Canopus and was stationed at the SIMA in Mayport Florida. After leaving the Navy in 1993, Ms. Murphy moved back to California and started working for Santa Barbara County, where she served in various departments until finding her perfect position as a Veteran Services Representative in the Veteran Services Office in April of 2001. Ms. Murphy served as a VSR until she was offered the title of County Veteran Services Officer in 2009, a title and position she still holds today. Ms. Murphy has always been an active member of the CACVSO, where she has held many positions, such as Historian, Hospitality Suite Chair, and 1st Vice President. In February 2022, Ms. Murphy was elected as the first female president of the CACVSO, a role she has excelled in over the past two years. Additionally, Ms. Murphy was active on the national platform, representing the CACVSO on the NACVSO executive board. Rhonda has also been recognized by the California Department of Veterans Affairs as a Trail Blazer, for her work with and passion for Veterans and their Families.
James (Jim) Zenner
James (Jim) Zenner most recently worked for the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) as a Mental Health Program Manager III. In this capacity, Jim was responsible for the implementation and oversight of the Veteran Peer Access Network, and was the lead program manager assigned to collaborate with the Veteran Healthcare Administration, Veteran Benefits Administration, CalVet, and other federal and local agencies regarding veteran programming for LACDMH. In addition, Mr. Zenner is responsible for working with the philanthropic sector through a public private partnership with Southern California Grantmakers to bolster collective impact work through the LA Veteran Collaborative to help leverage private funding to expand social service capacity.
Jim’s prior experience includes working as a Peer Support Coordinator for the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, Director of Homeless Veteran Programs/Subject Matter Expert for Vets Advocacy, Associate Director of Community Programs for the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at the University of Southern California, Consultant for the Volunteers of America Incorporated, Assistant Director of Clinical Veteran Services for Volunteers of America Los Angeles, and a Consultant for Vets Advocacy Incorporated.
Mr. Zenner enlisted in the United States Army from April 2004 to April 2008, completed one deployment in support of Iraqi Freedom as an All Source Intelligence Analyst from 2006-2007 with 1-14 Cav, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division “Second to None.” Jim went on to serve in the United States Army Reserve from April 2008 to May 2011. He possesses a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from St. Martin’s University.