In recognition of their service, the Citizen of the Year event honors veterans by awarding scholarships to high school seniors in the names of Stamford veterans who have selflessly served our country and our community.
Since 2005, 117 Stamford veterans have been honored by awarding annual scholarships in the name of Stamford veterans who have selflessly served our country and our community.
2026 Honored Stamford Veterans
Thomas R. Bouchard – US Army
Adele E. Hodges – US Marine Corps
Laverna McDonald – US Army
Ari Vogel – US Army
Willie Young – US Army
Thomas R. Bouchard
U.S. Army National Guard
Read About Thomas
Major General Thomas R. Bouchard retired in October 2023 after completing over 39 years of service in the Active and Reserve Components of the U.S. Army. He served as Deputy Commander for Mobilization and Reserve Affairs at U.S. Special Operations Command and previously as Assistant Adjutant General, Rhode Island National Guard.
Major General Bouchard enlisted in the Army Reserve in 1984 and was commissioned through ROTC. He completed the Army Special Forces Qualification Course in 1993 and transitioned to the Rhode Island National Guard in 1997. His assignments were primarily in U.S. Army Special Forces units, including the 5th and 19th Special Forces Groups, with deployments to Haiti, Kuwait, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
His awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star. He has also earned the Master Combat Infantryman Badge, Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Master Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder Badge, and Air Assault Badge.
Major General Bouchard holds a BS from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, an MBA from Boston College, an MA in Law and Diplomacy from Tufts University, and an MA in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.
In his civilian career, Major General Bouchard is a Geopolitical Analyst at Academy Securities and previously served as a Senior Fixed Income Portfolio Manager at DWS Investments. He and his family live in Stamford, where he serves on the Board of Representatives.
Adele E. Hodges
U.S. Marine Corps
Read About Adele
Colonel Adele Hodges is a retired United States Marine Corps officer who completed a distinguished 33-year career. She earned her undergraduate degree from Southern Connecticut State College and holds multiple master’s degrees in business, military art and science, and strategic studies.
Throughout her career, she served in senior leadership roles across the U.S. and internationally, including in Japan, Hawaii, and Europe. She commanded major units such as the 1st Maintenance Battalion and made history as the first woman to command Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Her final assignment was at Marine Corps Headquarters, where she served as Director of Readiness Assessments.
Her many honors include the Legion of Merit and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
Since retiring, Colonel Hodges has remained deeply involved in veteran advocacy. She serves as Chair of the Veterans Heroes Foundation, sits on multiple boards supporting veterans, and in 2026 was inducted into the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame.
Laverna McDonald
U.S. Army
Read About Laverna
First Sergeant Laverna “Pnut” McDonald is a retired U.S. Army leader who served more than 42 years, while also building a 31-year career with UPS. A Stamford High School graduate, she rose to senior enlisted leadership roles specializing in logistics, transportation, and operations.
Her military career included service with elite units such as the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions, Joint Special Operations Command, and international forces. She completed eight deployments, including five combat tours in Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and served at Ground Zero following the September 11 attacks.
She earned 29 military awards, including two Bronze Star Medals, one for valor, along with numerous commendations and campaign medals.
Since retiring, she has remained highly active in the veteran community, serving in leadership roles with the American Legion, VFW, DAV, and the Stamford Veterans Resource Center.
Ari Vogel
U.S. Army
Read About Ari
Born in Montreal and raised in Stamford, Ari Vogel has spent most of his life in Connecticut.
He holds degrees from the University of Maryland and Fairfield University, along with graduate certificates from Harvard and Columbia.
Ari served in the United States Army from 2006 to 2014 as a Human Resources Specialist within Army Intelligence. He was stationed at Fort Hood and deployed to Mosul, Iraq, during Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he organized weekly Shabbat services and helped bring a Rabbi to the area during wartime. He is a lifetime member of Jewish War Veterans.
Following his service, Ari worked in intelligence-related research and co-produced a military radar conference. He also remained active locally, completing Stamford’s Citizen Public Safety Academy and volunteering with the Community Emergency Response Team.
Ari taught English and Hebrew to middle and high school students, and Intelligence Writing at the college level. In 2024, he joined the Board of the Jewish Historical Society of Fairfield County.
Willie Young
U.S. Army
Read About Willie
Willie Young, a 1979 graduate of Stamford High School, began his journey in Stamford before attending Johnson & Wales University, where he studied Finance Marketing. In 1984, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, completing training at Fort Jackson and Dover Air Force Base.
He went on to serve as a Small Arms Specialist with the 75th Ranger Battalion at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Georgia, while also earning an associate degree from Saint Leo University. He later concluded his military service at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn.
After the Army, Mr. Young returned to Stamford, working as a Community Relations Representative for Congressman Stuart McKinney. He then moved to Atlanta, where he completed a television production program at Georgia Tech, launching a successful career in the entertainment industry. He worked as a television producer with Jermaine Dupri, supported BET productions with Sony Music, and later served as an Artist Manager with Walt Disney’s Hollywood Records.
In 2012, he founded Kappstone Media, a marketing company he later sold. Today, Mr. Young is dedicated to community service, helping coordinate initiatives that provide meals to more than 500 individuals each month.
