For Immediate Release
Reno, Nevada – (Monday, June 8) Yesterday afternoon, Teresa Benitez-Thompson held the first of an anticipated series of roundtable discussions with veterans of the armed forces and military families. Participating in the event with Teresa were six veterans, ranging in rank from Corporal to Lt. Colonel, and three spouses.
“Veterans and their families need to be heard, and today I was glad to do a lot of listening,” Teresa said. “They shared their stories of sacrifice, of pride in service, and continued service post-enlistment through volunteer work in nonprofits that connect veterans with each other and the outdoors. I heard how spouses support the veterans in their lives, including medical and mental health advocacy at the Veterans Administration. We discussed difficulties veterans face with continuity of care, returning to school, and transfer of military job experience to civilian life. We talked about the importance of public lands and the therapeutic benefits the wide outdoors offers to veterans. I am so thankful to them for sharing their perspective, and I look forward to holding more of these discussions as we move forward.”
Any veterans or military family members who would like to participate in future conversations are encouraged to sign up at https://electteresa.com/veterans-roundtable/.
Following the roundtable discussion, Sparks-resident, former state senator, and Army Lt. Colonel Pat Spearman announced her endorsement of Benitez-Thompson. “Teresa knows the importance of hearing veterans’ voices,” said Spearman. “She created a space for veterans and their families to openly share with her, and she listened. I know she will continue to listen to veterans’ voices and be a champion for our families, and that’s why I’m proud to endorse her to be my representative for congress here in Northern Nevada. Teresa will be an advocate for active duty members, military families, and veterans. All gave some, some gave all.”
Background
Teresa Benitez-Thompson’s path into public life started when her sister needed assistance to stay in high school while raising a baby — and Teresa went to the legislature to testify on her behalf. That experience led her to a leadership position with the non-profit organization Nevada Empowered Women’s (NEW) Project at age 18, and sparked a lifelong commitment to organizing and advocacy. Teresa earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Nevada by waitressing and earning scholarships, including competing in the Miss Nevada Scholarship Program. A fourth-place finish (Third Runner-Up) at the 2003 Miss America Pageant funded her master’s degree in social work from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Professionally, her career started with finding adoptive families for children with special needs, then Teresa moved to the medical field supporting terminally-ill patients. She ran for the Nevada State Assembly in 2010 and spent 12 years there, rising to serve multiple terms as Majority Leader — the first woman from Northern Nevada to hold that role. After being termed out, she served as Chief of Staff in the Office of the Nevada Attorney General. Now she’s running for Congress to bring that same fight to where it matters most, Northern Nevada, where she lives with her husband and four children.
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