Congrats To Christopher DiMaio, 29th Assembly District's Veteran of Year!

News from the office of Assemblymember Mark Stone:

Assemblymember Mark Stone (D-Monterey Bay) has designated local veteran and community member Christopher DiMaio the 29th Assembly District’s Veteran of the Year.

“Christopher DiMaio has shown incredible bravery and service to his country. I am honored to name him the 2015 Veteran of the Year,” said Stone. “He is an exemplary member of our community. Santa Cruz is a better and more supportive place because of him.”

Christopher DiMaio has served in the Navy and Marines from 1957 to 1969. He was in the 3rd Med Battalion, 3rd Marine Division in Vietnam as well as a Battalion surgeon 1/9 Marine Corps, receiving numerous medals for his service and bravery. He earned the Navy Commendation Medal, the Combat Ribbon, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service medal with FMF combat insignia and three Bronze Stars, as well as the Vietnam Campaign Medal. Even after he left the active service, he continued to serve his community and support fellow veterans by working in several different facilities as a psychiatrist and counselor.

Now retired, DiMaio continues to work relentlessly within the veteran community. He has given lectures in several universities on PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Special Needs Veterans and the transition from military to civilian life. He is very active in supporting veterans at UC Santa Cruz and Cabrillo College, being instrumental in helping those schools obtain Veteran Centers. He helped establish the Veterans Treatment Court in Santa Cruz County, where he currently acts as a peer mentor.

Additionally, Christopher serves as president of the Santa Cruz Veterans Memorial Building Board, sits on the United Veterans Council of Santa Cruz and helps select Veteran Service Officers for the county. He helped fund and design the Veterans’ advocate position in Santa Cruz and was a co-founding member of the Rainbow Veterans of Santa Cruz County.