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With Nellis Air Force Base located just outside the North Las Vegas city limits, it should be no surprise that the city supports a large population of military veterans. Approximately 17,566 veterans reside in North Las Vegas, according to Census.gov estimates, which accounts for about 8.6% of the city’s adult population.
Walter Lescano, veterans services coordinator for North Las Vegas, speaks at the annual Memorial BBQ Resource Fair.
The city has found a unique way to serve that large veteran population, starting the Veterans and Community Resource Center–the first municipally operated center of its kind dedicated to serving veterans and community members.
Walter Lescano manages the city’s inaugural Veterans Services Division and led the opening of the Veterans and Community Resource Center, helping over 2,500 people access critical resources, an effort that earned national recognition, as he was named Nevada’s Veteran of the Year for 2026.
“That was a surprise to me. I don’t know how that came about, but it’s an incredible honor and one obviously I don’t take lightly,” Lescano said. “I really view it as a recognition of the work of our entire city, the City of North Las Vegas, and the many community partners and the work they do every day for veterans. I’m very fortunate and lucky to be a part of something much bigger than myself.”
Walter Lescano is honored before a city council meeting. Lescano was named Nevada’s Veteran of the Year for helping over 2,500 people access critical resources.
Lescano makes it easier for veterans and families to find help. Whether it’s someone who needs employment assistance, housing resources, VA benefits, mental health support, financial guidance, or if somebody wants to be heard, or just needs someone to point them in the right direction, Lescano and veterans claims assistant Dan Kamanao, Jr., work hard to connect them with the right resources.
“A veteran came to us facing homelessness. He recently separated from the Air Force, facing health issues. He found us by accident by going to the YMCA next door. Through our partnerships and persistence, he obtained housing, he also received the VA benefits he had earned, he eventually found employment, and it really turned his life around…it’s why we do this,” Lescano said.
You might think the federal government or the Veterans Administration (VA) would make applying for benefits easy for veterans, but that’s not necessarily the case, or there’d be more than just the one city-run organization like the one in North Las Vegas.
“The services [Dan] provides here are critical to our community because there are a lot of what we call…claim sharks. They are organizations that actually take fees or charge our veterans for services they provide that Dan does for free,” Lescano explained.
Many of these veterans have been misled to believe they have to pay to access the benefits they earned serving their country. Some have been told they don’t qualify for benefits when they actually do. Kamanao is a VA-accredited agent, which authorizes him to represent veterans at all levels of the VA disability claims process. He’s one of just two in the entire state, which is another problem that slows the delivery of benefits to veterans and their families.
“I’ve had widows trying for two to four years to get benefits,” Kamanao informed. “So I had a meeting with the chief of staff at the VA hospital, he’s an old friend of mine, and he assured me that those folks in the oncology department…are going to change their ways, and ensure that those widows or widowers are well aware of everything that needs to be done for them.”
Dan Kamanao, Jr., VA accredited agent, is honored before a city council meeting. Kamanao connected over 1,300 veterans and families with $4.3 million to $5.1 million annually in tax-free benefits within seven months.
Kamanao connected over 1,300 veterans and families with $4.3 million to $5.1 million annually in tax-free benefits within a seven-month period. He joined Lescano about 10 months ago but has served as president of the nonprofit organization, Voice of the Veteran, and packed 43,000 people into Allegiant Stadium last June for their annual Day of Gratitude event. Before joining the Veterans Services Division, Kamanao’s reward for his work was seeing veterans get the benefits they deserve.
“I went for seven years without getting paid a cent for it. Walter’s been kind enough to let me in here, and they struggled to try to pay me, but if I get paid fine, if I don’t get paid fine,” he said.
“There’s people that we have from American Samoa calling in to have Dan help them with their benefits, people from out of state…all over the world,” Lescano saud. “Of course, our focus is North Las Vegas but our doors are wide open.”
The Veterans Community and Resource Center hosts homelessness support every Monday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Grand Canyon University is on-site to help veterans find educational options from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays. There’s also a weekly coed group for veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. Employment services are held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays. Other organizations serving veterans are available at the center from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays, and U.S. VETS representatives who help veterans maintain stable housing are available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursdays.
Lescano hopes to expand veterans’ programs to include suicide prevention and workforce development. The North Las Vegas Veterans and Community Resource Center is located at 3090 E. Centennial Parkway, adjacent to the SkyView Multi-generational Center.