Douglas K. Wells Jr., National Membership Director
Douglas K. Wells Jr., a service-connected disabled veteran of the Persian Gulf War era, was appointed National Membership Director for the more than 1 million-member DAV on July 1, 2015. Wells oversees the organization’s efforts to maintain and engage DAV’s membership. He is responsible for ensuring the strength and community support needed for the DAV to carry out its mission of service and advocacy.
Wells served in the U.S. Marine Corps as an intelligence specialist from 1990 to 1996 when he was medically discharged. He began his DAV career in 1996, graduating from the National Service Officer Training Academy Class IV, in Denver, Colorado, and was then assigned to the Salt Lake City DAV National Service Office. In 1997, he was promoted to supervisor. In 2006, he moved to Detroit as assistant supervisor. In 2012, he was promoted to supervisor of that location and was named national area supervisor in March 2015.
In Salt Lake City from 2001-2002, he served as the veterans service organization liaison for the Department of Veterans Affairs Olympic Committee. In 2003, in partnership with the VA, he helped facilitate the Benefits Delivery at Discharge program at the VA Regional Office in Salt Lake City. From 2003 to 2005, he was responsible for restoring the DAV National Service Office in Anchorage, Alaska, and ensuring veterans in the state received benefits representation. In Detroit, he was named to Governor Rick Snyder’s Governor-Elect Transition Committee, which was responsible for addressing veterans issues and led to the formation of the cabinet-level Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency.
Wells graduated with honors from Madonna University in Livonia, Michigan, with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Public Relations.
Wells is a life member of DAV Chapter 114 in Livonia, Michigan. He lives in Kentucky with his family.