BOONE, N.C. — This year, Appalachian State University is observing Veterans Day virtually with welcome remarks from App State Chancellor Sheri Everts, along with a series of insights from staff veterans in Facilities Operations and retired Army Col. Nick Katers, App State’s associate vice chancellor for facilities management.

Everts acknowledged the day as a time to honor and commend those who have served our country in the armed services. “By holding this important ceremony, we are expressing gratitude to all veterans, and especially to our campus heroes,” she said.

“This year, with so many added challenges due to the global pandemic, it is more important than ever to support and acknowledge the service of our veterans,” Everts added.

Veterans Day, originally Armistice Day, is officially observed at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month — a commemoration of the 1918 armistice, which ended World War I.

Traditionally, hundreds of members of the university community and the public gather at App State’s on-campus Veterans Memorial to celebrate the occasion. This year, App State opted to observe Veterans Day virtually to allow more members of the community to participate while simultaneously helping slow the spread of COVID-19.

As of this fall, App State enrolls 341 student veterans and employs nearly 90 staff and faculty veterans.

For a decade, App State has been designated as a Military Friendly® School by VIQTORY (formerly known as Victory Media), receiving the Top 10 Military Friendly® School designation in 2020-21. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report has consistently recognized the university’s student veteran services in its annual college rankings.

App State’s virtual Veterans Day program highlights the 17 veterans who work in Facilities Operations, several of whom provided insights into their service and the importance of this day.

In his remarks, Katers said, “We have numerous veterans within Facilities Operations who are here every day making the campus better for all of our students, faculty and staff.” Read more about Katers’ military service below.

Military service insights from Facilities Operations staff

Terry Gant, environmental services technician

Reich College of Education

Gant served in the U.S. Army as a combat engineer during the early 1980s.

“I was proud to serve my country then, and I’d do it again now if I were needed or called. One thing about combat engineers,” said Gant, “we’re all about solving problems and taking action. If we see a problem, we fix it.”

Greg Day, App State’s environmental services manager, said that is exactly the proactive energy Gant applies to his work in the Reich College of Education building as an environmental services technician.

Alan Hanson, operator

Water treatment plant

Hanson specialized in communications during his time in the U.S. Air Force. Looking back, he said he recognizes his experience was an incredible opportunity for adventure as he traveled the world — from Alaska to Italy.

According to Gary Carter, App State’s director of facilities operations, the Air Force broadened Hanson’s worldview and quite possibly shaped his current penchant for holistic thinking — a trait that makes him an excellent water treatment plant operator.

In his spare time, Hanson said he tries to make the High Country a greener, healthier place by growing hydroponic leafy greens such as lettuce, spinach and kale for local food hubs.

Jeremy Johnson, operations supervisor

Water treatment plant

Johnson was in a construction class preparing to launch his career when the World Trade Center was attacked in 2001. He and his classmates dropped everything to watch as the event unfolded live on the classroom televisions.

Johnson was not, and is not, the type to stand idle and watch, according to App State’s Gary Carter, director of facilities operations. Within two months, Johnson had enlisted in the U.S. Marines and was on his way to boot camp at Parris Island in South Carolina. Johnson served two tours in Iraq as a combat engineer and he continued to serve after sustaining combat injuries that ended his overseas service.

Today, he supervises the App State water treatment plant. Carter said Johnson, in his current role, continues to serve others as he protects the safety and quality of one of the university’s most precious campus resources.

Meet Col. Nick Katers

Col. Nick Katers, of Blowing Rock, served 28 years in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before retiring in 2017. While in the Army, Katers commanded 5,000 soldiers and served at all levels of construction and project management for projects in the U.S. and overseas. He has received more than 20 service decorations, including two Legions of Merit awards, three Bronze Star medals and a Purple Heart.

During his military career, Katers served in Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan and held several posts, including operations manager and senior operations engineer for the U.S. Army Force Command at North Carolina’s Fort Bragg and senior operations director at Fort Hood in Texas. He also commanded the 84th Engineer Battalion in Hawaii and the 555th Engineer Brigade at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington.

In his current role as App State’s associate vice chancellor for facilities management, Katers oversees three units of the Division of Business Affairs — Planning, Design and Construction; Facilities Operations; and New River Light and Power, the university’s nonprofit electric utility provider.

Prior to joining App State in March 2019, Katers was a senior strategic planner at Sawdey Solution Services’ Shaw Air Force Base headquarters in South Carolina. The company provides professional services to the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies.

He received his bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and computer science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and his MBA in business administration and management from Arkansas State University, where he also served as an assistant professor of military science. Additionally, Katers is a graduate of the Naval War College and the United States Army Command and General Staff College.

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App State honors military service at Veterans Day Ceremony

Nov. 11, 2019

Appalachian State University honored military service at its annual Veterans Day Ceremony, held on the university’s campus Nov. 11. Appalachian alumnus and retired U.S. Army Maj. Ali Donnell Davis served as the event’s keynote speaker.

Read the story

Student Veteran Services

Student Veteran Services at Appalachian State University is dedicated to helping the university’s military-affiliated students thrive on campus and in the Boone community. The unit does so by connecting student veterans and military-affiliated students with services and resources that are commensurate with their needs, capabilities and contributions. These resources and services include the Major General Edward M. Reeder Jr. Student Veteran Resource Center, priority registration, scholarship opportunities, a Student Veteran Association and others.

Learn more

A Military Friendly® School since 2010

Since 2010, VIQTORY (formerly known as Victory Media), the premier media entity for military personnel transitioning into civilian life, has awarded Appalachian the designation of Military Friendly® School. The designation places Appalachian in the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace military students, and to dedicate resources to ensure their success in the classroom and after graduation. In addition to a number of existing services, the university opened the Major General Edward M. Reeder Jr. Student Veteran Resource Center in November 2016.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.