who’s who
in town & county government MICHAEL DANIELS SERVES MILITARY VETERANS IN OUR COMMUNITIES BY ANNA-RHESA VERSOLA | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON
M
ichael Daniels traveled the world during his 21 years of military service as a platoon sergeant. After retiring from the Army, he worked as a web developer at a sports marketing company in Virginia, as a supervisor at Siemens in Wendell and then in human resources at the Veterans Health Administration in Durham. Michael, who grew up outside of Charlotte, has a bachelor’s degree in business from North Carolina Wesleyan University and an MBA from Capella University. He and his wife, Ellen Daniels, moved to Chatham in 2017. Their adult son, Marcel Daniels, also lives in Pittsboro.
What is your role in county government?
I’m the Chatham County veterans services officer and have been in this position about 16 months. The position serves veterans, spouses and dependents. We serve all branches of the military, including the commissioned officers of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Office of the Surgeon General.
Michael Daniels proudly served in the Army and finds honor in helping other military veterans today.
How many veterans are in the county?
Chatham has about 4,470 veterans. Only 18% of those are actually receiving benefits; it was 11% in 2020. What do you love about what you do?
I love the fact that I help veterans and their dependents demystify what they consider a complex and cumbersome system of rules and laws, which is [the] VA. I love it when veterans and/or their dependents leave a meeting with me and inform me how much better they understand how the system works and their place within the process. 28
CHATHAM MAGAZINE
APRIL/MAY 2023