Vicki Chats with Yolando Loveless, Executive Director of Black Hawk County Veterans Affairs
Today, I’m honored to welcome a man who brings not just decades of service to his community and country—but also heart, grit, and a whole lot of hometown pride. Meet Yolando L. Loveless, Executive Director of Black Hawk County Veterans Affairs, and a proud Waterloo native.
Yolando is a 1982 East High School alum—Go Trojans!—and a veteran of the United States Navy, where he served an incredible 30 years, including 9 combat deployments. After retiring from the military, he came right back home and got to work—this time serving veterans on the ground. In just the past five years, under his leadership, his office has helped over 11,000 veterans and their families with everything from health care and education enrollment to pension support and funeral assistance. Thanks to these efforts, Black Hawk County veterans now receive over $3.2 million in monthly compensation from the federal government. That’s impact.
Yolando has been inducted into the East High School Hall of Fame and was honored with the MercyOne ‘Heroes Among Us’ Military Award in 2019. But behind all the titles is a man deeply rooted in family. He’s been married for 37 years to his amazing wife, Chiquita Loveless—a retired Navy Chief Warrant Officer and current a retired Navy Chief Warrant Officer and current Assistant Dean of Students at UNI. His parents, Jessie and Caroline Loveless, also East High alumni, retired from John Deere after building a legacy of hard work and community strength.
He’s here today, and he’ll be joining us quarterly, to bring updates, insight, and heart to the stories that matter to our veterans and their families. But first, let’s get to know the man behind the mission—this is Yolando Loveless!
