Mayerchak Focuses On Future As First Female Commander
Suzanne Mayerchak just began serving as the first-ever female commander of Rockbridge County’s Veterans of Foreign Wars post.
Shenandoah Valley VFW Post 1499 has served veterans of the county and surrounding areas since April 1927. But it hadn’t been led by a woman for 99 years — until Mayerchak came along.
“It’s certainly a proud moment, and I think it’s a proud moment for the post,” Mayerchak said in a recent interview. “It’s really not about, like, ‘Oh, I’m the first woman’ ... The big thing for me is how I’ll uphold the mission of the VFW.”
VFW’s motto is “No one does more for veterans.” The national nonprofit provides an opportunity for veterans of armed conflicts outside the U.S. to gather together and serve
SUZANNE MAYERCHAK speaks to Assistant Quartermaster Dean Knick at Shenandoah Valley VFW Post 1499. Mayerchak was sworn in as post commander on June 2. (Aiden Kelsey photo) their communities. VFW also publishes lists of legislative priorities and advocates for federal programs to benefit veterans.
Mayerchak, who grew up in Lexington, served with the United States Army from 1998 to 2003 and was deployed to Korea for a little over a year. She’s been a member of VFW for five and a half years and most recently held the position of senior vice commander.
As commander, Mayerchak said her responsibilities include serving as the “face” of Post 1499, working to recruit new members and overseeing the work of the other officers. She’ll also play a major role in managing the group’s finances, along with the post’s quartermaster.
Outside of VFW, Mayerchak is CEO of Walkabout Outfitter, which sells clothes and equipment for outdoor recreation at six locations in Virginia, including Lexington. She said she thinks leading a VFW post will be a lot like managing a company.
“I have to treat it like a business,” Mayerchak said. “All of those same duties would apply to the VFW. You know, it’s just a different kind of organization.”
The office of commander is one of eight elected positions at Post 1499. Mayerchak said she ran for commander because other members urged her to.
“I specifically remember talking at a meeting with everybody, and the biggest question was, ‘Who is going to be commander?’” she said. “They all kind of looked at me.”
Over the next year, Mayerchak said she wants to find a reliable way to raise revenue and focus on keeping membership stable.
“We’ve got to focus on sustainability,” she said.
For about the past three years, Post 1499 brought in funds by leasing out its building to Fincastle Baptist Church’s Rockbridge Campus. Mayerchak said this arrangement was a steady source of income but also made it feel like the post didn’t have control of its own space.
“It kind of became the church,” she said. “I don’t know that we’d ever really do a ... long-term renting situation like the last one.”
The Fincastle Baptist congregation combined with Stone Church in Buena Vista about three months ago and stopped leasing out the post. Now, Mayerchak said she’s working to find new ways to raise money, such as renting the building out for short-term events like birthday parties.
Keeping up steady membership has also posed a challenge in the past. Mayerchak said when she joined VFW, the post only had about three active members. Mayerchak defines “active members” as the average number of attendees at monthly meetings.
Now, Mayerchak said about 15 members show up at any given meeting. The post’s total listed membership, which sits at about 70 veterans, hasn’t changed significantly since 2021.
“We’re kind of scooping back upward,” she said. “We just kept recruiting some folks, we got current members back in the post.”
Mayerchak said she also wants to see the post engage as much as possible with local communities. In the past year, veterans from Post 1499 planned Lexington’s Veteran’s Day parade and honored fallen soldiers as part of the Memorial Day commemoration.
“The more programs, the more projects we can do — more partnering within the community — the better,” she said. “We become more visible, we gain more membership that way.”
Outgoing commander Brandon Rochard, who led the post for two years, said he’s happy to have Mayerchak fill his shoes.
“The membership’s decision reflects her qualifications, leadership and service above all else,” Rochard said. “I am confident she will serve the post well and continue building on the work that has been done to support our veterans, their family and our community.”
Assistant quartermaster Dean Knick, who served in the Vietnam War, said Mayerchak represents a new generation of veterans taking command.
“The Vietnam-era people have been in charge of the post for the last good many years,” Knick said. “It’s Afghanistan era and Iraq coming into play, and it’s their turn, as far as I’m concerned.”
Knick said he’s optimistic about the future of Post 1499. He spoke highly of Mayerchak’s Lexington roots and her passion for the organization.
“She’s a homegrown girl taking responsibility and is proud of where she’s come from,” he said. “I just wish her the best, and I’m tickled to death with her enthusiasm.”
