Wounded Warrior Project CEO to focus less on events, more on long-term care

The Wounded Warrior Project is about to get more low-key, but more effective, for veterans, said its new CEO, retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Linnington. 

“We are shifting a bit,” said Linnington, who came onboard after the charity’s previous CEO was criticized for spending too much on fundraising and lavish retreats instead of on services for veterans. 

{mosads}”As I go through my assessment, one of the areas we know we have to shift to, is not just delivery of programs for delivery sake,” he said in a recent interview with The Hill. “We have to look at the programs that have maximum impact on the longterm wellbeing of the service member.” 

For example, he said, “In terms of physical health and wellness, we can’t just do a bunch of sporting events with the warriors because that may not be what helps our warriors.” 

Linnington said his top three priorities were improving mental fitness, long-term support for veterans and helping veterans connect with each other in their communities. 

Another priority, he said, is being transparent and fiscally responsible with donors’ funds “to maintain the trust of the American people.” 

The charity came under intense media scrutiny in January after The New York Times and CBS published reports that showed it was aggressively fundraising but spending as much as 40 percent of donations on overhead — including lavish conferences at five-star hotels. 

Linnington succeeds Steven Nardizzi, the former CEO who once rappelled off a building at a 2014 employee retreat in Colorado Springs, Colo., at a $500 per night hotel. 

Linnington was previously director of the Defense Department’s POW/MIA Accounting Agency. He also commanded in Iraq and Afghanistan and is a West Point graduate.  

He plans to shed some of its 600 employees from the charity, according to a recent interview in The Washington Post. He will also take in a much lower salary than Nardizzi.

Linnington said the WWP’s focus on longer-term care will probably mean support for fewer numbers but better care. 

“We know that because our wounded warriors have life challenges. Many of them have mobility issues, mobility issues lead to weight problems, 85 percent of our wounded warriors are overweight, so we’re going from an event-based fitness program to more of a coach, teach and mentor longterm care coordination and life fitness model,” he said. 

Linnington said he especially wants to reduce the stigma of seeking mental care among post-9/11 veterans. 

“If you look at the 900,000 wounded vets that have returned post-9/11, half of the wounds of those service members are still undiagnosed, so the need is going to continue to grow, even we are growing in terms of alumni by 2,000 warriors a month,” he said. 

“Even we are growing very quickly, and meeting that demand will be a challenge for us in the future,” he said.