The Scottish Terrier Club of Greater Denver recently competed in the Castle Rock Dog Show with our beautiful Scottish Terrier mascots, who receive looks wherever they go. This dog show was not only an opprotunity to showcase our mascots but also to draw attention to our cause here at R2W. We work closely with The Scottish Terrier Club, and it is always a pleasure to collaborate with individuals who are so willing to support our mission, helping not only military veterans but also all types of citizens struggling to find employment.

Their love for our mascots, along with their continued support of our mission is truly remarkable. The club hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including seasonal meetups, dog-friendly outings, breed education sessions, and community fundraisers. These gatherings offer a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere where Scotties (and their people) can socialize, play, and build lasting friendships. In addition to social events, the club also supports Scottish Terrier rescue efforts, fosters public awareness, and shares helpful resources for grooming, training, and breed health.

Membership is open to all Scottie lovers—whether you own one, hope to in the future, or simply admire the breed’s bold personality. Joining the club is a great way to meet other local enthusiasts, get involved in fun and meaningful events, and support the well-being of Scottish Terriers throughout Colorado. To learn more or get involved, visit https://stcgdenver.org.

Meet Yin and Yang

Meet Yin and Yang, our spirited Scottish Terriers! These two charming pups are not only adorable but also expert demo dogs helping groomers of all levels learn the essential techniques of hand stripping and pet clipping especially tailored for Scotties. Yin, with her calm and steady nature, is the perfect partner for learning precision and control. Yang brings the spark, showing how to manage energy and movement while grooming. Together, they make the perfect teaching team! To keep Yin and Yang looking and feeling their best, we’ve put together a wishlist of grooming tools, treats, and essentials that support their health, comfort, and performance. Whether you’re a fan, a fellow groomer, or someone who just loves Scotties, your support means the world to us and to them!

Support Yin and Yang:

Amazon Wishlist

Hello everyone! My name is Nathan Megersa, and I’m honored to be a STEM Intern at Project: Return2Work (R2W). I’m currently a second-year Computer Science student at the University of Colorado Boulder, driven by a deep passion for technology and a desire to make a meaningful impact in the world. 

From a young age, I’ve always been curious about how things work—especially in the digital world. That curiosity evolved into a commitment to pursue a career in tech, where I can build solutions that empower people and improve lives. My ultimate goal is to become a software engineer who not only writes code but also writes change into the world. 

R2W has been a pivotal part of that journey. It’s more than just an internship—it’s a community that believes in second chances, growth, and purpose. Through R2W, I’ve gained hands-on experience with tools like StaffCV, learning how hiring platforms operate and how to manage applications effectively. But beyond the technical skills, I’ve grown in areas that are just as important—like communication, collaboration, and leadership. 

Working alongside my fellow STEM Interns and the dedicated R2W team has taught me the power of teamwork and the value of service. Whether we’re supporting veterans re-entering the workforce or helping job seekers find their next opportunity, I’ve seen firsthand how technology and compassion can come together to change lives. 

R2W has inspired me to keep striving, keep learning, and keep giving back. I’m proud to be part of a mission that uplifts others—and I’m excited to carry these lessons with me into the future.

By Nathan Megersa, STEM Intern

The Scottish Terrier Club of Greater Denver is a warm and welcoming community for those who love and appreciate the spirited personality of the Scottish Terrier. Whether you’re a longtime Scottie owner or simply admire the breed, the club offers a fun and inclusive way to connect with others who share your passion. Founded in 2019, the club was created to celebrate the unique charm of Scotties while promoting responsible ownership, education, and rescue support.

The club hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including seasonal meetups, dog-friendly outings, breed education sessions, and community fundraisers. These gatherings offer a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere where Scotties (and their people) can socialize, play, and build lasting friendships. In addition to social events, the club also supports Scottish Terrier rescue efforts, fosters public awareness, and shares helpful resources for grooming, training, and breed health.

Membership is open to all Scottie lovers—whether you own one, hope to in the future, or simply admire the breed’s bold personality. Joining the club is a great way to meet other local enthusiasts, get involved in fun and meaningful events, and support the well-being of Scottish Terriers throughout Colorado. To learn more or get involved, visit https://stcgdenver.org.

 

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Meet Our Team

Project: Return to Work brings together a dedicated community committed to helping disabled civilians, injured veterans, and their spouses find meaningful employment. Our team members each have unique stories and passions that drive our mission forward.

Featured Team Members:

• Annel Henderson – R2W supporter and Scottish Terrier Club of Greater Denver board member whose champions Yin and Yang serve as our beloved mascots

 

• Charlie Gann – Vice President and Western Colorado rancher whose Scottie shares adventures with her Grand Champion horse

Want to learn more about Annel’s inspiring journey and how her Scottish Terriers became part of our R2W family?

Read her story →

STCGD Member Rob Brazell we are so proud of you! Rob has, has again been awarded the prestigious Seven Seals Award.

The Seven Seals Award is the broadest and most inclusive award given by ESGR and is presented at the discretion of the State Chair or by ESGR senior leadership. The Seven Seals Award is presented in recognition of significant individual or organizational achievement, initiative, or support that promotes and supports the ESGR mission, to include the efforts of the more than 2,300 volunteers who carry out ESGR’s mission across the Nation on a daily basis. 

Rob received this award for the first time in 2011. He has also been awarded other DOD ESGR awards, like the “Above and Beyond” award. And gold medals from Presidents Obama, Trump, and Biden. Return To Work Inc. (R2W) President, Rob Brazell, was awarded the Seven Seals Award by Admiral Richard Young and General Thomas Mills at the U.S. Department of Defense’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve program (ESGR). The ESGR Seven Seals Award is presented at the discretion of the ESGR State Chair in recognition of significant individual or organization achievement, in addition to initiative or support that promotes and bolsters the ESGR mission. The Seven Seals Award is the only ESGR award that bridges both employer and volunteer recognition awards programs.

Return 2 Work earned the Seven Seals award for its exceptional support of the Military and Veterans Employment Expo (MVEE), held in May 2011. R2W partnered with the ESGR program to create the Military and Veterans Employment Expo in order to  

1. address unemployment among National Guardsmen, Reservists and Veterans,
2. provide training on job hunting skills, and
3. hold a job fair featuring over 75 employers from various cities in Colorado. R2W played a significant role throughout the entire Military and Veterans Employment Expo, offering the following services:

• Registration system, operators, and office support – which were donated by StaffCV, Your Office and Office Evolution;
• Professional “How to” employment webinars for veterans sponsored by ReadyTalk;
• A seminar – led by R2W President Rob Brazell – entitled “Career Exploration,” which aimed to help veterans prepare for networking with the various employers who attended the employment expo. Numerous volunteers helped to make the employment expo a success. Regarding the tremendous success of MVEE, R2W President Rob Brazell noted, “The military and government reached out…the community reached back. This unprecedented collaboration among several military, government and community partners made a huge difference in the lives of many Colorado veterans and their families.” R2W continues to provide quality metrics to the array of military and government agencies involved in MVEE, while also participating on the central planning committee for the next employment forum to be announced by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve program. 

By Raghav Singh, Lead Administrative Assistant

Fran Nixon remembered, helped 18,000 find work

She was recipient of presidential Lifetime Achievement Award

By NANCY J. SEMON STAFF WRITER Apr 18, 2020

 

Fran Nixon, the Missions Operations Manager (MOM) for Return to Work, is given the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award by the Rev. Hosea Cannon, pastor and chaplain at the Denver Sheriff’s Department. He flew in to bestow the award on Nixon in 2018. Looking on are the nonprofit’s founder, her son Rob Ray Brazell, who founded the charity and is a recipient of the award himself. To her right is Fern Ballou, executive secretary to Brazell.

Fran Nixon, the Missions Operations Manager (MOM) for Return to Work, is given the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award by the Rev. Hosea Cannon, pastor and chaplain at the Denver Sheriff’s Department. He flew in to bestow the award on Nixon in 2018. Looking on are the nonprofit’s founder, her son Rob Ray Brazell, who founded the charity and is a recipient of the award himself. To her right is Fern Ballou, executive secretary to Brazell.

SUN PHOTO BY ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICH

The Charlotte County community will have the chance to remember Frankie “Fran” Nixon, a President’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient who helped some 18,500 find work through her son’s nonprofit.

Headquartered in Denver, Project: Return to Work’s mission is to find work for veterans, especially injured military service members and their spouses, disabled civilians and others in the community.

Nixon passed away on March 23, 2020, but due to the pandemic, her memorial service was delayed until this April 30. It will be held at 11 a.m. at First Church of Christ, Scientist in Englewood, followed by a luncheon at the Boca Royale Golf & County Club.

In 2018, Nixon was honored at Boca Royale where she received the highest level one can achieve for living a life of service for others — the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award, which was bestowed to her during the Trump administration.

At the time of her award, Nixon was in her eighties. She continued to help others until her death. From her nursing home in Castro Valley, California, she and Fern Ballou, executive secretary to her son, Rob Ray Brazell, were helping an injured Marine in the Middle East.

They helped him secure a good job in his small hometown prior to returning home from war, Brazell said.

Brazell, who is also a recipient of the President’s award, having received it under the Obama administration, recently shared the story of his mother’s life with The Daily Sun.

“My mother was born in Saratoga, Wyoming, on Sept. 7, 1932, to a pioneer ranching family,” he said. Nixon went to school there where she met her future husband, a Marine who served during World War II.

“After getting married, they continued to live on my grandparents’ ranch for two or three years, then moved to Rawlins, Wyoming where my father became a deputy sheriff and my mother operated a cattle-town hotel to supplement the family income,” he continued.

The family then moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming, “when my father joined the Wyoming Highway Patrol and my mother held another part-time job to supplement the family income while raising two rambunctious children,” Brazell said.

The family eventually moved to Sublette County, Wyoming, which Brazell called “the least populated county in the least populated state of the union, where my sister and I were raised.”

Nixon worked several jobs and was able to send her son to a private preparatory school. She had a long career with the Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management.

“After 25 years of marriage — after I graduated from high school — my parents got a divorce and my mother moved to Colorado to further develop her career with the government,” Brazell said.

When Nixon retired, she worked for the Mother Church of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston. But perhaps “retired” isn’t quite the right word. After several years, Nixon moved to Florida (Port Charlotte), where she helped land a government contract for the Return to Work charity, her son said.

“She led the effort in Florida for several years until she retired again,” Brazell continued. “Then when I was run over by a truck, she rejoined the charity and worked for several more years with General Thomas Mills and Admiral Dick Young to keep it going while I underwent extensive rehab.”

Before Nixon passed, she told her son to use her Port Charlotte house to help veterans who are trying to get back on their feet to live a productive life.

Ironically, the first veteran to receive help through the intensive rehabilitation program lives next door to Dale Tinline, who was very close to Nixon.

The veteran is Tinline’s daughter’s boyfriend, a Marine suffering from PTSD.

“I was a Marine for 20 years, and he was a Marine for four years,” Tinline told The Daily Sun. He said his daughter and her boyfriend “were living in the woods addicted to drugs.”

Brazell arranged for them to get clean and move into the house, where they remain today.

Tinline fondly remembered Nixon, whom he called “Mom.” He said he did work around her home and tried to protect her from “scammers.” He said workmen would come to her door trying to get her to pay them for work she didn’t need, or for work Tinline would do for free.

“She baked cookies for my grandson; she was nice,” he said.

He was Nixon’s guest at the $1,000 per plate dinner when she received her Lifetime Achievement Award. He balked when she asked him to attend, saying he couldn’t afford the price, but she assured him as a guest, he wouldn’t have to pay. Tinline said he was proud of her that day.

Fern Ballou, who is 91 and worked with her friend to find work for the Marine returning home from war, also shared memories. She lauded Nixon’s service, saying she was involved with Return to Work “almost from the ground floor.”

Dixie Vyvey-Minear, who still resides in Wyoming, served as flower girl at Nixon’s wedding and her brother Ray was the ringbearer. She fondly recalled Nixon’s generosity, saying Nixon hosted the Vyveys’ 15th wedding anniversary celebration in town. Nixon also took Dixie, who is now in her 60s, to her first drive-in move. The saplings Nixon gave her are “now big trees,” Vyvey-Minear said.

How it all began.

Brazell said he formed the charity with the help of his parents, sister, and lifetime mentor, Malcolm D. Crawford, “out of my victory over AIDS nearly three decades ago.”

Brazell said he was given a year to live, but prior to that he owned a consulting firm to build rockets and satellites.

After given his diagnosis, “I did a lot of soul-searching.” He said he wanted to spend “what time remains to help other disabled people like myself.”

“Everyone in my immediate family is gone now, but their memory lives on in our charity,” Brazell said.

Fran Nixon remembered, helped 18,000 find work | Charlotte Sun | yoursun.com