Guided by Service: JR Richardson and Bellevue University’s Military Veteran Services Center
When JR Richardson talks about the Military Veteran Services Center (MVSC) at Bellevue University, he begins with stories of people — veterans, spouses, active-duty members who walk in looking for help with benefits, career planning or simply someone to understand.
“We try to give first-class customer service to all of our veterans, with no expectation for anything in return,” says Richardson, the center’s director since it opened in 2012. “The mantra is, it’s the right thing to do.”
Shaped by service
Richardson is a 25-year Air Force veteran whose path ran from aircraft maintenance to recruiting. Years on the flight line taught precision and accountability. Years helping people join and advance in the Air Force taught listening and follow-through. After his service — and while working at Bellevue University — he completed an undergraduate degree in project management and a master’s degree public administration, learning that reinforced his outcomes-first approach to helping others navigate their next step. So, when someone walks into the center, we start with their story, not our checklist,” Richardson says. “Then we build a plan that fits their life.”
What happens when you walk in
The center’s promise is simple: clear answers, useful next steps and follow-through. Visitors get help decoding education benefits, mapping degree paths around real life and building timelines that actually work. Some arrive ready to enroll. Others need a quiet study space or a conversation that turns a dense benefits letter into a plan. Richardson also points out — with great pride — that the MVSC serves the broader military community, not just enrolled students. “On a typical day, about 80 percent of the people we help aren’t current students,” he says. “When you serve the community well, students win, too.”
Partners and programs under one roof
Partnerships make the MVSC a true hub. A Disabled American Veterans chapter sits on site, giving guests direct access to claims expertise and a community of peers. Veterans Rehabilitation Services Inc. co-locates staff in the building to help homeless and at-risk veterans secure jobs and stability. Richardson and his team also set aside space for a dedicated ROTC resource corner so students can find commissioning pathways through nearby programs without chasing information across multiple offices.
Connection matters, and it shows up in many forms. Music is a bridge through Hero’s Encore, a lively community that now includes songwriting and monthly jam sessions where graduates come back to play. Creative outlets like art and quilting build focus and friendship. Nature-based activities, including fly-tying and fly-fishing, give veterans a healthy reset when stress runs high.
Practical life planning is part of the work. The MVSC connects visitors with financial guidance, retirement and benefits education, and workshops that help families make confident decisions at each stage of service and beyond. When urgent needs surface, county and nonprofit partners help the center mobilize quickly.
Where it happens — and why it works
The MVSC recently moved into the John B. Muller Administrative Services Building after outgrowing its original home at what is now the Rotert Building at 2108 Harvell Circle. The larger footprint makes room for partner organizations, meeting rooms, study areas and a welcoming lounge where military-connected learners can pause between obligations. It also makes drop-ins easier, which matters when a deadline or deployment date can change a plan in a day.
What makes it work is the people — and the follow-through. One full-circle example now sits on the MVSC leadership team. As an undergraduate at another institution, Ashlea Rodriguez was unsure how to finish her degree because she needed a qualifying internship. The MVSC helped design an internship that met her university’s requirements, then brought her into a veterans’ work-study role so she could earn, learn and stay on track. She graduated, later completed a master’s at Bellevue University and today serves as the MVSC’s manager.
“Ashlea went from ‘I just need to finish’ to ‘now I get to serve others every day,’” Richardson says. “That’s the MVSC in one person’s story.”