President of the Trilogy Veterans Club shows the way

Retired U.S. Air Force member Scott Duke’s contributions to the veteran community both locally and beyond are extensive.

The Vistancia resident has helped feed children in need, deliver care packages to military personnel stationed overseas, donate hundreds of turkeys to St. Mary’s on many Thanksgiving days and collect thousands of toys and gifts for military veteran families in need.

Much of this has been accomplished through the Trilogy Veterans Club, of which he is president. And his contributions have been recognized for their work, including receiving the Trilogy Veterans Club’s President Award of Merit and, most recently, induction into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame, Class of 2023.

Duke said that as a veteran, this is a great opportunity for him to help other veterans in need.

“One person can make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate,” he said. “What you might think is a small gesture of support can make a big difference in their lives.”

For his service to the community, Duke was named a Peoria Independent Hometown Hero in the Veterans category.

The Hometown Heroes Awards recognize individuals who live or teach in the city, as well as Peoria businesses, for their achievements and outstanding contributions to the community and beyond.

Duke will be honored at an awards luncheon next year. The fourth annual Hometown Heroes luncheon will honor nominees in 2024.

Duke has served as president of the Trilogy Veterans Club for the past six years.

Mesquite District Councilman Brad Shafer said Duke has done a lot during that time to help the club thrive and succeed.

Since he became president, the club has become more focused on its mission and its membership has nearly doubled, from 133 to about 300. The club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which allows the group to help military veterans throughout the valley and receive tax-deductible donations from individuals and businesses. The club, in turn, donates funds from fundraisers and donations to various organizations in the greater Phoenix area that benefit veterans, active military members and first responders.

Shafer said the club has tripled its donations to Valley charities over the past three years because of his leadership and determination in supporting war veterans less fortunate than himself.

Shafer added that under Duke’s great leadership, he was directly responsible for creating and sustaining a mission to engage veterans, foster camaraderie, and create missions and opportunities to assist veterans in need, with a focus on supporting charitable, social and community events to honor veterans and military service, as well as advocating for legislation to promote benefits for veterans and their families.

Duke instilled a sense of pride among war veterans at the Trilogy Veterans Club, Shafer said.

“His passion for supporting veterans in need or at risk is contagious in the club, and each mission to support our veterans in the Phoenix area is always 100% volunteer. … His communication skills to keep the club informed of where he can have the greatest impact in supporting veterans are unparalleled,” Shafer said.

Duke was born and raised in a military family – his father was retired from the U.S. Army and his two brothers were retired from the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Duke retired from the U.S. Air Force after 20 years of service at the rank of Master Sergeant. He also served 22 years in public service, retiring a second time in 2016, at which time he and his wife Nancy, also an Air Force veteran, moved to Trilogy at Vistancia.

Russell Brown, a retired U.S. Army veteran and vice president of the Trilogy Veterans Club, said Duke joined the Trilogy at Vistancia Veterans Club in 2016 because of his extensive military background.

He said the club was founded with the idea and goal of “helping veterans in need” and Duke is committed to doing so with an “unmatched” passion and dedication.

Brown added that Duke’s goals for the future are to continue to increase club membership and encourage more local veterans clubs to pool their resources to help organizations that support veterans in need.

“Working with Scott on the Trilogy Veterans Club board for the past four years as secretary and now as vice president has been a fulfilling and rewarding experience,” said Brown. “Scott is a dynamic leader and mentor who is committed to helping all veterans. I am fortunate to be his friend and honored to be one of his brothers in arms.”

Learn more about Duke here.

Philip Haldiman can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @philiphaldiman. We invite our readers to provide their polite comments, for or against, on this topic. Email: [email protected].

Philip Haldiman
News Editor | Peoria

[email protected]

Philip Haldiman is a third-generation Arizona native with brief stints on both the East and West Coasts. He holds a bachelor’s degree in theater and journalism from Arizona State University and is an award-winning journalist with more than 15 years of experience as a reporter and editor. Most recently, he took first place for investigative reporting and third place for best continuous reporting or series at the 2023 Arizona Newspapers Association Awards. In his spare time, he produces an autobiographical comic book about his time in Hollywood and life as a cult movie star.