Valor Club is a Gensler-designed, city-approved master planned community that will be veteran-centric; it will understand and support the core values veterans live by while addressing every stage of the transition process. Situated on over 200 acres of land five miles southeast of downtown San Antonio, Texas, encompassing the former Pecan Valley Country Club and Golf Course, the community will include residential units, retail outlets, veteran service organizations, and world class recreational facilities such as an entertainment venue, conference center, community center, and sports center.
With strategic network of civic, corporate and education partnerships, transitioning service members and their families will have access to affordable housing, social services, apprenticeships, and career opportunities.
The first campus in development, located on the southside of Southcross Boulevard, will be a 20-acre community with a blend of innovative programming, wellness-focused amenities, and vibrant outdoor space that will set the standard for veteran-focused living.
The South Campus will include 324 residential units, education and vocational training, support facilities, fitness centers, clubhouses, and a welcome center. Facilities and outdoor recreational areas will all be within walking distance of residences.
Residential buildings are organized into a series of courtyards built as low-rise structures. A network of pathways and parks will link buildings through the campus interspersed with spaces for recreation, socializing, and relaxation.
With a holistic approach to design and a forward-thinking vision, the South Campus will be the catalyst for the Valor Club masterplan development.
Currently serving as the President / CEO for Valor Club, where he and his team are offering a comprehensive living and learning community built to support…
The perfect concept for a town called “Military City, USA”
San Antonio, home of the Alamo, has a deep historic past and a bright thriving future. It is also a city deeply ingrained in the hearts and souls of 250,000 veterans and their families who make it their home.
Michael McDowell currently serves as the President and CEO of Valor Club USA, where he and his team offer a comprehensive living and learning community to support the unique needs of military transition. From 2017-2019, Dr. McDowell served as the Executive Director of The Soldiers Project, a national organization that offered free, confidential, and unlimited mental and behavioral health for post 9/11 veterans and their loved ones and as the Associate Director and Director of Operations for the Cohen Military Family Clinic at USC from 2016-2017. A retired Marine officer, Dr. McDowell served as a field artillery and civil affairs officer from January 2001 to August 2016 with numerous platoons, battery, and battalion-level commands before his departure from active duty service. He deployed six different times, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Southeast Asia as a member of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in Okinawa, Japan. He has extensive professional and academic training in organizational leadership, operational planning, and strategy development. Dr. McDowell holds a doctoral degree in Educational Psycholody from USC where he examined the effects of stress and military transition. He also holds graduate degrees from the University of Southern California (MBA, 2015) and Montana State University-Billings (M.Ed, 1994).
Dr. McDowell also serves as a Los Angeles County Veteran Commissioner and member of the Greater Los Angeles VA Community Veterans Engagement Board (CVEB). He authored a $20M veteran peer support initiative for Los Angeles County in December 2017 and recently completed work on the implementation of this initiative as a member of the Veteran Peer Access Network (VPAN) steering committee for Los Angeles Department of Mental Health (LADMH). As a social entrepreneur, practitioner, and strategist, Dr, McDowell is focused on empirically-based research solutions to develop innovative programming that is supported by data-centered outcomes and long-term financial sustainability.