BTM292 – Andrew Ward – Holistic Healing and Support for Louisiana Veterans

Andrew Ward, a Combat Veteran and Infantryman of the Louisiana Army National Guard, has commendations and decorations from Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004-2005.

Andrew is the Founder and CEO of Acadiana Veteran Alliance, which improves outcomes for veterans and their families through its WORK, HEAL, and GIVE programming, by connecting them to better careers and addressing combat-related PTSD through its behavioral health partnerships. Through AVA, Andrew also works annually with the state legislature to write new laws that create a better Louisiana for veterans to live, and created the Mission: Launch veteran entrepreneur program in 2026.

In 2021, Andrew was named a Scholar of the Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program from the George W. Bush Institute, an initiative aimed at individuals serving our Nation’s veterans. In 2024, Andrew was named “Veteran of the Year” in the State of Louisiana from the Governor’s Office of Disability Affairs for the AVA HEAL Program and the work done to reduce veteran suicide and PTSD in the state.

Recently, Andrew founded The Boot in conjunction with the Governor’s Office and Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs, a non-profit dedicated to statewide economic development through recruitment and retention of transitioning military members leaving service in Louisiana and across the United States. In under 2.5 years of operation, The Boot has placed close to 400 service members in Louisiana with a positive economic impact of over $34m to the state.