Patty Demers has been named executive director of American Veterans, putting her at the forefront of efforts to amplify veteran voices across Arizona. In her new role, she oversees the nonprofit’s mission of celebrating and supporting Arizona veterans.
Though Demers is not a veteran herself, her commitment to service members is deeply personal.
In 2010, while her brother was deployed in Afghanistan, she was battling breast cancer. Even from afar, he lifted her spirits and carried her through chemotherapy despite being in harm’s way.
“He got all his buddies together, and they shaved their heads for me,” Demers said.
Her brother and his fellow soldiers shaved their heads in solidarity and sent her a photo. Tragically, two of the men in the picture would be killed in a firefight just a month later.
“They carried me without even knowing what they did,” she said. “They didn’t know me, but they sacrificed everything. All through chemo, I carried those ‘Patty’s Soldiers’ with me.”
That connection — formed during two simultaneous battles, one on foreign soil and one in a hospital — would shape her life’s work. A former United Way of Yavapai County executive director and longtime nonprofit leader, Demers has built her career around advocating for veterans, integrating military outreach into every role she takes.
Her passion for serving the military began long before 2010. As a child, she spent summers aboard battleships at Battleship Cove, cultivating an early respect for service members. Though she regrets never serving in uniform herself, her commitment is deeply personal: Her father is a Navy veteran, both of her brothers served in the Army, and her two sons followed similar paths — one as an Army National Guard veteran and the other now serving as an Air Force chaplain at Luke Air Force Base.
She has ensured the legacy of “Patty’s Soldiers” lives on, honoring the memory of the two soldiers lost from her brother’s unit. Over the years, she and her brother Michael Rioux have appeared together at public and media events, including with “Patty’s Soldiers” during the American Cancer Society’s “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk.”
After leaving United Way, Demers founded a free veteran art program through the Sonoran Arts League, securing grant funding for weekly classes and supplies. The program became a creative refuge for veterans, providing opportunities to display work in curated galleries and compete in VA-sponsored art competitions. She expanded the program beyond Carefree and Cave Creek to reach veterans at the Phoenix VA, building an artist network that continues to thrive today.
Her brother was the program’s first “guinea pig.” After returning from Afghanistan, he used art to process trauma, including the loss of fellow soldiers, and won awards for a piece inspired by “Connie,” a dog rescued from razor wire and brought back to the United States through unit-wide fundraising.
“Through the arts, he was able to reconnect,” Demers said. “Even the dark side was okay. People can feel their way through it. Art gives you a place to work through what’s inside.”
Her outreach extends beyond the studio. She has organized veteran recognition events, supported Gold Star families, and leveraged her connections—from artists to construction leaders—to build programs that blend creative expression with community support. She has volunteered with American Legions and VFWs and even managed a Gold Star family’s congressional campaign.
“Anywhere I go in my professional life, there has to be a veteran component,” she said. “If it doesn’t exist, I’ll build it.”
Today, she remains a vocal advocate for breast cancer awareness, using her story to encourage others to push through adversity and find purpose on the other side. Whether she’s on a catwalk for a cancer fundraiser, at a veterans’ art exhibit, or meeting with families who have lost loved ones in service, she brings the same conviction that sustained her through her fight.
“They gave me strength when I needed it most,” she said. “Now it’s my turn to give back.”
