Your January 2017 E-Vets!

Since 1927, the mission of the Texas Veterans Commission has been to advocate for and provide superior service to veterans that will significantly improve the quality of life for all Texas veterans, their families, and survivors.

"Remembering our legacy while looking to the future…"

It is 2018, and here at the Texas Veterans Commission we're using this time to both look to our past, and to the future as we enter this new year.

One cannot mention veterans and 2018 without recognizing that this year marks the 100^th anniversary of the end of World War I. As tens of thousands of veterans returned home to the Lone Star State, it became vital to create an agency – the Texas Veterans Commission – to be there to serve them, and all future veterans.

But this new year makes is a time for us to take steps towards an even stronger future for TVC.

Our motto says, "Helping veterans starts here," and to better serve veterans we've taken numerous steps in improving how we reach and inform veterans about the services available to them – some of which you can read about in the pieces below.

Veterans can reach us online at our website, on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram, but stay tuned throughout the year as we continue to innovate and improve serving Texas veterans!

Al Cantu, Commission Chairman

The Reverend Richard McLeon, Commission Vice Chair

Jake Ellzey, Commission Secretary

Daniel Moran, Commissioner

Kevin Barber, Commissioner

Thomas Palladino, Executive Director

Krystle Matthews is the new Women Veterans Employment Coordinator for the Texas Veterans Commission. She comes with a wealth of knowledge; Krystle worked as a Veteran Career Advisor and most recently the Regional Outreach Coordinator for the Gulf Coast Region.

In her new role, she will be working with employers to advocate on behalf of women veterans for employment and training opportunities, as well as assisting in maintaining the Texas Women Veterans Professional Network (WVPN).

The WVPN is a closed network to provide a safe environment for women veterans to empower, mentor, and connect with each other. If you would like to join the WVPN, please send Krystle an email at krystle.matthews@tvc.texas.gov.

The Texas Veterans Commission, in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Texas Veterans Land Board, will be hosting veterans benefit fairs across the state throughout 2018. Below are the dates and locations for our next three events:

February 3, 2018, Laredo

VA Outpatient Clinic

4602 N. Bartlett Ave.

Laredo, TX 78041

March 3, 2018, Killeen

Killeen Convention Center

3601 South WS Young Drive

Killeen, TX 76542

April 7, 2018, McAllen

VA Outpatient Clinic

901 Hackberry Ave

McAllen, TX 78503

Recently, the Women Veterans Program has received requests for legal counsel regarding denied VA claims. What you need to know is that in most instances a Texas Veterans Commission claims counselor can assist you in working through the process of reviewing and resubmitting your claim, free of charge and without the need of a lawyer. To find a TVC claims counselor in your area, download a copy of the TVC staff directory here.

Free or reduced price legal aid is available. To find legal services near you, visit the TexVet website. Another resource, Lone Star Legal Aid, assists with noncriminal legal issues involving veteran benefits, bankruptcy, custody and child support, consumer issues, divorce and family law, education, employment, housing and Medicare and Medicaid. Interested applicants may call 1-844-400-VETS from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday or apply by email at vethelp@lonestarlegal.org.

If you are a woman veteran or know a woman veteran who would like to know more, please contact us at texaswomenvets@tvc.texas.gov.

The Texas Veterans Commission attended the Student Veterans of America's National Convention – or NatCon, for short – from January 4-6 in San Antonio. Members of TVC's Education Program were able to participate in panels and breakout sessions with student veteran leaders and key figures in the veterans' education space, including representatives from many Texas colleges and universities.

Among the all of the amazing student veterans we had the chance to meet was Gabriel Merigian, who served as a cyber networks operator in the Marine Corps, and is now a political science major at Texas Christian University and officer in TCU's Student Veteran Alliance. But if that wasn't enough for this gung ho Marine, Merigian also plays full back on the Horned Frogs' Football Team – including during their recent Alamo Bowl victory over Stanford!

Please Share the Rural Needs Assessment Survey with your veterans and get their voice heard!

The purpose of the survey is to identify the needs of Texas rural veterans and work with our partners to provide recommendations and solutions.

The survey will continue through March 2018, and the data will be analyzed to create a report and recommendations to be shared.

There are two methods of taking the survey:

Click here to take the survey online OR
Click here to request a paper copy.

Focus groups are also being conducted to discuss veteran mental health. Focus groups have been conducted in the rural areas of the Panhandle, as well as across east, west, and south Texas and are currently being scheduled for south central and north Texas regions. If you would like to schedule a focus group in these areas, please contact carrie.sconza@tvc.texas.gov.

The Fund for Veterans' Assistance Advisory Committee met on January 29 and 30 at the Texas Veterans Commission headquarters in Austin to hear presentations from eligible grant applicants. Those seeking more information or with additional questions about the meeting can contact the FVA at 512-463-1157.

Recordings of both sessions will be made available in the near future on the TVC YouTube channel.

Military Service Brings a Lot to the Table

Story and photo by Ron Abrams-TVC Regional Outreach Coordinator-North Texas Region

Sean E. Jones is an Air Force veteran who spent four years as a Security Specialist. Jones was laid off and spent nearly all of 2016 unemployed. During this period, he was connected with Robert Newsom, a Veterans Employment Liaison, with the Texas Veterans Commission, who suggested that he attend a January 2017 job fair presented by the Department of Veterans Affairs and TVC.

Following recommendations to dress business casual, have an annotated resume with bullet points, and to prepare a 30-second commercial introduction, Jones attended the job fair, where he approached the table of Weiser Security Services Inc.

At the table he met Mike Strickland, Senior Branch Manager of the company. Strickland was impressed by Jones' presentation, and invites him for an interview two days later. Following that interview Weiser Security Services Inc. made an employment offer to Jones that very same day.

After two months with the company, Jones – based on his work ethic, as well as his ability to quickly absorb knowledge – was offered a Site Supervisor position. An account manager retired seven months later, and Jones was able to move into that position; where he now manages 55 employees across 10 accounts at 10 different locations.

Jones is happily married, and has 14 semester hours left before completing his Bachelor's degree in psychology, while continuing to do great things for the company. For those veterans actively engaged in their job search, Jones advises them to maintain their military tact and leadership and graciously welcomes any employment inquiries as well, at: seanj@weisersecurity.com.

For questions on Veteran Employment Services, contact TVC at: employment@tvc.texas.gov, or, ask for a veteran representative at a Workforce Solutions Office near you.