Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting with Veterans from Chelan and Douglas Counties as well as participating in events held by the Governor’s Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee (VAAC) and the Women Veterans Advisory Committee (WVAC) at American Legion Post 10 in Wenatchee.  Our WDVA Team greatly appreciated the warm welcome from the community and hearing from community members at the two events!  Our thanks also go to representatives of the Mann-Granstaff VA Medical Center, Wenatchee CBOC, Chelan & Douglas County Veterans Offices, and American Legion Post 10.

I was also glad to have the opportunity to hear directly from community members and to spend some time building relationships and friendships.  It’s the trust, built by walking alongside a Veteran or family member, that bridges gaps and puts real life experiences into perspective.  Pictured below is a group meeting at the Veterans Hall in Wenatchee.  Here we heard from Veteran leaders who shared that often, all that is needed is information and education on the many services available.  The fact is that there are multiple agencies and organizations providing incredible programs and services, but if they aren’t aware of, they’re eligible for, what good are those programs? 

This two-day, veterans resource providers’ conference is not only aimed at establishing better collaboration and connection for all those who work with veterans and their families, but it will also provide a wealth of knowledge from industry experts in areas that impact the lives of our veterans and their families.

This conference provides collaboration with professionals from across the state, all while learning new veteran-related information, all at no cost to the participant.

This two-day conference will include breakout sessions on Justice Involved Veterans, WDVA Programs, VA Healthcare/VA Choice, PACT Act Updates, Suicide Prevention/Suicide Safety, Rural Engagement, Cemetery & Burial Benefits, PTSD & Traumatic Brain Injury, County Specific Topics - Best Practices/Creating Regional Strategic Partnerships, Helping Vets Succeed in the Workplace and YesVets, Service Animals, Veteran Homelessness & Housing Programs and more. 

To learn more about this conference and/or how you can get involved visit Serving Those Who Served Conference or email vtsc@dva.wa.gov.

It's time to celebrate the hard work and dedication of those who make a difference.

You can nominate individuals for Outstanding Service to Veterans Awards in the following categories:

Superior Award, Distinguished Service Award and Team Award.

Click Here to View Upcoming Events

Certify Your Business as a Washington Veteran Owned Business 

Washington State has a certification for Veterans and Servicemembers.  Certification is free and requires only basic veteran discharge status and business information to complete.

WDVA and WEBS (Washington’s Electronic Business Solution) have teamed up to streamline the registration and certification process for vendors who want to do business with Washington State agencies or municipalities. 

Veterans Employee Resource Group

The VERG exists to help integrate the experience, values, and knowledge of both veterans, service members, and spouses in state employment.  The VERG shall provide advice and assistance to state agencies on veteran recruitment, retention, and development strategies in accordance with the Governor’s Executive Order 19-01. The VERG assists state agencies in support of existing state employees who have served as members and spouses of members of the armed forces through recognition, resource identification, and mentorship.

Goals

• Recruit veterans to state service through outreach and educational activities.
• Retain veterans by providing a support structure, education, and career progression assistance
• Recognize veterans by planning annual activities that honor their military and state service.