VA honors Council for Relationships’ work with veterans and families
June 8, 2018 | VA recently thanked nine veteran friendly communities from across the country to highlight community-based efforts of improving the veteran outcomes. These communities, who pioneered the joint community/VA partnerships called Community Veteran Engagement Boards have maximized their collective impact of local services, stakeholders, and federal/state agencies working together to improve veteran outcomes where they live, work, and raise their families.
The appreciation event occurred in Washington, D.C., on May 25, 2018, at the second America’s Warrior Partnership Community Veterans Engagement Board Task Force. As a result of a memorandum of understanding between the VA and America’s Warrior Partnership, the Community Veterans Engagement Board Task Force was formed bringing together 24 representatives and leaders from the government, including national veteran and military service organizations and service providers, with 40 percent of membership from organizations representing community collectives.
“I support what you’re doing here today and I am very grateful for AWP’s leadership in facilitating this,” said Dr. Lynda Davis. As the chief veterans experience officer for VA, Davis is charged with capturing the voice of the veteran, which includes community engagement. The Veterans Experience Office then amplifies that voice, enabling VA to improve the overall veterans experience while ensuring that veterans, their caregivers, families and survivors remain at the center of focus.
Chief Veterans Experience Officer Dr. Lynda Davis, Director of Council for Relationships’ Operation Home and Healing Dr. Nancy Isserman, and Deputy Secretary Bowman
During the task force meeting, nine Community Veterans Engagement Boards received the Veteran-Friendly Communities Appreciation Certificate, presented by VA Deputy Secretary Thomas Bowman. Dr. Nancy Isserman, Director of Council for Relationships’ Operation Home and Healing, accepted the award on behalf of the Delaware Valley Veterans Consortium. Council for Relationships is an organizational member of the Delaware Valley Veterans Consortium, which was chosen for this special task force of 10 organizations from a pool of over 100 across the country.