U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs CMV – News Update

The Department of Veterans Affairs – Center for Minority Veterans is pleased to invite you to our King Kamehameha Day Celebration, June 11, 2024. Hear from special speakers such as Mr. Jake Fong, Federal Asian Pacific American Council – Veterans Affairs Chapter President, as our emcee! Kicking things off is the Office of the Secretary – Center for Minority Veterans’ Executive Director James Albino with a special message for you. Our VA Host Speaker will be our very own Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, Ms. Zanetta Adams. We are honored to have Ms. Krystal Ka’ai, the Executive Director for White House Initiative on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander, as our Keynote Speaker, she is a great leader for the AA and NHPI community. Learn about the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 PACT Act, Veterans’ Pacific Region Journey Map, and Veteran Small Business from Mr. Richard Grogan from the Outreach, Transition, and Economic Development (OTED), from Mr. Adam Kijanski from Veteran Experience Office (VEO), and Mr. Mark Williams from Veterans Business Outreach Center, U.S. Small Business Administration!!!

The Center for Minority Veterans (CMV) is partnering with various Veteran Affairs Central Office (VACO) offices such as Veterans Benefits Affairs’ (VBA)-Office of Training Education and Development (OTED) and DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) employees to host a VA informational booth. CMV partnered with DC VAMC last year and the DC Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs to answer questions about services and programs offered through VA and showed employees, Veterans, Families, Caregivers, and survivors that VA stands with them.

The Center for Minority Veterans (CMV) is partnering with various Veterans Affairs Central Office (VACO) and DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) employees to march as ONE VA in the DC Pride Parade. In 2023, CMV partnered with the DC VAMC year and the DC Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs to march in solidarity showing our employees, Veterans, Families, Caregivers and Survivors that VA stands with them.

The Department of Veterans Affairs – Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AANHPI) Celebration will be hosted by the Office of the Secretary – Center for Minority Veterans. This year, we will be closing out the month with an excellent program featuring VA’s Office of Health Equity’s Dr. Moy, a presentation by Christine Yamasaki highlighting Japanese American World War II Veterans of the 110th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and the Military Intelligence Service; information on the PACT Act given by Richard Grogan; and information on Veterans Business Outreach Center Program, provided by Mark Williams of US Small Business Administration. Our program will be on Microsoft Teams on May 30th at 2 PM Eastern Standard Time.

Life events, both positive and negative, can sometimes affect the path a person follows. One such event led an Air Force communications noncommissioned officer to become a VA police officer. Chavis “Jeff” Jefferson, a criminal investigator at Columbia VA, had been in the Air Force for eight years when personal tragedy hit. His sister, living in Jacksonville, Florida, went missing. [From VA News]