New Members Appointed to Committee on Women Veterans
WASHINGTON (Dec. 23, 2008) - Four new members have been appointed to the
Advisory Committee on Women Veterans for the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA), an expert panel that advises VA on issues and programs
affecting women veterans.
"I am pleased to welcome the newest members of this committee to the
important job of serving America's women veterans," said Secretary of
Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "Members of this committee work
tirelessly on behalf of women veterans to improve outreach, ensure
access to VA benefits and recommend ways in which VA can better meet
their needs."
Established in 1983, the advisory committee makes recommendations for
administrative and legislative changes. The committee members are
appointed to one, two, or three-year terms. The new committee members
are:
* Davy Coke of Poway, Calif., a retired Navy second class petty
officer who served in Vietnam. He currently is a trainer and mentor for
new service members in the aerospace field.
* Yanira Gomez of Germantown, Md., a former Army medical
specialist who served in Iraq. She is currently serving as national
outreach officer for the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
* Gloria Maser of Alexandria, Va., a colonel in the Army Reserves.
She is a former deputy chief of staff for health affairs with the
Multi-National Security Transition Command in Iraq. She currently works
for a strategy and technology organization.
* Barbara Ward of Sacramento, Calif., a former staff nurse in the
Air Force. She currently serves as the deputy secretary for women and
minority veterans affairs in the California Department of Veterans
Affairs.
Women veterans are one of the fastest growing segments of the veteran
population. There are approximately 1.8 million women veterans. They
constitute nearly 8 percent of the total veteran population and about 5
percent of all veterans who use VA health care. VA estimates that by
2020 women veterans will make up 10 percent of the veteran population.
VA has women veterans program managers at VA medical centers and women
veterans coordinators at VA regional offices to assist women veterans
with health and benefits issues.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
New Members Appointed to Committee on Women Veterans
