State Commissioner to Address Area Veterans at JSCC

Aug 4th, 2014

Several local organizations have come together to present the West Tennessee Veterans Connection. This event brings together a variety of resources in one location to make information available about benefits and services to veterans in the West Tennessee area. The event will be held 8 a.m. to noon, Tuesday, Aug. 12 in Ayers Auditorium at Jackson State Community Colleges main campus.

The keynote speaker is Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner, Colonel (Ret) Many-Bears Grinder. Grinder was appointed to this position by Governor Bill Haslam in 2011 and is the first female to serve in this post. Grinder retired from the Tennessee Army National Guard as a Colonel with over 35 years of service. She is an Operation Enduring Freedom combat veteran, having served as the Head of Secretariat for the International Police Coordination Board. She traveled throughout Afghanistan, working with international diplomats and police as well as the Afghan leaders and local police officers, to ensure standardized training and equipment for the Afghan Police.

In addition to the keynote address, representatives from The CO> Center (formerly the Entrepreneur Development Center), Madison County Veterans Service, SBA, UT-PTAC, and Tennessee Small Business Development Center will also address those in attendance. Information will be available on a variety of topics including: GI Bill education and home loan benefits; health care and pension benefits; government contracting certification assistance; small business counseling and obtaining small business loans.

The event has been organized and sponsored by Jackson State Community College, Tennessee Small Business Development Center, The University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services, and The CO>. Ron Acree, director for TSBDC and lead coordinator for West Tennessee Veterans Connection, has called this a one-stop shop. According to Acree, many veterans are simply unaware of the benefits and resources available to them. It is hoped that this event will provide veterans the assistance they need to achieve success.

For additional information regarding West Tennessee Veterans Connection, contact Ron Acree or Joel Newman at 731-424-5389 or 731-499-0495 or email them at racree@tsbdc.org or jnewman@tsbdc.org.



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