DVS News:
ALBUQUERQUE — To celebrate Veterans Day, Native American veterans and their families are invited to attend the 2022 Southwest Native American Veterans Health & Wellness Symposium Nov. 11 in Albuquerque at the Isleta Resort and Casino at 11000 Broadway SE.
This free symposium is presented by Isleta Pueblo, the Pueblo of Isleta Veterans Association, the new Mexico VA Health Care System, AARP New Mexico, and the New Mexico Department of Veterans Services (DVS).
Doors open at 7:15 a.m. for conference and free raffle registration. Complimentary self-serve pastries, coffee, and juice will be available. Lunch will be served at 12:30 p.m., with the symposium concluding at 4 p.m.
The symposium will honor and celebrate all men and women who have proudly served this country. Further recognition will focus on Native American veterans, women veterans, and service members still listed as Missing-In-Action (MIA).
There will also be a full day of presentations and break-out sessions covering several key VA, state, and local veterans benefits and programs available for veterans and their families here in New Mexico—including programs offering assistance to rural and Native American veterans.
Several veterans community leaders are scheduled to attend, including New Mexico Department of Veterans Services (DVS) Cabinet Secretary Sonya Smith, Isleta Veterans Association Commander Fred Lujan, AARP New Mexico State Director Joseph Sanchez, New Mexico VA Health Care System Director Robert “Mac” McKenrick, Albuquerque VA Regional Office Director Cesar Romero, Santa Fe National Cemetery Director Victor Vasquez, and New Mexico Veterans Integration Center Director Brock Wolff.
U.S. Air Force Col. Jason Vattioni, the 377th Air Base Wing & Installation Commander at Kirtland Air Force Base, is also scheduled to attend, as are several pueblo/tribal leaders.
For more information, contact DVS Pueblo & Tribal Liaison Beverly Charley at beverly.charley@dvs.nm.gov or 575.241.3322.
The New Mexico Department of Veterans Services
The New Mexico Department of Veterans Services (DVS) provides support and services to New Mexico’s 148,000 veterans and their families. DVS treats every veteran, regardless of their rank achieved during military service, with the respect and gratitude befitting someone who has served our country. DVS strives every day to live up to their agency’s official motto: Serving Those Who Served.
