Commissioners 04-21-2026 [19:06-20:50]

Thank you very kindly for allowing me to appear before you today. I've had the privilege of working for eight different commissioners since I've worked in the veterans office. I was appointed on January 1, 2013 by commissioners, Spring, May, and Flynn. In addition to you three commissioners we have now, I've worked for two other commissioners, Gene McCracken and Dustin Gaphart. And I want to thank all eight of the commissioners that I've worked for. So sincerely thank you for the support we've received in the veteran service office for the past 13 years, for three months and 21 days that I've been there. So thank you very much for the continued support. It's with mixed emotions today that I announced my retirement from the veteran service office effective July 10th of 2026. Why July 10th, it's end of a pay period. It helps Martha and her staff out by doing it at the end of a pay period. I want to be sure to thank all the veterans in the county. And the reason I'm announcing my retirement here is through some confusion. By some that I work for the federal government, I do not. I work for the county commissioners and the veterans of Lawrence County. Not the federal government had to work with Dave Smith. Somebody turn me into the office of special counsel said that I was in violation of the hatchag. So thank you Dave Smith for your help on that issue. So at this time, I guess I'll conclude my remarks and just point out the fact that in the last fiscal year of reporting, over $24 million was given to county veterans