Everything Veteran
Transforming Customer Service
Many-Bears Grinder, Commissioner
Why do we serve?
We are motivated to meet the
needs Veterans of all eras
and their families.
Changing Population
• 53% of the state’s Veterans are over the age of 60
• However, the largest growing group Veteran population is Gulf War
Veterans…
– Grew by 25,221 between 2012 and 2013
– The number of Veterans enrolled in higher education increased by nearly 200%
between 2008 and 2013
Customer Focused Government
“It’s our job to provide the very best service to Tennessee
taxpayers at the lowest cost.”
-Governor Bill Haslam
Customer Focused Government is a statewide
initiative (attitude/mindset)
whose aim is to make Tennessee the best managed state
in the country by providing the very best service at the
lowest cost.
Customer Focused Government
• The Tennessee Department of Veterans Services is 1 of 23 state
departments.
• All departments impact the overall function and performance of the State
of Tennessee.
• Each department plays a role in the Governor’s priority of fiscal strength
and efficient government to improve how the state serves the customer.
Everything Veteran-State Law
Tennessee Code Annotated
58-3-104 Information furnished to veterans
The department of veterans affairs shall collect all necessary data and information
regarding facilities and services available to veterans, their families and
dependents, and shall cooperate with all information or service agencies throughout
the state in informing such persons regarding the existence or availability of all
educational, training and retraining facilities; health, medical, rehabilitation and
housing services and facilities; employment and reemployment services, federal,
state and local laws affording rights, privileges and benefits to veterans, their
families and dependents and all other matters of similar, related or appropriate
nature.
6
Everything Veteran
• Refocus
• Reorganize
• Transform to become Everything Veteran
Reorganization
Statewide
Commissioner
Many-Bears Grinder
Executive Assistant
Tara Goodell
Assistant Commissioner
John Drnek
Assistant
Commissioner
Travis Murphy
Deputy Commissioner
Mark Breece
Executive Assistant
Deanna Day
Assistant Commissioner
Yvette Martinez
Assistant
Commissioner
Lorenza Wills
Budget Analyst 2
Ky Sychareune
HR Analyst 2
Dolores Keene
Training Officer
Keith West
Attorney 3
John Waddell
Constituent Services
Stacy Scruggs
IT Programmer/Analyst Sean
Turner
Training Officer
Vacant
Administrative Service
Assistant 2
Tanzania Fuller
9
Chief Operating Officer
Commissioner
Many-Bears Grinder
Deputy Commissioner
Mark Breece
Executive Assistant
Deanna Day
Budget Analyst 2
Ky Sychareune
Cemetery Director
Joseph Lindsey
HR Analyst 2
Dolores Keene
Administrative
Assistant
Crystal Walker
Secretary
Sharon
Decant
Cemetery Caretakers
Ronald Gossett
LaDarrell Rogan
William Brown
George Johnston
Joseph Hooper
Michael Brock
Dylan Miller
Bradley Noland
Administrative Services
Assistant 2
Tanzania Fuller
Cemetery Foreman
Robert Million
Equipment
Operator
Robert Battle
10
TDVS West Division
Organizational
Chart
West Tennessee
Deputy Commissioner
Mark Breece
Commissioner
Many-Bears Grinder
Assistant
Commissioner
Yvette Martinez
Assistant Commissioner
John Drnek
Administrative Assistant
Jasmin Thigpen
Cemetery Director
G. Phil Sinclair
Administrative Assistant
Ida Wade
Cemetery Foreman
Freddie Willis
Clarksville
Dave Lewis
Dickson
Tommy Tomlinson
Secretary
Vacant
Clerk III
Darnell
Sparrow
Equipment Operator
Patrick Eggers
Education Coordinator
Vacant
Regional Director
Scott Ziegler
Equipment Operator
Rico Bates
Cemetery Caretakers
Courtney Thomas
Willie Greer
William Elms
Charles Young
Christopher Taylor
Webster Taylor
Darrell Boddie
Regine Davis
Eric Woods
Markee Marshall
Darius Williams
Vacant
Jackson
Ulysses Selvage
Memphis
Bobbie Shields
Bruce Hunter
Kelly Kilgore
Administrative
Assistant
William Pichette
11
East Tennessee
Commissioner
Many-Bears Grinder
Deputy Commissioner
Mark Breece
Administrative Assistant
Patricia Couk
Assistant
Commissioner
Yvette Martinez
Assistant Commissioner
Lorenza Wills
Cemetery Director
Bill Griffith
Regional Director
Timothy Forte
Administrative Assistant
Carolyn Douglass
Cemetery Foreman
Kevin Weisner
Chattanooga
Jacqueline Lewis
Cynthia cox
Brian Heusterberg
Secretary
Devon Grace Leigh
Equipment Operator
Paul Borum
Cemetery Caretakers- Sevier Hwy
Everette Jenkins
Anthony Maples
Charles McAmis
Joseph Harden
Edward Barry
Mt. Home
Roger Good
Mark Johnson
Administrative Assistant
Robert Clark
Education Coordinator
Vacant
Knoxville
Ray Braden
William Houser
Administrative Assistant
Selena Patterson
Lyons View Pike
Richard Johnson
12
Appeals Division and Middle
Tennessee
Commissioner
Many-Bears Grinder
Deputy Commissioner
Mark Breece
Administrative Assistant
Kritzie Bohorquez
Appeals Specialist
Jimmie Sanders
Carol Swindon
Regional Director
George M. Scott
Attorney 3
Michael Rogers, Jr
Paralegal Assistants
M. Wayne Howard
Milton Sweeney
Assistant
Commissioner
Yvette Martinez
Assistant Commissioner
Travis Murphy
Nashville
Garth Arneson
Michael McPherson
Administrative Assistant
Vacant
Murfreesboro
Ginger Dempsey
Greg Elmore
Education Coordinator
Vacant
Administrative Assistant
Susan Richardson
Administrative Assistant
Carol Martin
13
Regional Commissioners/Directors
Assistant
Commissioner John
Drnek
West Tennessee
Operations
Assistant
Commissioner Travis
Murphy
Appeals
Division/Middle
Tennessee
Operations
Assistant
Commissioner
Lorenza Wills
East Tennessee
Operations
Regional Director
Scott Ziegler
West Tennessee
Mentorship and
Collaborative
Partner
Regional Director
Mike Scott
Middle Tennessee
Mentorship and
Collaborative
Partner
Regional Director
Tim Forte
East Tennessee
Mentorship and
Collaborative
Partner
Benefits of Regional Directors
• Can meet with County partners at any time without closing a field office;
strengthen the network
• One point of contact for ongoing collaboration, networking and problem
solving
• Consistency in supervision for all field offices in the region
• Leadership track for department employees interested in supervisory
roles
• Increased outreach support and involvement without closing a field office
• Continuous customer monitoring to provide feedback in regards to
training needs
Improved Appeals Division
• Improved operational oversight to offer consistency in quality control of
state and county claims submissions and appeals preparation
• Increased specialized skillset with attorney and paralegals within the
Division
• Strengthened partnerships between federal program providers and the VA
Regional Office
• Continuous customer monitoring to provide feedback in regards to
training needs
• Improved data collection to identify strengths and weaknesses
Improved Training
Tennessee Code Annotated
58-3-111 Director of local service office
(d) All veterans’ service officers shall successfully complete training and be
issued accreditation by the department of veterans’ affairs within one (1) year
from the date of appointment. Any veterans’ service officer who does not
complete required training and receive accreditation within one (1) year of
appointment shall be removed from office by governing body or bodies of the
political subdivisions creating the veterans’ service office by which the officer
is employed.
Improved Training
Purpose:
The Training Division provides the introduction to high-quality claims
assistance, quarterly training updates and will now ensure department
employees receive state mandated training.
• Keith West the new Training Officer 2
• In the process of hiring a new Training Officer 1
Improved Training
Next Steps:
• Monthly fact sheets distributed for updates in between training sessions
• December webinar-seeking training from federal partners on Citrex
• March- (9) in-person regional training sessions
• June-webinar
• September- (3) in-person regional training sessions
(2-days; will include annual certification test)
Clarification
Email from David Jungquist dated August 7, 2015
• Evidence to send directly to Newnan, Georgia
– Change of Address or Direct Deposit Requests
– 686c (Dependency establishment forms)
• Note: Before faxing to Newnan, you should first try to submit via eBenefits, SEP or call
the VSO line
– Additional evidence in support of an established claim
• Note: Verify with the VA first, that the additional evidence is not of record already.
Submitting additional evidence after a Fully Developed Claim has been filed will result in
the claim being moved from the FDC processing and placed in “traditional” claim
processing.
Improved Training
Regional Directors:
• Collaborative partner; strengthen the network
• Central contact for problem solving
• Mentor for all field offices and county partners
• Outreach support
• Monitoring feedback to collaborate with the Training Division on
supplemental training needs
Improved Access to Higher Education
• One Veteran Education Coordinator in each region
• Serve as subject matter expert on Veteran language, culture and
transitional challenges
• Communicate with campus leaders, staff and faculty about best practices
to recruit, retain and support student Veterans through to graduation
• Increase and strengthen Student Veteran Organization network
• Claims assistance
• Outreach planning, support and partnerships
One Team
Trends-Improved Customer Service
Claims Submitted By State and County
2015
12840
2014
2013
10588
8,687
Pre-Registrations
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
2013
2014
Online Pre-Registrations
1100
2371
Unemployment Rate
Tennessee Veterans
2014
2013
2012
8.00%
6.00%
2012
4.00%
2013
2.00%
2014
0.00%
Unemployment
4.50%
6.90%
7.30%
Veteran Suicides
On the Decrease
Total Suicides
1017
956
938
190
2011
Veterans
197
2012
945
214
2013
163
2014
Incarcerated Veterans
On the Decrease
Total
Jail
Prison
0
2014
2013
2012
500
Prison
1229
1265
2183
1000
1500
Jail
200
224
300
2000
2500
Total
1429
1489
2483
3000
Looking Forward
• Future Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery at Parkers Crossroads-federal
funding pending
• Opening of the new Tennessee State Veterans Home in Montgomery
County in the coming months