Q&A
The role of the Veterans Advisory Board in advising DVS
0:26:41
·
125 sec
Commissioner Hendon explains the role of the Veterans Advisory Board (VAB) in advising the Department of Veterans Services (DVS). The VAB holds meetings, provides recommendations, and helps shape policies and initiatives for veteran services.
- VAB holds 5 meetings per year, one in each borough
- The board submits reports with recommendations to the mayor and speaker
- Examples of VAB-influenced initiatives include managing small-dollar contracts for veteran organizations and expanding the board to include family members
- DVS has implemented various programs based on VAB input, such as support for veteran street vendors
Robert F. Holden
0:26:41
What role does the Veterans Advisory Board play in advising DDS?
0:26:48
Because I know you go on those those meetings.
0:26:51
You know?
0:26:51
And I appreciate that that you and your staff do that.
James Hendon
0:26:55
It's important for some peep for people who feel like they can be hurt at forms like this and at the VAB, and that they can, you know, interact with their government.
0:27:02
And so for us, you know, the VIP by function holds its 5 meetings, you know, once in each borough per year, and it includes a report that is sent to the mayor and the speaker with recommendations, policy legislative as far as veteran services, how to say renders them.
0:27:17
For us, we try to take that feedback and see what can we move the needle along.
0:27:20
How can we be of value in certain ways to advance things that they're recommending?
0:27:23
You know, just a few examples include the transition to us to starting to, you know, manage some of these small dollar contracts coming to our veteran organizations as far as discretionary contract as an example.
0:27:34
Another one for us is just the expansion of the board from having 11 members to 13 members.
0:27:39
So now two seats, one for the speaker, one for the mayor who are appointed as as family members.
0:27:45
And just recognizing I got called out a council member nurse here who herself is a military family member.
0:27:49
And so we think about our family members as well.
0:27:51
Another example of something we've done, you know, at the behest of the board has been, you know, bringing together our veteran street vendors.
0:28:00
Many of whom are here today.
0:28:01
We had convening just last November with that group and different factors in government between the different agencies that interact with our street vendors and even setting up online nyc.gov/pet vendor.
0:28:12
So that our vendors know, here's a person from sanitation who works on veterans issues involved vending.
0:28:17
Here's a person from consumer affairs who works on veteran vending.
0:28:20
Here's a person from parks.
0:28:22
Here's a person from the health department, from small business services, etcetera.
0:28:25
So to try to get that throughput, that's something that came from the board.
0:28:28
And are there several other things that we've done that have been involved with, you know, taking the board's input?
Robert F. Holden
0:28:38
The how do you judge okay.
0:28:40
I'll I'll just turn to my colleague, counsel of a nurse.
0:28:46
You have a
Allen McFarlane
0:28:47
a question.
