A Request From Secretary Peter Gravett

[boardman]

A Request From Secretary Peter Gravett

February 22, 2013 will mark the one-year anniversary of the convening of the California Governors' Interagency Council on Veterans. On this date in 2012, close to 200 individuals including representatives from all levels of government, tribes, non-profit and for profit stakeholders, clinicians, educators, and veterans met for a two-day guided facilitation focused on identifying and prioritizing the needs of veterans. At the conference, we worked together to draw a roadmap for moving forward in achieving our mission to meet the immediate and long-term needs of California Veterans.

In recognition of this, I am calling on each member and participant of this group to share "success stories" that have occurred as a result of your individual participation. Each of your stories will be compiled to best reflect the milestones that we have collectively reached during our first year of moving forward.

During this year you worked together to focus your priorities, created a solid foundational structure within which to operate, and began the process of creating Sub-Groups that focus 100% of their efforts on achieving their priorities. You have created successful partnerships that have led to increased housing, promising employment programs on the horizon, advancements in repairing inequities in educational credits and opportunities, and the planning and implementation of a Best Practices in Behavioral Health for Veterans Summit in late 2013 early 2014.

The ICV Staff are compiling a list of accomplishments, perspectives, achievements, and connections that have led to greater outreach and a stronger sense of the needs of our veterans and their families. If you have made a new connection with an agency or individual that shows promise for creating change, please share your experience with us. If you have entered into a new collaboration, gained access to new information, or been invited to participate in events as a result of the connections made through the ICV, please share that with us. For some, making a new connection may lead to effective change that does not require legislative or regulatory changes, what might seem like an insignificant connection today, may result in significant change tomorrow. As such, no connection is "too small" or "too insignificant" to report.

Your thoughts, ideas, and successes are valuable assets that reflect the true meaning of collaboration and will act as catalysts for continued change, development, and vision for our future; they also serve as witness to the success of the ICV. As the Chair of the ICV, I am asking you to take a few minutes to write them down and send them to Pamela Rasada, our Administrative Officer. To simplify your ability to respond, I have had her send this from her account; all you have to do is hit reply.

Please submit your response, no later than Friday February 8, 2013.

Thank you in advance for making the completion of this request a high priority.

Peter Gravett
Secretary, California Department of Veterans Affairs
Chair, California Governors’ Interagency Council on Veterans