Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) Chairwoman and Navy veteran Laura Koerner discussed outreach and services for rural veterans as part of a panel discussion hosted by the San Antonio Food Bank on November 9, 2022. The following day, she provided the keynote address for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) annual “Salute to Bosses” business awards to employers providing outstanding support and accommodations to the citizen warriors of the Guard and Reserve.
As part of the Food Bank’s Veterans in Rural Texas Panel, Chairwoman Koerner, pictured second from right, addressed the importance of reaching veterans to connect them with services and benefits, the barriers veterans face and what is being done to overcome the challenges. She noted location, being able to reach and navigate the benefits systems among challenges. Among the ways this was being addressed, Chairwoman Koerner cited TVC assistance to veterans for VA processes and its availability through electronic methods, as well as funding for veteran transportation services.
At EGSR, she joined in honoring the employers that provide services and jobs to the community while enhancing our national security by being a workplace that supports employees who are in the Guard or Reserve.