The American Legion Department of Texas presented its 2023 Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Specialist (DVOP) of the Year Award to Kelly Norris, Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) Veteran Career Advisor in Garland. Additionally, the American Legion presented its Local Veterans Employment Representative (LVER) of the Year Award to Eric Brown, TVC Veteran Employer Liaison (VEL) in Dallas.
Pictured from left are TVC Executive Director Thomas Palladino, DVOP of the Year Kelly Norris, TVC Chairwoman Laura Koerner, American Legion Department of Texas Commander Gerry Hince and LVER of the Year Eric Brown.
The awards were presented at the American Legion Department of Texas annual convention on July 14, 2023. Also, businesses with outstanding records in employment and retention of veterans were honored with Employer of Veterans Awards. The American Legion Employer of Veterans Awards winning businesses are:
Employer of the Year – Small
TangoAlpha3, Austin, Texas
- Workforce of 34 of which 71% were veterans
- Hired 35 individuals during the year in which 69% were veterans
- TangoAlpha3 is a military veteran staffing and recruiting firm
- Nominated by Joshua Pinson, TVC VEL Central Texas District
Employer of the Year – Medium
Texas Veteran Security, San Antonio, Texas
- Workforce of 120 of which 50% were veterans
- Hired 150 individuals during the year in which 31% were veterans
- Texas Veteran Security is a Department of Public Safety Private Security Bureau.
- Nominated by Todd Arend, TVC VEL South Texas District
Employer of the Year – Large
Akima Support Operations, Herndon, VA
- Workforce of over 8,400 of which 77% were veterans
- Hired 68 individuals during the year in which 62% were veterans
- Akima Support Operations is a facilities management, maintenance and business support enterprise. Hardhearted in Virginia, Akima provides services to Dept of Defense and other federal facilities in Texas and across the globe.
- Nominatd by Darrell Henderson, TVC VEL West Texas District
Texas Veterans Commission, in compliance with P.L. 115-141, Division H, Title V, Section 505 makes the following assertion:
For federal fiscal year 2023, the Veterans Employment Services Department receives 99% of its funding from the US Department of Labor under a Jobs for Veterans State Grant award totaling $16,290,842.00. State of Texas general revenue funds the remaining 1% totaling $122,229.00 for state fiscal year 2023. This may be found on the TVC website at Stevens Admendment.