County, city and nonprofit leaders expand Veterans Capital marketing and set priorities for veterans services and outreach

El Paso County presented an updated Veterans Capital of The USA (VCUSA) marketing plan on Thursday and heard an overview of the county Veterans Assistance Office operations and the newly focused Veterans Advisory Board (VAB) priorities.

County communications manager Laura Gallegos summarized the VCUSA marketing pillars — internal marketing, external marketing, reputation and recognition — and said the county intends to improve a centralized resource calendar and guide on the VCUSA website, pursue highway and airport messaging in partnership with Public Works and the City of El Paso, develop an initiative video, and create a veteran‑friendly business sticker program. Gallegos said trademark protection for the VCUSA name and logo was completed last year.

City, nonprofit and military partners — including Paul Albright, the City of El Paso chief military officer, and Linda Mays of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation — told the court they view El Paso’s VCUSA work as a national model and encouraged stronger county‑city coordination to pursue federal defense and infrastructure grant opportunities tied to Fort Bliss and military families.

Veterans Assistance Office overview

Tony Antoinette Hunt, veteran county service officer, gave a departmental overview of the Veterans Assistance Office (VSO). Hunt said the office provides statutorily required VA claims assistance (including service‑connected compensation, pension, DIC and PACT/PACTAC presumptive claims), a veterans assistance grant program, unaccompanied‑funeral coordination and community outreach. Hunt described operational impacts from the Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) grant non‑renewal for grant year 2024–25 and said staff reductions followed the grant change; the office applied for $285,000 in TVC funding for the upcoming grant year to support one grant‑funded employee if awarded.

Hunt displayed intake and claims timelines, noting that VA accreditation and system access add lead time before new VSOs can file claims on behalf of veterans. The VSO handled dozens of resource events and claims clinics last year and coordinated unaccompanied veteran funerals that drew community participation. Hunt and county staff urged additional staffing capacity to expand outreach, West Side and East Side coverage and community engagement.

Veterans Advisory Board priorities

Mike Barnes, chair of the Veterans Advisory Board, and board members outlined three 2025 priorities for the VAB: (1) modernize and digitize a county veterans resource guide and master calendar so veterans can find services and events from one location; (2) strengthen community outreach and communications to ensure veterans and families know available services and VAB outreach channels; and (3) identify and address service gaps that affect veterans and their families, with a focus on measurable recommendations the court can consider.

Partners emphasized broader veteran‑family and military support goals — including spouse employment, school continuity for military children, defense economic adjustment grants and federal defense infrastructure programs — and recommended coordinating city and county strategy to pursue available Department of Defense and Texas Military Preparedness Commission grants tied to Fort Bliss resilience and infrastructure outside base gates.

Why it matters

County and partner speakers emphasized that improved marketing and a better centralized resource guide will help veterans find services quickly; they also argued that taking care of veterans and military families supports broader community and national security goals by improving recruitment and retention. Commissioners and staff asked the VSO and VAB to develop clearer feedback loops to the court, to provide a short client satisfaction survey, and to identify specific staffing and funding requests that could be considered during strategic planning and upcoming budget deliberations.

Ending

No funding decisions were made. Staff said the county will continue VCUSA marketing activities (airport messaging, event calendars, signage planning) and that the VSO will pursue TVC grant renewal and return with staffing requests or grant outcomes for commissioner consideration.