Washoe County approves $139,000 agreement to place two Veterans Service Officers with Nevada Department of Veterans Services
October 28, 2025 | Washoe County, Nevada
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Washoe County commissioners voted unanimously Oct. 28 to transfer remaining federal recovery funds to the Nevada Department of Veterans Services (NDVS) to place two accredited Veterans Service Officers (VSOs) serving Washoe County.
Commissioner Clara Andreola moved to reallocate the remaining funds from a previously awarded $150,000 grant to Nation's Finest; Gabrielle Enfield, Community Reinvestment Manager, said $139,000 remains and will be used to fund the NDVS positions through Sept. 2026. Commissioner Jeanne Garcia seconded the motion. The board approved the agreement unanimously.
"This is the first time we've done one of these, but it is one of the ways we can reallocate funds," Gabrielle Enfield told the board, describing the work that NDVS will carry out. Romel Ferrer, deputy director for benefits at NDVS, said two additional VSOs will be a "huge force multiplier" and help serve Nevada's roughly 215,000 veterans by assisting with benefits, interment services and coordination with veterans' facilities.
Why it matters: County-funded VSOs help veterans apply for earned federal benefits, navigate claims and access local services. Enfield said Nation's Finest struggled to staff the positions and county staff and state partners found NDVS better positioned to deliver the services.
Details: Enfield said the county originally awarded $150,000 to Nation's Finest in September 2024; $139,000 of those funds remain and will be granted to NDVS to support the same activities through Sept. 2026. The motion passed unanimously.
Public comment and community reaction: Pamela Baker, a U.S. Air Force veteran, and others praised the action. Baker said she was launching a fundraising challenge to help make the program permanent and announced she would match up to $65,000 toward that effort.
Implementation: Enfield said the NDVS will coordinate schedules so VSOs rotate through locations, including the CARES campus and other community sites, to provide services across the county. The board asked county staff to work with NDVS and local partners to finalize operational details.
Commissioner Clara Andreola moved to reallocate the remaining funds from a previously awarded $150,000 grant to Nation's Finest; Gabrielle Enfield, Community Reinvestment Manager, said $139,000 remains and will be used to fund the NDVS positions through Sept. 2026. Commissioner Jeanne Garcia seconded the motion. The board approved the agreement unanimously.
"This is the first time we've done one of these, but it is one of the ways we can reallocate funds," Gabrielle Enfield told the board, describing the work that NDVS will carry out. Romel Ferrer, deputy director for benefits at NDVS, said two additional VSOs will be a "huge force multiplier" and help serve Nevada's roughly 215,000 veterans by assisting with benefits, interment services and coordination with veterans' facilities.
Why it matters: County-funded VSOs help veterans apply for earned federal benefits, navigate claims and access local services. Enfield said Nation's Finest struggled to staff the positions and county staff and state partners found NDVS better positioned to deliver the services.
Details: Enfield said the county originally awarded $150,000 to Nation's Finest in September 2024; $139,000 of those funds remain and will be granted to NDVS to support the same activities through Sept. 2026. The motion passed unanimously.
Public comment and community reaction: Pamela Baker, a U.S. Air Force veteran, and others praised the action. Baker said she was launching a fundraising challenge to help make the program permanent and announced she would match up to $65,000 toward that effort.
Implementation: Enfield said the NDVS will coordinate schedules so VSOs rotate through locations, including the CARES campus and other community sites, to provide services across the county. The board asked county staff to work with NDVS and local partners to finalize operational details.
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