Polk County on Wednesday formally introduced Joe Bell as the county’s new veteran service officer and heard officials say the office’s work is returning significant federal benefit dollars to the local economy.

Brent DeMoe, director of the county Family and Community Outreach (FCO) department, said the county hired Bell and moved the veteran service office under Program Manager Stephanie Gilbert to improve consistency after a staffing reduction. "One of the things we did is we hired mister Joe Bell," DeMoe said during the presentation.

Bell described his outreach approach and early caseload figures. "Of the 114 claims I’ve filed, 58 have already had positive outcomes," he told commissioners, reporting a monthly award value of about $147,000 and a retroactive total of roughly $390,000 tied to recent decisions. He said the county is on pace to clear about $3.1 million through the VSO program in 2025 if trends continue.

Bell emphasized in‑person outreach across the county and integrating VSO work with other county resources so veterans can access housing, food boxes and other supports while waiting on VA processes. "I’m willing and available to travel anywhere in the county to meet veterans," he said.

Commissioners asked about performance measures. A commissioner asked for key performance indicators beyond raw outputs, suggesting quarterly tracking of contacts, appointment wait times and outcomes to support future resource requests. Bell and DeMoe said the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs (ODVA) requires quarterly reports and certain KPIs, but county staff will augment ODVA data with local reporting and stories to better reflect outcomes.

DeMoe and Gilbert also noted operational changes: the veteran service office now has staff on site Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and a connector team will help address immediate needs so veterans are not pushed weeks out for appointments.

Votes at a glance: The board unanimously approved the meeting agenda, the Nov. 26 minutes and the consent calendar earlier in the session; those procedural items were moved, seconded and recorded as passed without recorded dissent.

The board did not take further formal action on veteran services during the meeting; staff said they will provide additional data to commissioners and can supply past ODVA reports on request.