State employee veterans honored at Capitol ceremony; names added to Medal of Honor monument

Thousands of state employees, veterans and partners gathered in the Columbia Room at the Washington State Capitol on Nov. 11, 2024, as the Washington State Veteran Employee Resource Group (VERG) held its Veterans Day recognition event and prepared to unveil four names on the Medal of Honor monument.

John Pestinger, former chair of the VERG, opened the program, thanked partners and sponsors and described the group's mission ‘‘to recruit, retain and recognize veterans, their spouses and families in service with the state of Washington.’’ He invited attendees to the formal posting of the colors by the Seventh Infantry Division and acknowledged support from the Department of Enterprise Services and media partners including TVW.

VERG executive sponsor Abul Nivelle, assistant director at the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs, delivered the keynote and traced the group’s creation to Governer Inslee’s executive order. Nivelle urged continued collaboration across agencies and community partners to ease transitions from military to civilian work and previewed the monument name unveilings planned for the Capitol campus.

Sarah McLeod, chair of the statewide VERG, described programs the group runs, including a mentorship program for transitioning service members and the ‘‘spotlight on success’’ awards that recognize outstanding military-connected employees. ‘‘Together, we build a future where veterans and their families thrive in fulfilling careers,’’ McLeod said.

Cammie Feek, commissioner at the Employment Security Department, told attendees that the department employs about 2,300 people, of whom 171 identify as veterans and 37 as military spouses, and described WorkSource offices’ targeted services and a digital literacy program for veterans and spouses. ‘‘We train staff to help military members combat barriers they commonly experience to finding work after their service,’’ Feek said.

Multiple veterans offered first-person accounts of service and transition. Devon Brim, who now works as a human resources consultant, said the VERG helped him find community and career support after leaving active duty. Ronnie Raymond, a 21-year Army veteran and military spouse, described multiple deployments and praised programs such as SkillBridge that eased his move into civilian employment. Beth Bubbles Cram, VERG co-chair, spoke about the particular challenges women veterans face—citing difficulties accessing benefits and persistent mental-health concerns—and urged continued attention to gaps in services.

Program materials listed four Medal of Honor recipients whose names were to be unveiled on the Capitol’s Medal of Honor monument: Edward Alsworth, James Sweatt, Kyle White and Ronald Shurer II. Pestinger explained that monument inclusion recognizes recipients with ties to Washington and that the ceremony would continue outdoors with wreath placement at the Winged Victory Monument followed by the unveiling at the Medal of Honor monument.

The event mixed formal recognition, personal stories and practical information on employment supports. Organizers encouraged uniformed service members and veterans in attendance to engage with VERG mentorship resources and with state hiring and transition programs. After the indoor program concluded, participants prepared to march to nearby monuments to lay wreaths and complete the unveilings.