WASHINGTON -- Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi has announced the membership of a 15-person committee that will advise him on education and training programs run by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for veterans, military members and eligible dependents.
"Education and training are vital to improving the quality of life for veterans and service members, for their communities and for our country," Principi said. "This advisory committee will help VA ensure that it's providing benefits that veterans need, in ways that make sense."
VA provides education and training benefits to nearly 400,000 veterans, active duty military, reservists, members of the National Guard and eligible dependents. About 90 percent use their benefits for college and university-level courses.
The members of VA's advisory panel, formally known as the Veterans Advisory Committee on Education, will consult with Principi on all issues concerning the delivery of educational benefits and services to veterans, including recommending new programs and long-range planning and development. Their proposals may involve administrative and regulatory changes as well as legislative changes.
Committee members are appointed for a term of two or three years and may be reappointed by the secretary. The committee chair is Dr. Steve Kime of Clifton, Virginia.
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Membership
Advisory Committee on Education
· Steve Kime, Ph.D., Clifton, Va., Chairman. Director of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges, a consortium of over 1,300 universities and colleges. A U.S. Navy veteran of the Vietnam era and former professor at the U.S. Naval Academy.
· James Bombard, Port Jefferson, N.Y. Chief of the Bureau of Veterans Education. A former U.S. Army paratroop unit commander.
· Robert Clark, Alexandria, Va. Formerly the Montgomery GI Bill program manager for the Department of Defense.
· Michael P. Cline, Triangle, Va. Executive Director and CEO of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States. Retired master sergeant from the Ohio Air National Guard with 25 years service.
· Barry L. Cobb, Ph.D., Pensacola, Fla. Director of the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES). An Army Vietnam veteran.
· Sidney Daniels, Washington, D.C. Director of Veterans Employment for the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. An Army veteran who served in Vietnam, he is also a member of the Department of Labor's Advisory Committee on Veterans Employment and Training.
· Christopher A. Goodrich, Portland, Ore. Academic advisor and coordinator for the Office of Veterans Services at Portland State University. Former president of the National Association of Veteran Program Administrators.
· Russell Gorman, Danville, Calif. Graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and retired rear admiral. Held senior training positions in commercial shipping operations.
· David A. Guzman, Moscow, Idaho. Registrar of Washington State University. An Air Force veteran.
· Michael A. James, Tallahassee, Fla. Registrar of Florida A&M University. Former President of the Florida Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers.
· E. Keith Johnson, Mountain Home, Tenn. Veterans affairs coordinator at East Tennessee State University. A Gulf War veteran, he has served in both enlisted and officer ranks and on active duty, as well as in National Guard and reserve components.
· Leslie Lightfoot, Ashburnham, Mass. Founder and director of Veteran Hospice Homestead. A veteran of the Army Medical Corps who specialized in substance abuse and PTSD treatment for veterans.
· Oscar L. Mason, Memphis, Tenn. Regional Director of Tennessee Board of Probation/Parole. Former classroom teacher.
· Daniel M. Ortiz, Sacramento, Calif. Assistant department service officer with the VFW. An Army veteran of the Gulf War and member of Veterans Identity Program Advisory Board.
· Antoinette M. Stewart, Chicago. Veterans' representative at the Richard J. Daley College. Past president of the Association of Veteran Education Certifying Officials and member of St. Louis Regional processing office School Consulting Committee.
