Press Release  Executive Office of Veterans Services Host First-Ever Veterans Education Conference at Worcester State University

Worcester, MA — Worcester, MA—Yesterday, the Executive Office of Veterans Services (EOVS) hosted its first-ever Veterans Education Conference at Worcester State University. The event successfully brought together School Certifying Officials (SCOs), administrators involved in the lives of student veterans, and those who implement veteran education benefits across public and private institutions of higher learning in Massachusetts.  

"At EOVS, our mission is to cultivate a collaborative platform for stakeholders to exchange information, ideas, and best practices across institutions," said Secretary Jon Santiago. "Today is the start of our new commitment to better support our veterans seeking educational opportunities." 

The conference was facilitated by the office of Veterans Education, Employment, and Training (VEET) Office, launched in the summer of 2023. VEET’s program director, Mike Aldred, said the mission of VEET is to provide meaningful connections to education, training, and employment opportunities for Veteran and military-affiliated Massachusetts residents to support their educational and career goals. 

“I’m proud to facilitate a conversation that includes resources from across the Commonwealth and the country. By working together and sharing what we’ve learned through our individual experiences and efforts, we can continue to improve the Veteran education space for students and administrators alike,” said Mike Aldred, Veterans Education, Employment, and Training Director.  

The conference focused on various critical areas to provide universities the opportunity to build on their collaboration with state partners such as EOVS and the Department of Higher Education, including the curriculum approval process, funding for student veteran organizations, communication between administrations and those using student veteran benefits, engagement with Veteran Affairs (VA) education personnel, identifying student veteran wants and needs, evaluating existing support systems and providing employment opportunities after completion of academic programs. 

“I greatly appreciate the work of School Certifying Officials and Veterans support faculty on our campuses, who ensure that our student Veterans receive the benefits they have earned,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Noe Ortega. “I want to thank Secretary Santiago and the EOVS team for creating a space where these professionals can gather and collaborate on their crucial efforts to serve our student Veterans.” 

"As a state university committed to supporting active-duty students and veterans in pursuit of their education goals, Worcester State University is honored to be hosting this event for veteran service providers in the Commonwealth,” said Lois Wims, Ph.D. and Provost, Worcester State University. 

Insights from key stakeholders, including EOVS Deputy Director of Operations Gina Rada, Bristol Community College Veteran Center Director Denny Cosmo, Texas A&M Vet+ Map Program Director Jason Walker, Department of Higher Education State Approving Agency's George O’Connor, and representatives from the VA Veteran Experience Program, enriched the conference through guest presentations. 

###