Menominee County seeks veteran for Veterans Service Commission vacancy

Menominee County was looking for a veteran to fill a vacancy on its Veterans Service Commission, a seat that carries more than ceremonial weight because the panel helps decide how aid is furnished, how the annual budget is shaped and how veteran services are organized countywide.

The county board asked interested veterans to send a letter of interest outlining their recognized ability and demonstrated interest in serving veterans. The deadline was April 15, 2026, and the board was scheduled to appoint a new commissioner at its April 21 meeting at 5 p.m. The term would run through December 2029.

State law limits the seat to a Menominee County resident who is also a veteran. That requirement matters in a county of about 360 square miles, where residents spread across a rural landscape may rely heavily on local access to services and a commissioner who understands the daily realities of military service, disability claims and benefits paperwork.

The Veterans Service Commission is tied closely to the county’s Veterans Services Department and Veterans Service Office, but it does not run the office day to day. Wisconsin Statute 45.81 says the county veterans service officer serves as executive secretary of the commission and makes or directs eligibility investigations when the commission requests them. In practice, that means the commission and office work together on aid and eligibility decisions rather than in a simple supervisor-and-staff relationship.

Menominee County’s Veterans Services Department says its mission is to inform and educate veterans, their dependents and their beneficiaries about available state, federal and local benefits, and to help complete the necessary applications. The Veterans Service Office describes itself as a direct link between veterans and agencies such as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. For veterans trying to navigate claims, compensation, education benefits or other assistance, the commission’s role helps shape how quickly and effectively those services reach the people who need them.

Current members listed on the county’s Veterans Commission page were Eva Johnson and Ben Warrington. The county board’s April calendar showed Warrington as chair and Johnson as vice-chair, alongside Eugene Caldwell, Douglas Cox Sr., Kristah Warrington, Sandra Wescott-Gauthier and Dawn M. Wilber. The vacancy gives the county a chance to add another veteran’s voice to a board that affects access, representation and trust for Menominee County veterans.