Minnesota State to Host Statewide Veterans Services Conference

Posted: September 19, 2016

Contact: Doug Anderson, doug.anderson@MinnState.edu, 651-201-1426

Minnesota State to Host Statewide Veterans Services Conference
Minnesota’s collaboration is a model other regions around the country work to emulate

ST. PAUL, Minn., Sept. 19, 2016 – Minnesota State will host a conference for veteran service providers with a goal of further improving services to those Minnesotans who have served our country.

The conference, which will take place Friday, October 7, 2016 at St. Cloud State University, will focus on improving communication and collaboration among individuals and organizations that serve veterans. The agenda features speakers from a wide variety of agencies and service providers including Minnesota State, the National Guard, the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, the Minnesota Department of Military Affairs, and the U.S. Department of Labor. Keynote addresses will be delivered by:

  • Brigadier General Sandy Best, the chief of staff of the Minnesota Air National Guard and the first female general in the history of the Minnesota National Guard
  • John Kriesel, a former Minnesota legislator, author, and decorated veteran who has been awarded the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and the Combat Infantryman Badge
  • Federal and state legislators discussing the landscape of federal and state veteran initiatives

Minnesota State is hosting the conference because it has special expertise in this area, as it serves 10,500 veterans every year with veteran-friendly policies and support services that make higher education accessible and affordable.  These policies include translating skills and training that veterans acquired during their service to our country into credentials they can use to further their civilian career.

“The colleges and universities of Minnesota State take great pride in serving more veterans than all other higher education alternatives in the state combined,” said Chancellor Steven Rosenstone.  “We are pleased to be hosting this tremendously important conference and we look forward to sharing best practices with colleagues across the state who offer other critical services to veterans.”

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Minnesota State, formerly known as Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, includes 30 community and technical colleges and seven state universities serving approximately 400,000 students. It is the fifth-largest higher education system in the United States.