“I couldn’t be more pleased,” Presiding Common Pleas Court Judge Noah Powers said.
What used to be tense, all-day meetings where little business was actually accomplished — things like salary studies and travel policies lay dormant — have become pleasant affairs with joking and, yes, finished business. The vet board is charged with helping veterans access their benefits, offering emergency financial assistance and providing medical appointment transportation and more.
Powers will pick from three Disabled American Veterans candidates to replace retiring Commissioner Ken Smith.
Powers plans Monday to interview Aaron Cunningham, who is active in several posts; Gulf War Army veteran David Reed, II and former vet board member Paul Wagers.
The mantra of Powers’ predecessor, retired Judge Patricia Oney, when looking for an ideal candidate to appoint was someone who could play well with others on the once-dysfunctional panel. Powers said that is a factor but not the only one.
“I’m looking for somebody who is collegial, I ‘m looking for somebody who is committed to veterans’ causes and to the mission of the Veterans Service Commission,” he said. “I think all three candidates demonstrate those kinds of things. It’s a matter of choosing who best exemplifies those things.”
Smith has been on the vet board for 15 years, and he said his age was the deciding factor in his decision to step down.
“I’m 81 and if I reapplied, I’d be 86,” he said. “Let’s just have younger people, and I’m talking in their 60s.”
The vet board and others have said that a group of old men making decisions on a budget that impacts today's military isn't necessarily representative of the people they serve. One of the applicants, Reed is 47 years old, both Cunningham and Wagers are 68.
All three men say they are passionate about helping veterans. Reed said his relative youth and dedication to the entire veteran population are qualities needed on the vet board.
“We need the younger voice, and we also need the younger voice for the people coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq,” he said. “Just like the Vietnam guys of today, when they came back they had to contend with World War II guys and the Korean guys, which the older ones didn’t agree with the Vietnam guys.”
One point of contention on the vet board has been about advertising. Smith staunchly opposed it because he doesn’t think it will work. Commissioner Lowell Stewart used to side with Smith but now agrees with the board that they need to reach more vets.
Wagers said he can back newspaper ads, and maybe radio, but no television. He also said they can reach more vets by using the newsletters the posts send out.
“I’m an organizer and I’m a team player,” he said. “I think we can accomplish a lot of things if we all put our heads and minds together on what we want to accomplish.”
A year ago Oney had to sift through applications from 18 candidates for the at-large seat vacated by former board president Fred Southard. He stepped down amid allegations that he was creating a hostile work environment for the agency's executive director, Caroline Bier.
Powers said Southard was the last nomination that the entire common pleas court gave a confirmation vote on. Now the decision is his alone.
Powers said he isn’t sure the judiciary should be in charge of the appointment, but he also doesn’t know who should be and state mandates trump everything.
The commissioner terms on the Veterans Service Commission rotate annually with each commissioner serving five years. When former commissioner Tom Stamper's term was up and he was reappointed, the service organizations cried foul.
Oney sent a letter to the three American Legion Posts, but in the notifications, Oney left out the requirement that each post was to send in three names — no more and no less — for consideration, in accordance with the law.
After she received four names — Stamper turned in his own application — and no formal recommendation from Hamilton and two from West Chester, she rescinded Stamper's reappointment and ordered the do-over. Stamper tried to skirt the rules by switching his membership to the Middletown post but was called out on that. Current board President Tom Jeffers was ultimately named.
Stamper was part of what used to be a block of three — along with Smith and Stewart — pitted against former commissioners Dan Biondo and Bob Perry. At issue was former executive director Curt McPherson, who was accused of bullying and sued over racial slurs. Biondo and Perry wanted him fired but the others staunchly supported him.
McPherson eventually resigned in the face of the lawsuit filed by a former employee and after Prosecutor Mike Gmoser — who has had to step in on several issues — made his presence known.
Smith said he liked McPherson and thought he was smart. However, he said Bier is by far the best.
“She is the most dedicated and involved, totally dedicated to the veterans, more so than all the others…,” he said. “ I went through four directors in 15 years, and she is the one that will do more good than all four of them together.”
Cunningham said he wants to make sure other veterans don’t go through what he did trying to get his disability reinstated with the Veterans Administration. Cunningham has been involved with veterans organizations since he moved to Ohio in 1994 and has been commander and vice commander at several posts.
Reviewing the three applications the judge said his decision won’t be easy.
“I guess I have my work cut out for me,” he said.
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