See you there!
Come out for a free consult with our VA and TVC certified VSOs to optimize your veteran benefits!
If you had ever wondered if you are taking full advantage of your veteran benefits, had questions on applications, VA rating reviews or even on benefits that we may know of, come out to see us:
Friday
11th August, 2023 - 10am-1pm
Cavalcade Community Center
3815 Cavalcade St, Houston, Tx 77026
Attending Veteran Service Officers (VSO):
Miguel Rodriguez
Veteran Service Officer Supervisor
Houston native Miguel Rodriguez served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2008 to 2012 as a Legal/Administration Specialist. After his honorable discharge, he was accepted at the University of Houston where he stayed active with veteran organizations. Miguel joined the Wounded Warrior Project, Lone Star Veterans Association, UH Downtown Student Veteran Organization, and graduated Cum Laude with a Criminal Justice Major and a Communications Minor in 2015.
Miguel initially joined the Harris County team with the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department, but soon joined the Harris County Community Services Department as a Veteran Program Eligibility Specialist (Case Manager) in 2015. Miguel was transferred to the Veteran Services Office, and was promoted to a Veteran Service Officer by the Commissioners Court in 2018.
With hundreds of veterans served over the years, Miguel is one of our most experienced veteran service officers. While he specializes in Disability Compensation, Pension, and appeal cases, he has experience in almost every field of veteran services and the Harris County network. in 2019, Miguel was awarded the Legion of Honor Award by the Chapel of Four Chaplains, and also recognized by the Veterans County Service Officer Association of Texas for his hard work and dedication to the Veteran Community.
Dominique Brewer
Veteran Service Officer
Dominique is a native Texan who served as a U.S. Air Force Security Forces/Military Police specialist. After 8 years of service, and deployment to Afghanistan under Operation Enduring Freedom, she was honorably discharged in 2012
During her time in the Inactive Ready Reserve (IRR), she continued to serve as a civilian under the Department of the Army and the Department of Defense in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kuwait in support of the U.S. troops on numerous operating bases throughout the Middle East.
In 2015, Dominique settled in Harris County, Texas and attended college at Lone Star College where she became a Veteran Mentor. She was also accepted to University of Houston – Downtown Alumni received a Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies
Dominique served the veteran community as a Certifying Official for Veterans Education benefits at Lone Star College. She also assisted Veterans and their families entitled to federal or state education benefits through the Department of the VA official all while attending school.
Her passion to serve veterans further show in her memberships as:
· Wounded Warrior Alumni
· UHD alumni
· Student Veterans Association (Lone star College and UHD)
· Combined Arms Institute
· Women’s Veterans Organizations
Kelly Haese
Veteran Services Officer
With nearly 20 years of experience dealing with Veteran-related care, documents, claims and benefits, Kelly is one of our accredited and experienced Veteran Services Officers. As a Houston and Harris County Native, she also knows our unique geographical challenges and solutions.
Kelly began working for Harris County Precinct 2 Veterans Services in, 2004 as a liaison between veterans and the VA Medical Center. Subsequently, her success earned her a promotion and expanded her expertise with veterans, surviving spouses, and dependents on Pension benefits and Burial benefits.
As an accredited VSO, Kelly’s expertise helps veterans in the greater Harris County area with their disability claims and appeals, along with her other expertise from the past years.
John Aparicio
Veterans Case Manager
John served in the USAF Security Forces with extensive experience in law enforcement and security operations. He spent most of his time in Germany and deployed to Afghanistan as a VIP security detail member. John protected the highest-ranking NATO military leaders in Europe. He later resumed security forces duties at JBMDL in New Jersey.
During his last year in service and leading into the initial separation period, he set aside much of his professional aspirations to care for his aging family members in California. John continued his service while here to the veteran community with the San Luis Obispo County Veterans Services Office.
John’s nature of always striving for the best in himself and the best for his community pushed him to initially volunteer his time to serve the local veteran community in between his college classes. He later ended up as a staff member and coordinated all outreach activities.
In his community outreach role, John coordinated all annual veteran stand downs, and service fairs, giving a vital rally point for veterans in the SLO County location. John’s hard work successfully connected and integrated his entire community’s veterans with the scattered array of veteran services.
After he completed his degree in Correctional Program Support, John joined the Harris County Veterans Services Department as a Veteran Coordinator.
John’s specialty around social work (focused on the justice system) places John as a vital part of the VSD outreach team to serve veterans who need assistance the most. His outgoing, always vigilant, and frequently problem-solving personality as the former VIP protection detail member exponentially increases our outreach team’s capacity to serve veterans in need.