VSD - Director’s Office
Dave Lewis
VSD Director
U.S. Air Force Colonel (Retired) Dave Lewis, served 29 years on active duty, and is a command pilot with over 3,100 flying hours in fighter and trainer aircraft. He has served in combat both on the ground and in the air. He has served in the European, Pacific, and Southwest Asian theaters, and worked with the US Army, the US Naval War College as a faculty member, and commander of a foreign fighter squadron.
Dave retired from the Air Force in December 2009, with his last duty as Commander, Air Force ROTC Detachment 820 at Texas Tech. During his time at Tech he was instrumental in the creation of the Strategic Studies graduate certificate program. He is the former President of the Veterans Resource Coordination Group, and the former Director of Veteran Services for StarCare Specialty Health executing grants from the state of Texas and VA that provide services to transitioning veterans, including emergency financial assistance, homeless and justice-involved veterans programs.
Jason Williams
VSD Deputy Director
Jason served in both the U.S. Navy and Army Intelligence and deployed in combat for Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he was awarded a Bronze Star Medal. Jason attended the University of Houston Downtown and graduated with a Bachelors in Finance, Masters in Communications Management from the University of Southern California, and is a LeadRICE alumni (Rice University), focused on Professional and Executive Programs.
Jason has had a passion to work with fellow Veterans in the Houston area since his active duty ended in 2010. His close connection with the Harris County community and knowledge in the veterans benefits has been a major asset in our daily operations. Jason continues to work with Harris County Veterans Department, individuals and organizations to provide a first class experience for Veterans and dependents who served the country.
James Cabarrus
Community Development Officer
James Cabarrus is a combat decorated U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Major (ret) with 23 years of leadership experience across various environments. James had led units in the infantry, artillery, recruiting and as the Senior Enlisted for Instillations abroad.
James has earned a Master of Public Administration from Troy University, an undergraduate degree in business management, and undergraduate certificates in strategic leadership and leading diverse teams. James also has years of experience as an adjunct instructor teaching resilience to professionals across multiple industries.
When James isn’t working he enjoys spending time with his family in the outdoors. James has a passion for hunting, fishing and camping that he enjoys sharing with his children James III and Josiah.
Chris Stevens
Quality Assurance Specialist
Chris was a Senior Non-commissioned officer with more than 20 years of service in the Air Force Security Forces and Inspector General’s Office, retiring from active duty in 2014. He brings his extensive experience in leadership, Law Enforcement, Security operations and compliance/inspection activities to our office.
Originally from the mountains in upstate New York, Chris has served in worldwide locations, and deployed multiple times throughout the Middle East/Southwest Asia.
After retiring from the Air Force, Chris worked in the railroad industry before traveling the country. He and his wife eventually settled in the Houston area where he returned to university and earned his degree in Business Management at the University of Houston at Clear Lake.
Chris spent years in the private sector but realized that his calling was to continue serving his brothers and sisters in the veteran community. He started working with justice involved veterans in both Harris and Galveston counties and finally joined the Harris County VSD team in 2022.
Jason Stansell
Financial Manager
Pasadena native, Jason Stansell is a career finance professional who has a keen eye for details. After Jason earned his Bachelors in Accounting from Harding University and MBA from the University of Houston Clear Lake, he has dramatically grown his experience in the financial management sector under Boeing, Sysco Foods, Exploreco and Harris County Community Services.
Jason joined the Harris County Veteran Services Department in 2023, and is has been an invaluable member of the team since then. He hopes to continue to serve the Harris County community, and develop his core skills in the financial management sector to serve veteran organizations.
Jason enjoys running, staying fit, and wood working on his spare time. You will also likely find him attending concerts, traveling and photographing beautiful places in the world.
Olga Huesca
Administrative Assistant
Houston raised and classically trained in the secretarial trade, Olga worked with the Paralyzed Veterans of America for more than 10 years before joining the Harris County VSO office.
As a mother of two, and having served hundreds of veterans through the years, she understands the importance of patience, and care to our community.
Joshua Jones
Digital Media Specialist
Former U.S. Army infantryman Josh Jones served in Tacoma, Washington and Vilseck, Germany from 2011 to 2015. As an soldier, Josh deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and worked along-side Special-Forces to conduct Civil Affairs based missions. He left the military in 2015 to pursue higher education but was called back to service again in support of the military as a forward deployed security contractor.
After his contract ended, Josh completed his Bachelor of Arts in mass communication with a concentration in film at Sam Houston State University.
Since graduation, he has become an award-winning filmmaker in both the Houston and Huntsville area film scenes.
His passion for helping veterans never left his mind and with his years of experience in film and digital media, Josh jumped at the chance to join the VSD and give back to the community the best way he knows how.
Henry Chan
Public Affairs Officer
Former U.S. Army Captain Henry Chan was honorably discharged in 2015 primarily serving in the Europe, Afghanistan and the Continental U.S. As a military public affairs officer, he has overseen communications programs, and worked with press during the Ebola Crisis, 2014 Crimean Invasion, Retrograde Operations in Afghanistan and more.
After leaving the military, Henry honed his skill with digital communications in the private sector, oil and gas industry, and the maritime salvage industry before joining the VSD team.
Henry has a passion to serve his fellow veterans, and with more than 15 years of experience in media, mass communications, and digital communications solutions, he helps keep the Harris County Veteran Community informed and in touch.
Matt Walton
Grant Writer
Matt is a Houston native with a passion for serving and has a lifetime of experience serving the Harris County community. With a passion for serving,
Matt was employed helping people of all ages in acute mental health crises in a hospitalized setting.
At the same time, Matt served his community by cleaning up and rehabilitating homes after multiple natural disasters. In 2022, Matt made the transition to the PTSD Foundation of America to help veterans struggling with PTSD. He worked with all parts of the business to facilitate projects and create long-lasting relationships with the community and local businesses.
In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and 2 dogs. They love to spend time outside, paddling the river, camping, or taking their side-by-side out on the trails.
