Director Hollier: 'Honoring the promises we made'
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first in a series of videos and stories featuring Adam Hollier, the new director of the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA). Watch the video here.
After 10 years of serving veterans, the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) will strive to do an even better job of supporting those who have chosen country over self, the new director of the state agency says.
Director Adam Hollier, appointed to the position by Gov. Whitmer starting Jan. 1, said he's excited about the opportunity to serve his fellow veterans and service members. Hollier is a paratrooper and a captain in the Army Reserve.
"No part of this country has done a good enough job of honoring the people who serve us," said Hollier, a former state senator from Detroit. "And so now is the opportunity to do that."
Among his priorities: addressing veteran suicide and homelessness.
"We're going to make sure that veterans in the state of Michigan no longer feel like suicide is the right option," he said. "We've got a lot to do in this state and in this country to make sure we honor the promises we made, which is that veterans have housing, preferential employment opportunities, medical coverage" and other benefits.
Getting veterans connected to VA health care and to benefits under the recently passed PACT Act is a priority, he added.
"I'm excited about being able to do that and grateful for the opportunity that Governor Whitmer gave me to serve in this role," Hollier said.
Established in 2013, the MVAA is the state's central coordinating point for Michigan's more than 550,000 veterans and their families. Call us at 1-800-MICH-VET (1-800-642-4838) to get connected to the benefits you earned. All of our services are confidential and complimentary.
New VFW initiative to safeguard toxic-exposed veterans
The VFW has launched a PACT Act Info initiative, an effort to educate toxic-exposed veterans on the expansion of benefits brought on by the passage of the PACT Act and streamline trusted access to securing those benefits.
Since the historic Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022 was signed into law last August, an onslaught of phone, email and social media scams have targeted veterans with the promise of help accessing PACT Act benefits, but for a fee.
PACT Act Info is the VFW's latest effort to safeguard veterans, offering a tool to quickly and easily determine benefits eligibility and streamlining direct referrals to VFW Accredited Service Officers who provide free, expert assistance in filing for VA benefits.
Read more at VFW.
Law expands VA program for veterans to buy modified vehicles
Under a new law signed by President Biden this month, veterans who need modified vehicles to get around will be eligible for an automobile grant from the VA every 10 years.
Previously, the VA would only allow one purchase across a veterans' lifetime.
Retired Army Chief Warrant Officer Neal Williams has owned several vehicles in the last 25 years that were modified to accommodate his wheelchair and let him drive with hand controls. For his first vehicle, Williams, who is paralyzed as the result of a combat injury in Vietnam, used a one-time grant from the VA and drove it more than 250,000 miles, until it fell apart.
"I've worn out several vehicles. This legislation allows veterans with mobility issues to be able to get their medical care and go about their normal daily routines that they otherwise wouldn't be able to on their own," Williams said in an interview with Military.com from his home in rural Maine.
Read the full story in Military.com.
Learn more about VA automobile allowance and adaptive equipment.
Calls to veteran suicide hotline spiked over New Year's
The number of calls from veterans and their family members to the Veterans Affairs suicide prevention hotline spiked over the New Year's holiday, news that department officials are saying shows increase awareness and accessibility of the emergency service, Military Times is reporting.
Over the two-day weekend, the Veterans Crisis Line fielded 3,869 calls, up almost 19% from typical weekend levels so far this fiscal year, according to data released by department officials.
Compared to the New Year's Eve 2021 and New Year's Day 2022, the call volume each day was up almost 30%. Chat interactions were up 25% from a year ago, and text conversations with crisis line operators were up 75% from the previous New Year's holiday.
If you're a veteran in crisis or concerned about one, call the Veterans Crisis Line at 988 and press 1; text 838255; or chat online confidentially at www.veteranscrisisline.net.
Ford becomes latest Gold-level Veteran-Friendly Employer
Ford Motor Company has become just the 23rd employer in Michigan to be certified as a Gold-level Veteran-Friendly Employer (VFE) through the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency.
The prestigious Gold designation has been granted to just 4.2% of the more than 540 VFEs across the state for their commitment to recruiting, training and retaining veterans and National Guard and Reserve members.
Ford employs some 6,000 veterans and supports them with its Veteran Network Group, an employee resource group that focuses on the company's mission of helping current and former service members. This group provides holistic support programs to help veterans return to civilian life or continue to build their careers after their time in the military is up.
Read the full story at michigan.gov/MVAA.
Learn more about Ford's veteran programs, including open positions.
Judges skeptical that employer required to allow veteran's service dog
A U.S. appeals court panel on Tuesday seemed hesitant to revive a Union Pacific Railroad engineer's claim that he should be able to bring his service dog to work to prevent migraines and anxiety caused by his military service.
Judges on an 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel in St. Louis expressed concerns that a ruling in favor of the engineer, Perry Hopman, could open employers up to a flood of lawsuits claiming they violated federal law by denying accommodations that would mitigate symptoms of workers' disabilities.
Hopman, a former combat flight medic who served in Iraq and Kosovo, says he developed a traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder from his service that interfered with his ability to work.
Union Pacific in 2016 denied his request to bring his Rottweiler to work, citing potential safety hazards. Hopman in a 2018 lawsuit said the presence of the dog, which had been trained as a service animal, helped prevent his migraines and anxiety.
A jury in 2021 sided with Hopman, but a federal judge in Little Rock, Arkansas last year tossed out the verdict and dismissed the case.
Read the full story in Reuters.
IF YOU OR A LOVED ONE
ARE IN CRISIS:The Veterans Crisis Line is staffed by caring, qualified crisis responders who are there to help. Many of these responders are veterans themselves.
Online Resources
LEAN ON US:
Call 1-800-MICH-VET
(1-800-642-4838)
Visit Michigan.gov/MVAA
Follow Us on Social Media
This email was sent to jmc001@ameritech.net using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Michigan Department of Military & Veterans Affairs · 3411 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. · Lansing, MI 48906
Thursday, January 12, 2023
New VFW initiative to safeguard toxic-exposed veterans Fw: Michigan Veterans News & Resources for Jan. 12, 2023
Thursday, January 5, 2023
Whitmer Signs Bill To Create State Funded Veterans Cemetery. Michigan Veterans News & Resources for Jan. 5, 2023
Adam Hollier takes the reins as MVAA director
Adam Hollier, a captain in the Army Reserve and former state senator, became director of the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) on Jan. 1.
Hollier was appointed to the top position of the state agency by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. He replaces Zaneta Adams, who served for three and a half years as director of the MVAA.
Hollier, who will talk about his plans for the agency in the coming weeks, is a lifelong Detroiter and a proud graduate of Detroit Public Schools. He earned a bachelor's degree in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University, where he played safety on the football team and was a decathlete, and also served as a volunteer firefighter in Ithaca, New York, while finishing his degree. He went on to earn a master's degree in urban planning from the University of Michigan.
The spirit of service is deeply instilled in Hollier, which led him to enlist in the U.S. Army. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant at Officer Candidate School in Fort Benning, Georgia, and currently serves as team chief and paratrooper in the 412th Civil Affairs Battalion, Army Reserve.
Hollier's journey of service has taken him around the country, including a stint as relief coordinator during Hurricane Katrina. He returned home and served in public service roles in the state Legislature and City of Detroit. He was instrumental in developing policies that protected senior citizens and facilitating the installation of 64,000 new lights to make Detroit neighborhoods safer.
He was elected to the state Senate in 2018, representing Wayne County's 2nd District, which includes Detroit, the Grosse Pointes, Hamtramck, Harper Woods and Highland Park. As senator, he secured funding and gained bipartisan support for critical programs including career readiness, business development, mentoring and education initiatives. He also championed greater voting access, licensing, tuition assistance and the expansion of state veterans' homes for service members and their families.
Hollier was named to Michigan Chronicle's 40 under 40 in 2013, Crain's 20 in their 20s in 2015 and the Michigan Chronicle Men of Excellence in 2021.
He lives in Detroit's North End with his wife and two children. He spends his spare time training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and woodworking.
Whitmer signs bill to create state-funded veterans cemetery
A member of the 110th Wing Honor Guard stands at Fort Custer National Cemetery. Photo: U.S. Air National Guard
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently signed a bill will allow for the creation of a veterans cemetery in Michigan in either the counties of Crawford or Presque Isle, according to MLive. That cemetery would be designated and administered by the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
SB 971 was sponsored by Sen. Curt VanderWall, R-Ludington.
Michigan currently has two national veterans cemeteries located in the Southern Lower Peninsula – one at Fort Custer National Cemetery in Augusta and the other at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly – though the cemetery detailed in VanderWall's bill would be Michigan's first state-funded veterans cemetery.
"As our population ages, and we see more and more veterans passing away, they should have the opportunity to have their final resting place that is close to their families while allowing them to be honored for their service by internment in a veteran cemetery," VanderWall said at a June 23 Senate Appropriations Committee meeting.
VBA to hire thousands of employees to speed up benefits claims processing
The Department of Veterans Affairs expects to keep growing its benefits division's workforce through the end of the fiscal year, now that it's able to tackle a trove of veterans' claims that's been growing since the summer, the Federal News Network is reporting.
The VA on Jan. 1 started processing all claims submitted under the PACT Act, which enables a historic expansion of eligibility for VA health care and benefits. To learn more about filing a claim under the PACT Act, visit the VA's website or call 1-800-698-2411 (TTY: 711).
The legislation, signed into law by President Joe Biden in August, is expected to bring an additional 3.5 million veterans into VA care.
Acting Undersecretary for Benefits Josh Jacobs told reporters in a late December briefing that the Veterans Benefits Administration is "actively working to hire more" employees through fiscal 2023.
Jacobs said VBA is using new PACT Act authorities and funding to hire an additional 1,900 employees in the first half of fiscal 2023. The agency, he added, has already completed onboarding steps for about 40% of its target workforce.
Judge says 3M can't escape liability in earplug lawsuits
A federal judge recently told 3M that it may not use "bad faith manipulation" to avoid its responsibility in a slew of cases against the multinational conglomerate for its allegedly defective earplugs.
In a sharply worded order issued on Dec. 22, U.S. District Judge M. Casey Rodgers, the Pensacola, Florida-based judge where the nearly 250,000 lawsuits against 3M are being overseen, said the company deserved the "harshest penalty" for its effort to shift liability for hearing damage suffered by veterans to a subsidiary.
"3M purposely engaged in a nearly four-year campaign to establish itself as the sole responsible party for [earplug] claims, then abruptly reversed course when that narrative no longer suited its strategic objectives," Rodgers wrote.
According to the judge's order, 3M's recent move came after it already awarded nearly $300,000,000 to 13 plaintiffs over the course of 16 "bellwether trials."
Read the full story in Military Times.
Career exploration and job boards
It's a great time to search for a new job, but knowing where to start can be difficult. As our colleagues at Veterans' Employment Services point out, in addition to making real connections and networking, career exploration sites are a great starting point.
Pathfinder, Michigan's free, online career exploration tool, uses current labor market, wage and institutional data to help you create an individualized career roadmap.
This free tool provides information to help you make informed choices about your educational and career options. Create your roadmap at Pathfinder.MiTalent.org.
Another great resource for your job hunt is job boards. Job boards have changed substantially in the last few years and are more prevalent than ever. But some are better than others, especially for professional-level candidates.
We highly recommend you start with Pure Michigan Talent Connect (MiTalent.org), Michigan's labor exchange. Employers on the website go through a verification process and veterans receive first access to all jobs listed. Just create a free job seeker account and identify yourself as a veteran to get access to all jobs listed 24 hours before they are open to the public.
Some other recommended sites include:
- Indeed
- Glassdoor
- Monster
- Zip Recruiter
- Career Builder
Don't forget to ALWAYS customize your resume and cover letter to suit the specific position and criteria listed in the job description.
For more ideas on your job search, visit us at for more strategies on job search, visit MichiganWorks! Association and MiTalent.org.
IF YOU OR A LOVED ONE
ARE IN CRISIS:The Veterans Crisis Line is staffed by caring, qualified crisis responders who are there to help. Many of these responders are veterans themselves.
Online Resources
LEAN ON US:
Call 1-800-MICH-VET
(1-800-642-4838)
Visit Michigan.gov/MVAA
Follow Us on Social Media
This email was sent to jmc001@ameritech.net using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Michigan Department of Military & Veterans Affairs · 3411 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. · Lansing, MI 48906
Thursday, December 22, 2022
Annual Compensation Benefits Increase
New VA Payment Rates for Veterans and Beneficiaries
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Veterans Benefits Administration
VA Benefit Payment Rates Increase
The Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for VA disability compensation benefits programs became effective on December 1, 2022. The 8.7% COLA increase is for the calendar year 2023.
Veterans and beneficiaries receiving VA disability compensation will notice an increase in their monthly payments, starting January 1, 2023. This annual increase impacts disability benefits, clothing allowance, Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), as well as other VA assistance programs. If you do not see a difference in the amount, you should contact the VA regional office near you.
To ask questions about applying for VA disability benefits or appealing a VA decision, reach out to a VA-accredited representative today.
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