County Councilman Perrone: Revitalizing and Restructuring the Harford County Commission on Veterans Affairs

From Harford County Councilman Mike Perrone Jr.:

Over the course of the past 15 months, Council Member “Capt’n” Jim McMahan and his Legislative Aide, Debbie Button took on the task to revitalize and restructure, at the request of the County Executive, the Harford County Commission on Veterans Affairs. The commission consists of 16 members appointed by the County Executive. Eight of these members are veterans. These commission members may also belong to many of the other veterans’ organizations such as Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, Disabled Veterans of America, The Military Order of the Purple Heart, or one of the many others.

The County Executive also appoints four commission members who are members of the general public and who may or may not be associated with the military. The County Council appoints one member to serve on the commission. The current Council chose Capt’n Jim, who served for many years in the US Army before his retirement. Also included on the commission is the Garrison Commander of Aberdeen Proving Ground (or a designee), a representative from Harford Community College who is familiar with veterans’ educational issues and finally a member of the Harford County Chamber of Commerce.

The commission has several tasks. It establishes a forum for Harford County veterans of military service. It coordinates and maintains communication among county and municipal governments, businesses, and veterans of the county. It provides assistance, guidance, and information to the business, academic, and government communities to ensure there is adequate consideration of veterans in employment, education, training, and public programs.

The Commission meets on the first Thursday of every month at 6:30 PM in the first floor meeting room of the Harford County Administrative Office Building located at 220 South Bond Street, Bel Air. We invite all present and former members of our military to attend these meetings to find out what services are available to assist our veterans and their families.

For more information or to find out how you or your organization can help Harford County veterans, please send an email to vetcommission@harfordcountymd.gov. We look forward to seeing you at the next meeting on April 7.