A rural Janesville man was elected president of the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers and a Mankato man received recognition during the organization’s annual business meeting and training summit this month in Madison, Wisconsin.
As NACVSO’s new president Chris Hinton, Waseca County’s veterans service officer, is responsible for leading the veterans advocacy organization’s approximately 1,800 members. He had been serving as NACVSO’s first vice president before he was named president.
“I am honored and excited to take the helm of this organization that represents those who serve our veterans,” Hinton stated in a NACVSO press release.
His duties include assisting Waseca County’s veterans and their families in accessing VA services and benefits, preparing veteran claims for service-connected disabilities and helping surviving spouses with matters related to their VA benefits.
Hinton is a Navy veteran who served from 2000 to 2005.
McLaughlin honored
Blue Earth County’s veterans service officer was honored June 5 during NACVSO’s opening ceremonies at the organization’s annual gathering.
Michael McLaughlin was presented the Anne Knowles Distinguished County Veteran Service Officer Award in recognition of his compassion, respect, loyalty and integrity while educating NACVSO membership about matters related to public policy and how to be effective on Capitol Hill.
As NACVSO’s legislative director, McLaughlin is responsible for providing testimony before congressional leaders and sponsoring legislation impacting the lives of veterans across the country.
During his address to conference attendees, Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough mentioned McLaughlin’s achievements.
“Mike grew up immersed in veteran advocacy, and he’s made serving vets his calling. The vets in Blue Earth County, NACVSO, and all of us at VA are lucky to have you,” McDonough stated.
Earlier this year, McLaughlin was key to the introduction of the Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act of 2023. Additionally, he provided testimony before the Senate and House Joint Committee on Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C.
McLaughlin is a post-9/11 Marine who while on active duty served two combat tours of duty in Iraq. He is city councilman for Mankato’s Ward 1.
His father also is a Marine Corps veteran. Tom McLaughlin, who served in Vietnam, is a Purple Heart recipient, an amputee and a former county commissioner.
“We truly stand on the shoulders of giants. It is an honor to have benefited from, and to keep building upon, the legacy of my incredible predecessors. To be recognized in this way is a proud and humbling moment,” Michael McLaughlin stated.
Since 1989, NACVSO has advocated for government policies that serve veterans and supported the nation’s nearly 1,700 county veterans service officers.