Approved Minutes — original pdf

Approved Minutes

COMMISSION ON VETERAN AFFAIRS REGULAR MEETING MINUTES WEDNESDAY, June 17, 2026 The COMMISSION ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS convened in a REGULAR Meeting on WEDNESDAY, June 17, 2026, at the City of Austin Permitting & Development Center at 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr, Austin, TX 78752. Chair Michael Mcinerney called the COMMISSION ON VETERANS AFFAIRS MEETING to order at 7:00 pm CST. Commissioners in Attendance: Michael Mcinerney (Chair) Jose Reyes (Vice Chair) Armando Gonzales Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Amber Schleuning Fansu Ku Lucas Castillo Christopher Wilson William Dahlstrom Anita Roberts Commissioners Absent: Bryce Laake-Stanfield Sta(cid:431) in Attendance: Jesus Simental – Veterans Administrator, City of Austin Department O(cid:431)ice of Equity and Inclusion PUBLIC COMMUNICATION GENERAL APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. The minutes from the meeting on 5/20/2026 were approved on Commissioner Jose Reyes motion, seconded by Christopher Wilson, on a 9-0 vote. Commissioner Bryce Laake-Stanfield was not present. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Presentation and discussion by Joshua Shaver, Military Program Manager at Samaritan Center. provided information on the services they o(cid:431)er Veterans in Austin, including holistic counseling, integrative medicine, peer support, and education. Josh is a retired Army Veteran with 34 years of service before finding his second career with the Samaritan Center. The Center has been operating for 52 years in Texas and employs 22 licensed counselors as well as a team of Veterans to provide peer support. Additionally, they provide instruments and lessons for music therapy and support hundreds of justice-involved Veterans annually through programs at Travis State Jail, Travis County Correctional Complex, and the Veterans Treatment Court program. FUTURE AGENDA 3. Chair Mcinerney advised commission about the requirements for the annual report and commissioner Fansu Ku recommended we invite Team RWB to do a presentation. ITEMS ADJOURNMENT END: 7:40 PM 4. Commissioner Christopher Wilson made the motion to adjourn the meeting second by Jose Reyes on a 10-0 vote. The minutes were approved at the 15 Jul 2026 meeting by Chair Michael Mcinerney motion, Jose Reyes second on a 6-0 vote, Bryce Laake-Stanfield, William Dahlstrom, Anita Roberts, Christopher Wilson, and Neal Wendt were absent.