La Plata County’s veteran services officer will be leaving the position at the end of December. The county has already started looking for someone to fill the roll.
The veterans service officer assists veterans, their dependents and surviving spouses in navigating the often complex process of claiming veterans’ benefits. Colorado law requires counties to keep the position filled.
“It’s a really important position to help those who want support navigating the system,” said Martha Johnson, the county’s director of Human Services, who supervises the Veteran Service Organization position.
Statistical data show the value of such support: at the end of the 2023 federal fiscal year, 3,021 veterans lived in La Plata County, she said. In 2024 alone, the VSO reported more than 2,000 direct contacts with veterans seeking benefits and assistance, she said.
The service officer does not just work alone, Johnson said. They act as a part of La Plata County’s strong local network of organizations dedicated to veterans’ support, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Volunteers of America and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s Veterans Association. The VSO is co-located with the area’s community-based outpatient clinic for veterans, which ensures easy access to services.
The current veterans service officer, Greg Dotson, whose last day is Dec. 26, has held the position for five years. Dotson was not immediately available for comment Friday.
The county stopped accepting applications for the position Monday and will likely make a decision in the next several weeks. Once selected, the candidate is appointed collaboratively with input from local veterans’ groups and reappointed by the board of county commissioners every two years.
If the position is not filled before Dotson leaves, regional veterans service officers from the state Division of Veterans Affairs will take over the responsibilities in the interim.
The annual salary for a veterans service officer is $52,728.
jbowman@durangoherald.com
