WASHINGTON – The National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs (NASDVA) is hosting its Midwinter Training Conference March 1-4 at the Doubletree – Crystal City. The conference will bring together the directors of the veterans’ affairs agencies from the U.S. states and territories and culminate in the organization’s testimony at the Joint House and Senate VSO Hearing.
“It is exciting to once again be heading to our nation’s capital to continue the great work NASDVA does uniting the states and territories and interfacing with our partners at the federal level,” said NASDVA President Tim Sheppard, who also serves as director of the Wyoming Veterans Commission. “NASDVA remains committed to fostering communication, facilitating discussions, and promoting best practices to effectively serve our nation’s 18 million veterans, as well as their families, survivors, and caregivers.”
Senior VA officials, including VA Secretary Doug Collins, will be participating in the conference to brief NASDVA members and receive feedback from directors at the state and territory level. NASDVA members will hear updates from the under secretaries of the Veterans Benefits Administration, Veterans Health Administration, and National Cemetery Administration, as well as representatives from the Board of Veterans Appeals, Veterans Experience Office, and Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, and others.
Members will also hear from a number of organizations, non-profits, and vendors who work in the areas of veterans, healthcare, technology, and more to learn about emerging and more efficient ways to serve veterans and their families. NASDVA has a range of committees focused on veteran issues that will be meeting to continue work in their focus areas. This includes committees are focused on veteran benefits, education, health care and mental health, transition and employment, homelessness, memorial affairs, and women and minority veterans.
Finally, NASDVA will testify alongside other veteran service organization (VSO) leaders at the Joint House and Senate VSO Hearing. A live stream of the hearing will be available here on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. EST.
NASDVA was established in 1947 and is the second largest provider of benefits behind the VA. Membership is made up of senior leadership from the veterans’ affairs departments or administrations of all 50 states, five territories, and the district of Columbia. More information on the association is available at nasdva.us.
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