Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Daniel Zimmerman said Thursday he’s working on “setting a new tone” for the department.
Daniel Zimmerman. Courtesy of Gov. Scott Walker’s office
The state veterans’ agency has been criticized over the past year for treatment of veterans and conditions at facilities, including the Veterans Home at King.
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In testimony before a Senate committee Thursday, Zimmerman said he visited King in his first stop as secretary. Lawmakers asked how he plans to address a shortage of workers there, which has led to mandatory overtime for some staff.
“I just don’t have an answer in detail on how exactly to fix it right now,” Zimmerman said. “But the mere fact that we’re actually talking about it, and we’re actually engaging on it, the people already are responding that,’ OK, we’re finally getting it addressed.’ So it’s a very positive movement, I think.”
Zimmerman replaced former secretary John Scocos in January and said he plans to spend more time in the community interacting with veterans service organizations rather than spending all much of his time in Madison.
A Senate committee unanimously confirmed Zimmerman’s appointment Thursday. It now goes to the full Senate.
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