The newly-appointed chief operating officer for the Iowa Veterans Home did not give any hints of the home’s pending management change when she testified before legislators Monday.
Governor Branstad announced Tuesday that Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs director Jodi Tymeson will become chief operating officer of the Veterans Home on May 28. On Monday afternoon Tymeson spent 12 minutes speaking before a legislative committee hearing which aired complaints about the commandant of the Veterans Home.
AUDIO of Tymeson’s testimony 12:00
“I really came here today to listen,” Tymeson told lawmakers. “…I always appreciate hearing from veterans and concerned Iowans on issues that affect veterans.”
Tymeson did make a point of praising the people we now know she will soon supervise.
“It’s been my experience when I’ve been at the Veterans Home there is great staff there doing good work for our veterans,” Tymeson said.
Tymeson is a “non-voting member” of the Iowa Commission on Veterans Affairs which oversees the facility, but Tymeson told lawmakers she merely received “updates” from the commandant of the Veterans Home. Four different senators asked Tymeson if she knew about the employee grievances or patient complaints that were aired at Monday’s hearing.
“We’ve heard from some very specific people today and I had not heard their story before,” Tymeson told one senator. “I think that’s the way I want to answer that.”
Tymeson has been director of the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs since early 2011. She served a decade in the Iowa House as a Republican representing the Winterset area.
Read more about the governor’s Tuesday afternoon announcement here and listen to the audio from Monday’s hearing here.