Rep. John Velis
BOSTON – State Representative John Velis (D-Westfield) was officially appointed as Vice Chairman of the Veterans and Federal Affairs Joint Committee last week. Velis, who was officially elected in April of 2014, has served on the Committee since 2015 and is the first Western Massachusetts lawmaker to be appointed to a leadership position on the Committee in quite some time. His elevation to leadership comes shortly after being awarded the Massachusetts Veterans’ Service Officers’ Association Legislator of the Year Award last month.
Says Velis, “I am deeply honored to be serving as Vice Chairman of such an important Committee. As an combat veteran and current member of the United States Army Reserves, I think that I can bring a unique and valuable perspective. It is humbling to be tasked with representing the best interests of my fellow veterans across the Commonwealth, but I am up for the job, and look forward to doing what I can to improve the lives of our vets in Massachusetts.”
Since he was first elected, Velis has made a name for himself on Beacon Hill as a staunch advocate for Veterans. His first major legislative success was the Stolen Valor Act, which made impersonating a Veteran or Active Duty Armed Service member for financial benefit punishable under the law. He also garnered national attention when he led the movement to restore the American Flag to Hampshire College after it was removed following Anti-Trump protests. He also received many awards in addition to the MVSOA Legislator of the Year, including the American Legion Massachusetts Division 2016 Legislator of the Year, the Western Massachusetts American Legion Legislator of the Year, the AMVETS 2016 Legislator of the Year, as well as the VFW’s Western Massachusetts Legislator of the Year in 2015.
“[There’s] No better choice than John Velis to serve as Vice Chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee. John’s dedication to veterans, their families, and service to country is steadfast. No one does and will do more for veterans,” says Eric Segundo, Junior Vice Commander for the Massachusetts Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).
“I think it is especially important that Western Massachusetts is adequately represented in the leadership of this Committee. There is a huge veteran population here and institutions like the Soldiers’ Home and our local military bases need a strong advocate on the Committee and in the Statehouse. Also,now that I am part of the House leadership, I’m in a position to make sure Westfield is represented well on all issues, not just Veterans’ Affairs.”
Velis cited several issues that affect veterans- housing, employment issues, access to mental health and substance abuse- that he is anxious to work on with veterans across Massachusetts. He also stated that all too often, the family members of veterans are overlooked, and need to be well represented on Beacon Hill. Additionally, he looks forward to working with the Baker Administration to implement tax credits to businesses that hire veterans, as the Governor mentioned in his State of the Commonwealth address last month.
