Interviews are being held today and tomorrow with applicants for the position of Administrator of the Jasper County Veterans Affairs Office. Jasper County Human Resources Director Dennis Simon says interviews are scheduled with about a third of the 20-plus people who applied by the January 10th deadline.  

“We are going to start out with the seven individuals we feel are the most qualified for the position. We will go through those. If we are not 100-percent happy, we will expand our interview process. If the selection committee is in agreement on one, we will move forward with some background information and make a recommendation to the Veterans Affairs Commission.”

The Jasper County Veterans Affairs Administrator reports directly to the Jasper County Veterans Affairs Commission. Veteran’s status is preferred for the Administrator but not mandatory.

The Jasper County Veterans Commission fired previous Administrator Alyssa Wilson in December, after an internal investigation into her work habits. During Wilson’s last three months on the job, Commissioners said they could not account for 45 hours of her work. They suspected she was coming in late, leaving early, and taking vacation and sick time without their knowledge. Since Wilson was let go, the Jasper County Veterans Affairs Office has been operating with outside assistance from the state and Veterans Affairs Offices in neighboring counties.