8th Annual Serving Those Who Served Conference |
'Veterans First: Focusing on our Mission of Serving Those Who Served'
Wednesday, Aug 20 & Thursday, Aug 21, 2025
Yakima Convention Center
10 North 8th Street
Yakima, Washington 98901
Register Now: Link Coming Soon
This two-day, veterans resource providers’ conference is not only aimed at establishing better collaboration and connection for all those who work with veterans and their families, but it will also provide a wealth of knowledge from industry experts in areas that impact the lives of our veterans and their families.
This conference provides collaboration with professionals from a variety of state agencies and community partners from across the state.
This two-day conference will include breakout sessions such as An Employment Partnership between WorkSource and the Yakama Tribe and Understand the WorkSource System with a focus on Service to Veterans presented by Employment Security. As well as sessions such as Fly Tying with Project Healing Waters and Make a Song: Poetry and the Veteran Experience presented by Washington State Arts Commission. Attendees will also be able to participate in sessions such as VA Regional Office Update, Veterans Benefits 101, Veteran Service Officer Pannel Discussion, LGBTQ+ Veteran Engagement, and Washington State Definition of a Veteran presented by Washington Department of Veterans Affairs.
To learn more about this conference and/or how you can get involved, please email vtsc@dva.wa.gov
Upon completion of registration, you will receive a confirmation email. If you do not receive the email, please contact vtsc@dva.wa.gov.
Resource table registration is available on the registration website as well.
Check out the recap from last year's event:
7th Annual Serving Those Who Served Conference - Partners in Supporting Veterans and their Families
This two-day annual conference is designed to enhance collaboration among professionals who support veterans and their families. It serves as a hub for sharing knowledge and resources, with a focus on practical solutions and impactful discussions.
Conference Highlights:
- Statewide Networking: Connecting with peers and experts in veteran services.
- Expert Insights: Gained valuable knowledge on a variety of veteran-related issues.
- Interactive Sessions: Participated in discussions on topics that are focused on veteran benefits, employment best practices, behavioral health, and veterans engaging with art.
2024 Conference Resources:
- Breakout Session Videos: STWS 2024 - YouTube
- Photos: 2024 Serving Those Who Served Conference | Flickr
- PowerPoint Slides: 7th Annual Serving Those Who Served Conference (eventsquid.com) (Select "Downloads")
- Survey: Conference Survey STWS-2024 (office.com)
- Stats:
- 375 attendees
- 139 organizations attended
- 18 organizations presented
- 20 breakout sessions
- 23 resource tables
- 3 event sponsors
To learn more about this conference and/or how you can get involved, please email vtsc@dva.wa.gov
Partner Available Resources:
Employment Security Department
- Employment Security Department website: esd.wa.gov
- Paid Family and Medical Leave: paidleave.wa.gov
- Find a job: worksourcewa.com
- For veterans: esd.wa.gov/jobs-and-training/veteran-services
- For employers: Hiring veterans: esd.wa.gov/about-employees/hiring-veterans
- YesVets employment campaign: ESDWAGOV - YesVets
Washington State Arts Commission ArtsWA
- Self-Directed Art Practice grant open until October 11: arts.wa.gov/sap-grant/
- General Operating Support grant open until October 11: arts.wa.gov/wam-gos-grant/
- Video: What is the Self-Directed Art Practice grant?: youtu.be/HIo_jnMBDfg
Look Back Even Further: Access content from the previous year (2023) Serving Those Who Serve Conference:
Access breakout session slide presentations, HERE
Session breakout recordings from the 2023 Serving Those Who Served Conference