March is here! March brings us exciting upcoming events that I'd like to share with you. On Wednesday March 16th the Minnesota Veterans Community will hold its annual Veterans Day on the Hill. This is a day the Commanders' Task Force, the United Veterans Legislative Council, and the Minnesota Association of County Veterans Service Officers come together and brief their respective legislators on the issues that impact Veterans in their district and the state. This is a powerful event when Veterans visit with their elected representatives and share with them how, together, they can assist in caring for our Veterans.

Next is March 29th, a date that is near and dear to me - its designated as Vietnam Veterans Day. This day commemorates the sacrifices of Vietnam Veterans and recognizes the men and women who were denied a proper welcome home upon returning from the war. To Minnesota's Vietnam Veterans - Welcome Home and thank you for your service!

Lastly, we are excited to announce construction of the second phase of a three-phased construction project at our Minneapolis Veterans Home is complete and we will be holding a Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening Ceremony for Building 21 on March 7th. A special thank you goes out to our staff and leadership of our five Minnesota Veterans Homes. A key quality measuring tool used is a survey conducted by Pinnacle. The survey, sent out to families, measures the level of satisfaction they feel their loved ones are receiving at our Veterans Homes. I'm very proud to report that the Homes have consistently performed at the highest levels. Our focus on continuous improvements and goal to be 'best in class' has been consistently demonstrated by our staff who care for our Veterans.

Now, to end on a warmer note - spring is coming!