Biography

---

Bob (Tree) is currently the Supervisor of Employment Services, Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment Service (VR&E), VA Central Office, Washington, D.C. VR&E provides comprehensive vocational rehabilitation, employment, and independent living services to veterans with disabilities. VR&E Service reported over 11,000 veterans rehabilitated in suitable employment or independent living programs in FY2005. He has been employed since 1980 with VA in many positions: Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist, Counseling Psychologist, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Employment Specialist, VR&E Officer and his current position of Supervisor of Employment Services. Tree has worked for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) on two tours of duty in establishing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)/Sobriety Living Programs and Incentive Therapy/Compensated Therapy Programs. He is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) and completed his Master of Science (M.S.) Degree in Vocational Rehabilitation from the University of Wisconsin-Stout in 1976. Tree is proud that he completed the VA Vocational Rehabilitation Program after leaving active military service. He served as a Radio Operator with the U.S. Army in South Vietnam (1967-1968). Tree has recently completed the national deployment of VA's new service delivery model, 5 Tracks to Employment. The new service delivery model required a year of pilot testing, implementation of new Job Resource Labs, and the development of VR&E's new employment website, www.vetsuccess.gov. The 5 Tracks to Employment Project was budgeted at $4.3 million dollars. In 2005, VR&E Service began implementation of the "Coming Home to Work" Initiative with the goal of providing early vocational intervention and transition services to wounded or injured service members in medical holding companies at eight Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) throughout the country. Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) service members are provided opportunities to participate in volunteer or work experience programs with government agencies during their period of medical convalescence or medical treatment. The program has resulted in wounded or injured service members obtaining valuable career training, work experience, and direct job offers from federal employers. Tree has extensive private sector employment and non-profit facility experience since his graduate education: Goodwill Industries (Program Coordinator), Crawford Rehabilitation Inc. (Vocational Consultant) and Behavior Corp (Mental Health Agency Case Manager). In addition, he has contracted with School Districts (Special Education), U.S. Department of Labor (OWCP), and Social Security Office of Hearings & Appeals (Vocational Expert). 97 Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment Program http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/vre/ Supervisor