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KANSAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES AND KANSAS COUNTIES LIGHT LANDMARKS IN SUPPORT OF VETERANS FOR %u201cOPERATION GREEN LIGHT%u201dOn Friday, October 25, 2024, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, joined by ten Kansas County employee veterans, signed a proclamationdeclaring the week leading up to Veterans Day, November 4-11, 2024, as Operation Green Light Week in Kansas. Beginning on Monday, November 4, the Kansas Association of Counties, along with over 40 Kansas County government partners statewide, will light county courthouses and other county buildings, as well as KAC%u2019s Topeka office green, as part of Operation Green Light for Veterans. Operation Green Light is a nationwide effort coordinated by the National Association of Counties (NACo) and the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers to show support for veterans and raise awareness around the resources available at the county, state, and federal levels to assist veterans and their families.Now in its third year, Operation Green Light is expected to draw participation from hundreds of counties nationwide. The county role in administering services for veterans includes County Veterans Service Officers helping fellow former service members access more than $52 billion in federal health, disability, and compensation benefits each year, as well as other services supporting the approximately 200,000 Ten Kansas County Veteran employees joined Gov. Kelly on October 25 for the first Operation Green Light Week proclamation signing event. (From left to right) Jack Potucek, Sumner County Advisor; Roy Dunn, Franklin County Commissioner; Lt. Kenton Lewis, Shawnee County Sheriff%u2019s Office; Dornella Leal, KAC Operations & Finance Director; Paul Bennett, Geary County Building Maintenance Assistant; Travis Lilly, Geary County Appraiser; Dusty Nichols, Shawnee County Emergency Management Director; Melissa McCoy, Saline County Public Information Officer; Kimberly Qualls, KAC Education & Communications Director; Chelsea Buntjer, Riley County Facility & Grounds Technician; and Adiel Garcia, Johnson County Emergency Medical Services. Thank you all for your service to our country!service members who transition into civilian communities annually.%u201cOur nation%u2019s military members, and their families, continue to make immense sacrifices for our safety and security each and every day,%u201d said KAC Executive Director Bruce Chladny. %u201cSimilar to the sacrifices of previous generations of our armed forces, their service to our country also often results in significant stress to many of the veterans who served in times of war and conflict. We want to ensure that our veterans and their families know that their service mattered, that we are grateful for their sacrifices, and that it is now our turn to make sure they are served by their county government and local communities.%u201dCOUNTY COMMENT %u2022 November 2024 3continuedBy Kimberly Qualls, KAC Education & Communications Director