The Department of Veterans Affairs receives advice from a nine-member, part-time, citizen Board of Veterans Affairs. There must be at least one member of the Board who is a resident of each of Wisconsin’s eight congressional districts.
Board Meeting Agendas & Minutes
| 2025 Meetings | ||
|---|---|---|
| March 13, 2025 | Agenda |
Current Board Members
District 1: Patrick Beggs
(05.01.2023 to 05.01.2027)
Patrick C. Beggs, Janesville, representing the 1st congressional District on the Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs. He served in the US Navy Seabee’s from 1969 to 1970 as a construction mechanic. He continued in the Naval Reserves until 1974. He learned the core values of honor, courage, and commitment throughout his training. Pat worked as a diesel mechanic for a local trucking company for 20 years, where he served as a union shift committee appointee. They worked on day-to-day issues and labor contracts through the UAW. Pat is retired but finds himself working part-time as a marine mechanic in the summers. Nothing like spending your summers lakeside in Wisconsin. Pat is married with three adult children, two of whom still reside in WI. He has made many lifelong friends and connections within the state.
Contact: pbeggs421@gmail.com
District 2: Robert Hesselbein
(05.01.2021 to 05.01.2027)
Robert “Bob” Hesselbein is a lifelong professional pilot and recognized administrator. He is a career military pilot, a decorated combat veteran, and graduated from the prestigious United States Air Force Weapons Instructor School.
At the age of nineteen, Hesselbein piloted AH-1G attack helicopters in the Vietnam War. He then transitioned to the United States Air Force (USAF) and later the Wisconsin Air National Guard, flying A-10 and F-16 jet fighters until his retirement as a lieutenant colonel in 2000.
With almost thirty years of combined military service, he participates in military legacy activities. As the Vietnam Helicopter Pilot Association (VHPA) President, he envisioned and led the public effort resulting in the placement of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilot and Crewmember Memorial Monument within Arlington National Cemetery. He serves on the Wisconsin 2nd Congressional District Service School Selection Board and is a Wisconsin Veterans Museum docent. He provides a military history perspective for those visiting Asian and European battlefields. He is a life member of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association, Order of Daedalians, Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association, Air Force Association, and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Retired from Delta Air Lines in 2012 and living in Madison, he serves on the Middleton Cross-Plains Area School District Board of Education as Board President.
He is married to Wisconsin State Senator Dianne Hesselbein (27th Senate District). They and their family reside in Middleton, Wisconsin.
Contact: bob.hesselbein.bova@gmail.com
District 3: Christopher Hanson, Board Chair
(05.01.2021 to 05.01.2025)
Chris Hanson, of Sparta, is the civilian Protocol Officer and a Public Affairs Specialist at Fort McCoy. Previously, he was the President/CEO of the Greater Tomah Area Chamber of Commerce and the President/CEO of the Veterans Assistance Foundation, Inc. Chris is in his 30th year in the United States Navy Reserve, where he served his first 20 years as a Fleet Marine Force Corpsman, reaching the rank of Senior Chief Petty Officer, before receiving his commission as a Public Affairs Officer in 2012. He is a lifetime member of Disabled American Veterans and serves on Senate and Congressional Veterans Advisory Councils and Service Academy Selection Committees.
Contact: crhanson1655@gmail.com
District 4: Tonnetta D. Carter
(05.01.2021 to 05.01.2026)
Tonnetta D. Carter, Milwaukee, represents the 4th Congressional District on the Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs. She previously served six years as a Construction Engineer in the Army National Guard, serving one tour in Afghanistan. Tonnetta currently works as the Assistant Director of Development at the Medical College of Wisconsin and is pursuing her MBA with an emphasis in Finance. She is an advocate for and a proud Milwaukee Urban League Young Professionals member.
Contact: tonnetta.carter@gmail.com
District 5: Yolanda Medina
(01.08.2025 to 05.01.2025)
Yolanda Medina is the Director of the Military Veterans Resource Center at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, supporting the state’s largest military-related student population. A Waukesha native, she joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1980, becoming the first woman to serve as an environmental systems technician for the AV8-A Harrier. After her service, she and her husband Joe, also a veteran, returned to Wisconsin and became active in veterans’ advocacy. Yolanda earned a BA in Religious Studies and an M.Ed. in Adult Education, Community, and Professional Education focusing her capstone on Moral Injury and Forgiveness from Carroll University. At UWM, she expanded veterans’ facilities and championed mental health and wellness. A passionate advocate for women veterans and the Latinx community, she has served on several boards and received numerous awards, including the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs Women Veteran of the Year and the Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award.
Contact: ymedina.carrollu@gmail.com
District 6: Vacant
District 7: Vacant
District 8: Chris Cornelius, Secretary
(05.01.2021 to 05.01.2025)
Chris Cornelius, Oneida, currently represents the 8th Congressional District on the Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs. Previously, she served in the United State Army as a light-wheeled vehicle mechanic in the 2nd Infantry Division at Camp Casey, South Korea. Cornelius returned to the States, where she attended Air Assault School at Fort Campbell and reached the rank of Sergeant.
Upon leaving active duty, she served in a reserve unit, where she became a drill instructor and reached the rank of Staff Sergeant. Cornelius became a member of VFW and has served in many positions with VFW Post 7784 in Oneida. In 2017, she was elected and appointed the VFW District 8 Commander for two years.
In 2010, she was appointed by U.S. Congressmen Dr. Steve Kagen to serve as a Congressional Aide to serve all veterans and military for District 8 in his administration. She was appointed as the Defense and Veterans Affairs Caseworker. In 2020, Cornelius was appointed National Vice Commander of the National American Indian Veterans (NAIV) Association.
She is currently a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), the American Legion, and the National American Indian Veterans (Inc) NAIV, and a member of the Wisconsin Indian Veterans Association. Presently, she is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in communications and graphic design at Saint Norbert College in De Pere, WI.
Contact: chriscornelius1@gmail.com
Member at Large: Laura Colbert
(05.01.2021 to 05.01.2025)
Laura Colbert is an Operation Iraqi Freedom Combat Veteran. She served 16 months in Baghdad, Iraq as a National Guard Military Police Officer in 2003 and 2004. Laura is an award-winning author of a book entitled “Sirens: An alarming memoir of combat and coming back home.” Laura is a board member of the UW-Madison Missing in Action Recovery and Identification Project. She also speaks regularly about her combat experience in hopes to bridge the military and civilian divide.
Laura is the City of Waupaca’s Parks and Rec Director. She has also worked as an Activities Director for people with special needs, an Outdoor Education Teacher, Dean of Students, and Middle School Principal. Laura has a Bachelor’s in Kinesiology from UW-Madison, a Master’s in Educational Leadership through Cardinal Stritch, and a master’s in Experiential Education from UW-LaCrosse.
She resides in Waupaca, WI with her husband, three children, and many pets.
Contact: lnvb33@gmail.com