Oneida County vows no disruption to services as new CVSO takes over

ONEIDA COUNTY – Oneida County Administrative Coordinator Tracy Hartman has a message for local veterans who might be concerned about the potential for disruption of critical services while the County Veterans Service Office transitions from Tammy Javenkoski, who has retired as of Friday, Feb. 27, and her assistant Ryan Dailey to Matthew Young.

“As a mother of five children who have taken the oath to serve our country, I care deeply about ensuring that veterans in Oneida County receive the support and services they deserve,” Hartman told the Northwoods Star Journal. “Under Wisconsin State Statute 45.80, specific qualifications must be met to serve as a County Veterans Service Officer. The hiring committee interviewed five candidates, and every candidate met the statutory qualifications. Department head roles, however, require more than statutory eligibility. In addition to understanding the core functions of the office, the position demands the ability to work collaboratively with committees, the County Board, and other departments, while managing higher-level executive responsibilities such as budgeting, grant writing, policy development and implementation, and overall departmental operations. After careful consideration, the hiring committee determined that Matt Young was the candidate best qualified to meet those broader leadership and administrative responsibilities. During the transition and training period, the Oneida County Veterans Services Office will collaborate with surrounding CVSOs and the DAV, and the currently certified staff within the office to ensure veterans’ needs continue to be met without disruption. The Oneida County Board has consistently demonstrated its support for the Veterans Services Office, including the addition of a part-time position in 2024 to further strengthen services for our veterans. That commitment remains unwavering. We remain dedicated to serving the veterans of Oneida County with professionalism, care, and accountability.”

Young was elected County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO) on Tuesday, Feb. 17 after the Oneida County Board of Supervisors voted 12-9 in his favor.

The vote followed an emotional and contentious public comment period where several veterans and advocates expressed confusion over the hiring committee’s actions and implored the board to choose Dailey, who has worked alongside Javenkoski for more than a decade.

On Wednesday, Feb. 18, a day after the county board selected Young, Dailey confirmed to the Star Journal that he intended to leave with Javenkoski on Feb. 27.

During the board meeting it was explained that a five-member hiring panel — which included Hartman, Human Services Committee Chair Robb Jensen, county board member Dan Hess, along with Brian Jopek and Mark Espeseth of the Veterans Service Commission — interviewed five candidates after screening nine applications. A majority of the panel recommended Young, with the two Veterans Service Commission members preferring Dailey.

The Human Services Committee then voted unanimously to forward Young’s nomination to the full county board. Under state statute, the CVSO is elected by the county board, which also retains the ability to nominate additional candidates.
Newman nominated Dailey from the floor before the vote was held.

An unexpected voice — and a sharp rebuttal

The public comment period opened with remarks from Brian Thomas, the Vilas County Veterans Service Officer and an Air Force veteran, who congratulated Young on his selection but used much of his time to air grievances about what he described as years of poor collaboration from the Oneida County office.

Thomas said it had been “extremely difficult” to work with the Oneida County Veterans Service Office since he took the Vilas County position in 2019, and singled out Dailey as someone who had been “especially difficult to work with” and had “generally avoided” outreach events and fundraisers the two counties had undertaken to assist veterans in need. Thomas also disclosed that he had considered applying for the Oneida County CVSO position himself but ultimately decided against it, citing the prospect of “unnecessary drama and difficulties during this transition.” He closed by offering his full support to Young and pledging cooperation going forward.

Javenkoski, who spoke later in the public comment period, addressed Thomas’s remarks directly and pointedly.

“I’m not going to dignify Brian Thomas’s lies with a response,” she told the board, before inviting Thomas to visit her office if he wished to discuss the matter. She did not elaborate on which specific claims she was disputing.

The exchange added an unusual dimension to the proceedings, with the incoming CVSO receiving an early public endorsement from a neighboring county’s veteran services office at the same meeting where the outgoing CVSO publicly disputed that officer’s characterization of her department.

Veterans speak out

The remainder of the public comment period was dominated by veterans and their advocates who repeatedly questioned why the board would pass over a candidate who is already accredited by the Veterans Administration and has spent more than a decade in the office.

“Jason is qualified, people. Mr. Young is not,” said Brian Jopek, Chairman of the Oneida County Veterans Service Commission, who noted that neither he nor his fellow commission member (Espeseth) had chosen Young as their first preference. “I can’t see the Oneida County board hiring somebody who is not qualified for a position like this.”

For her part, Javenkoski noted that she was not consulted during the interview process despite being Dailey’s direct supervisor for his entire tenure. She described Dailey as an indispensable partner who had taken on department head responsibilities — including the annual budget, CVSO grant and annual report — in the past year.

“There is literally no one in this world that knows better than I who would be best to succeed me,” she told the board. “Yet I was not allowed to sit on the interview board, nor was I asked for my opinion.”

Presciently, she also warned the board that Dailey might not remain in the office if not selected for the top position, meaning Oneida County could lose both its outgoing and current officers simultaneously when she retires.

“It will be years before that office is up to the current standards,” she said.

Several speakers raised questions about whether bypassing the most qualified candidate violated county ordinance.

Michelle Bennett, wife of local attorney and U.S. Navy veteran Brian Bennett, cited county ordinances requiring the county to “make every effort to hire the most qualified individual for any vacant position,” and noted that Young, unlike Dailey, is not currently accredited by the VA — a process that can take six months or more and carries a pass rate of only 20 to 40%.

Bennett followed his wife to the podium and expressed similar sentiments. In particular, he questioned why the Human Services Committee members had chosen to ignore the input of Jopek and Espeseth.

“Why do we have a Veterans Commission if their input can be dismissed that easily?” he asked. He also referenced another contentious debate, back in 2015, when the county administration tried and failed to terminate Javenkoski’s employment.

“For those of you who were on this board in 2015 who supported Tammy back then, we ask for your support again,” Bennett said. “You trusted her judgment then, trust her judgment now.”

Pearl Fessenden, an Army veteran of 20 years, noted that the CVSO position is unlike any other in government, as many veterans who need services have been impacted by trauma related to their military service and may have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

She said she has relied on Dailey’s help in navigating the often complicated VA system and he has shown himself to be someone local veterans can trust.

In social media posts after the meeting, some of those who spoke during public comment clarified that they have no issue with Young personally; they simply believe Dailey is more qualified.

The hiring panel’s defense

Jensen, who chaired the hiring panel, acknowledged that the two Veterans Service Commission members on the panel had preferred Dailey, but said Young was considered an “acceptable” candidate by all five members. He characterized Young’s accreditation as obtainable on the job, saying it was his understanding that receiving accreditation after being hired is standard practice.

Jensen and fellow panel member Hess — who said he chose Young as his top candidate — both emphasized that the CVSO position requires not only technical skills but also leadership, communication and the ability to work within county governance structures.

“I chose Matthew Young as the number one candidate,” Hess said. “He meets all the criteria, and I think he would provide excellence for our veterans.”

The Star Journal asked for and received a copy of the CVSO job posting. The “qualifications and education” section reads as follows: “Qualified candidates must be a WI resident who has served on active duty under honorable conditions and meet qualifying service requirements. At least two years of administrative experience with computer use and customer service work is required. Strong communication skills, independent judgment, and the ability to maintain strict confidentiality are essential. Applicants must have a valid WI driver’s license. A Notary Public license and accreditation through Veteran Service Organizations are preferred but may be obtained after hire.”

The board heard from both candidates prior to the vote.

Young, a 23-year Army veteran who served in the European Theater and completed two combat deployments to Iraq before retiring to Rhinelander, told the supervisors he believed in his ability to learn the role and said he remained available to speak with anyone who had questions or concerns.

Dailey, who had to be summoned from his office to address the board, spoke briefly and emotionally about his decade in the office.

“My veterans are some of the most important people in this world,” he said, adding that he holds every available accreditation in Wisconsin for a Veterans Service Officer. “I love my vets. I want to make sure they’re taken care of.”

Before the vote was cast, a motion was made to conduct the election by roll call rather than paper ballot. Several supervisors indicated a voice vote would be more transparent than the paper ballot procedure announced by Holewinski. If the board had moved forward with the paper ballot procedure, members of the public would have had to visit the county clerk’s office to learn how each of their representatives voted.

The supervisors who voted for Young were: Robb Jensen, Dan Hess, Scott Holewinski, Debbie Condado, Billy Fried, Michael Tautges, Greg Oettinger, Mitchell Ives, Bob Almekinder, Collette Sorgel, Robert Briggs and Ted Cushing.

The supervisors who voted for Dailey were: Kris Hanus, Steven Schreier, Linnaea Newman, Russ Fisher, Connor Showalter, Kyle Timmons, Chris Schultz and Wayne Kulhanek.

The public is strongly encouraged to view the full discussion. County board meetings are available on YouTube (www.youtube.com/@oneidacountyboardwi).