St. Paul Regional Office

Executive Director: Kim Graves

Kim A. Graves was appointed Director of the Veterans Benefits Administration's (VBA) St. Paul Regional Office effective October 19, 2014. The St. Paul Regional Office delivers more than five billion dollars annually in compensation and pension benefits, in addition to administering the Veteran Readiness and Employment program to Veterans, their families, and survivors. Kim oversees one of three Pension Management Centers, one of eight Benefit Eligibility Support Teams, and serves as the primary Restricted Access Claims Center. The RACC processes claims from VBA employees, Veterans Service Officers, high-level government officials and other sensitive claimants. In her current position, Kim is responsible for establishing policies and procedures consistent with VA guidelines, providing executive leadership and direction, managing available financial and human capital resources, directing programs for quality control in regional operations, as well as actively participating in outreach efforts in Veteran communities.

Prior to this appointment, Kim served as the Director of VBA's Eastern Area for nearly five years, where she provided direction and oversight in administering the full suite of VBA benefits to a Veteran population of more than 8 million across 14 states. She was selected as a Veterans Claims Examiner at the Lincoln Regional Office in 1991. Since coming to VA, Kim has served in several diverse roles in various VBA organizations, including designing and implementing VBA’s Office of Business Integration. While serving in these positions, Kim participated in the design and implementation of numerous national initiatives, including the National Automated Response System, VBA's Balanced Scorecard, Operations Center, the Inventory Management System, VETSNET Operations Reports, the VETSNET suite of software applications, and VBA’s paperless benefits delivery initiative (Veterans Benefits Management System, VBMS).

Kim began her career in public service in 1985 by enlisting in the United States Army. As the result of an early in-service injury, Kim entered VA's Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program to continue her education and gain experience in federal service, working in the VA Regional Office in Lincoln, Nebraska.

CAREER CHRONOLOGY:

2014 – Present: Director, St. Paul Regional Office

2010 – 2014: Director, Eastern Area

2008 – 2010: Director, Office of Business Process Integration

2007 – 2008: Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Benefits

2005 – 2007: Director, St. Louis Regional Office

2003 – 2005: Director, Providence Regional Office

EDUCATION:

MPA Masters in Public Administration (MPA), University of Nebraska

BA Psychology & Sociology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE

Assistant Director: Jessica Gillette

Jessica Gillette was selected as Assistant Director of the Veterans Benefits Administration's (VBA) St. Paul Regional Office in April of 2020. The St. Paul RO delivers more than five billion dollars annually in compensation and pension benefits, in addition to administering Veteran Readiness and Employment benefits to Veterans, their families, and survivors. The St. Paul RO also oversees one of three Pension Management Centers, is a National Non-Rating Special Mission processing site, and serves as the primary Restricted Access Claims Center (RACC). The RACC processes claims from VBA employees, Veterans Service Officers, high-level government officials, and other sensitive claimants.

In her current position, Jessica is responsible for assisting the Director in establishing policies and procedures consistent with VA guidelines, while providing executive leadership and direction to approximately 900 employees, managing available financial and human capital resources, directing programs for quality control in operations, and actively participating in outreach efforts in Veteran communities.

Jessica began her career with VA in 2002 as a Rating Veterans Service Representative, subsequently holding positions of increased responsibility in service to Veterans and their families. Prior to this appointment, Jessica served as the Veterans Service Center Manager (VSCM) for the St. Paul Regional Office. As the VSCM, she provided direction and oversight to the 400 employees within the Veterans Service Center, Restricted Access Claims Center, and National Non-Rating Special Mission Team. She also served on the Veterans Service Center Manager Advisory Committee, as well as the Appeals Advisory Committee. While serving on these committees, Ms. Gillette provided feedback and recommendations to VA Central Office leadership on proposed changes to regulations, policies, and procedures.

Prior to starting her career with VA, Jessica earned a degree as a Registered Nurse and worked at Regions Hospital in St. Paul. She specialized in infectious disease and wound care and successfully collaborated with the hospital and local business partners to create instructional videos on wound care techniques for national use.

Assistant Director: Kyle Lee

Kyle Lee was appointed Assistant Director of the Veterans Benefits Administration's (VBA) St. Paul Regional Office (RO) in November 2023. The St. Paul RO delivers more than five billion dollars annually in compensation and pension benefits, in addition to administering the Veteran Readiness and Employment program to Veterans, their families, and survivors. St. Paul oversees one of three Pension Management Centers, one of eight Benefit Eligibility Support Teams, and serves as the primary Restricted Access Claims Center (RACC) – which processes claims from VBA employees, Veterans Service Officers, high-level government officials and other sensitive claimants.

Prior to his appointment in St. Paul, Kyle served as the Deputy Director of the Office of Administrative Review (OAR), within the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) where he was responsible for oversight and administration of 1,900 employees who effectuate VBA’s modernized decision review program for Veterans and survivors who disagree with VBA’s decision on a benefit claim and oversees remands to VBA from the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA).

Previously, Kyle served in various roles within the Office of Policy and Oversight and Office of Field Operations. In these roles, he developed critical operational and policy oversight skills that are invaluable to VBA. He was responsible for ensuring the effective operation and oversight for ten Business Lines and Program Offices, as well as the effective operation, oversight, and workload distribution of 56 regional offices and four district offices. These positions required strategic leadership and direction for VA’s disability claims process and field implementation of policies to improve the VA’s workload management, human capital utilization and financial stewardship to efficiently deliver outstanding results for the more 2 million disability, pension, and benefits adjustments processed annually.

CAREER CHRONOLOGY:

2023 – Present:Assistant Director, St. Paul Regional Office

2022 – 2023:Deputy Director, Office of Administrative Review

2021 – 2022 :Sr. Mgt. and Program Analyst, Office of Policy and Oversight

2020 &ndash ;2021:Operations Management Chief, Office of Field Operations

2019 – 2020:Sr. Mgt. and Program Analyst, National Cemetery Administration

2016 – 2019:Program Analyst, Office of Field Operations

2009 – 2016 :Loan Specialist, St. Paul Regional Loan Center

EDUCATION:

2018 Leadership Enrichment and Progression (LEAP)

VBA 2016 Leadership Enhancement and Development (LEAD)

VBA 2009 Bachelor of Arts, Business Marketing and Finance Bethel University, Arden Hills, MN

Pension Management Center Manager: Joanna Yanez

Joanna was selected as the Pension Management Center (PMC) Manager in August 2018. She leads a division of approximately 350 employees. Prior to being selected in this position, Joanna served as an Assistant PMC Manager in St. Paul.

Joanna began her career with the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2001, as a student intern in Veteran Readiness and Employment at the St. Paul Regional Office. She was then selected as a Veterans Service Representative in the St. Paul PMC in 2001. Since that time, she served in multiple roles including Veterans Claims Examiner, Assistant Coach and Coach.

Veterans Service Center Manager: Charles Martin

Charles Martin was selected as the Veterans Service Center Manager at the St. Paul Regional Office in August of 2023.

Charles began with VA in November of 2008 as a Veterans Service Representative (VSR). In January of 2013 he was promoted to Assistant Coach of the Appeals Team. In April of 2014 he was promoted to Coach and served on multiple teams to include Rating Development Team (RDT), Rating Board, Restricted Access Claims Center (RACC), Non-Rating, and Intake Processing Center (IPC). Prior to accepting the Veterans Service Center Manager position, Charles served as the Assistant Veterans Service Center Manager for the St. Paul Regional Office from November 2019 to August 2023. Charles earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degree from Concordia University-St. Paul.

Veteran Readiness and Employment Officer: Charles Curtis

Charles Curtis was selected as the St. Paul Veteran Readiness and Employment Officer in August 2021. Charles worked as a contractor for the Department of Veterans Affairs before joining VA in 2006. He began his VA career as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor in the Pittsburgh Regional Office, providing services for Veterans living in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Prior to coming to St. Paul in 2017, Charles worked in the St. Louis and Milwaukee Regional Offices. He was out-based at the St. Cloud VA Hospital until 2018, when he became an Employment Coordinator here at the St. Paul Regional Office.

Benefit Eligibility Support Team Manager: Isaac Lundquist

Isaac Lundquist was selected as the St. Paul Benefit Eligibility Support Team (BEST) Manager in May 2021. In this role, he is responsible for leading over 130 employees and overseeing the daily operation of the St. Paul BEST to ensure timely and accurate resolution of non-rating claims. Isaac joined VBA in July 2009 as a Veterans Service Representative in the St. Paul Pension Management Center. He then moved into a leadership role as an Assistant Coach in the Veterans Service Center in April 2015. Isaac continued his leadership role in the VSC as a Coach until October 2020, when he moved to the BEST as the Assistant BEST Manager prior to his selection as BEST manager.

Isaac earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing from Minnesota State University.