Ms. Leanne Weldin, Ex. Dir. of the VA Hospital was our speaker on Wednesday morning. Leanne Weldin is the Acting Director at the New Orleans Veterans Affairs Regional Office (VARO). Leanne began her VA career as a Veterans Claims Examiner at the Phoenix VARO in 1994. She has also served in various supervisory leadership positions within VA since 2004 in Seattle WA, Huntington WV, Pittsburgh PA and Salt Lake City, UT.
While a VA employee, Leanne joined the Air Force Reserves in February 1997 then transferred to the Army National Guard in 1998. After Officer Candidate School, she was commissioned as an Army Officer. From February 2003 – April 2004, she was activated and deployed to Iraq for one year as a Transportation Company Platoon Leader/Executive Officer. She received a Bronze Star Medal as a result of her actions as a convoy commander.