Veteran Services in Nevada County

The Nevada County Veterans Services Office (NCVSO) promotes the interest and welfare of veterans, dependents, and their survivors by enhancing their quality of life through counseling, education, benefits assistance, and advocacy. 

We connect Veterans to their benefits by assisting in their interactions with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and hope to make the process easier when applying for benefits like Health Care, Compensation and Pension.  

David West - Veterans Services Officer

David West is the Nevada County Veterans Services Officer.  He served honorably for five years in the United States Marine Corps and was the Platoon Sergeant of Communications Platoon, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.  David is familiar with the struggles that veterans face when transitioning from the military service back to civilian life and uses his own life experiences to connect with the veterans of our county.

David first started on his path toward a career in a Veterans Advocacy in 2007, while attending Sierra College in Rocklin, California.  He was instrumental in the advocating and the development of the Veterans Resource Center that provides a place for Veterans to learn from Veterans in an environment that suits their specific needs.  This model has been implemented by other colleges throughout the state.

David previously worked for the Veterans Benefits Administration as a Rating Veterans Services Representative who made decisions on claims for compensation that veterans filed with the VBA.  While working for the VBA, David also was selected to be a centralized trainer who taught newly hired employees how to properly process veterans claims for compensation.  Additionally, he was one of 20 national candidates selected for the VA’s Leadership Augmentation Program that teaches those selected how the VA operates on a National platform. 

However, in 2012 he moved to Bakersfield, CA to start a family and he began a career in the Oil & Gas Industry.  It was here that David learned the principles of process improvement and learned the importance of using data to influence decisions.  David uses tools to ensure that the veterans of Nevada County are receiving the highest quality of services and that the VSO is continually seeking avenues to improve the services that it provides.

Mr. West moved his family back to Sacramento, CA in the summer of 2018.  On August 2, 2018 David formally accepted the position as the Nevada County Veterans Service Officer (VSO).  As the VSO, David has used his diverse background and prior knowledge of working with the VA to provide services to the Veterans of Nevada County.