Oconto County Veterans Service Office (Ron Christensen, CVSO; Tanya Gonzalez, Deputy CVSO)

The office. The county's Veteran Services page: "We believe in strengthening the lives of our veterans and their families by connecting them with their earned benefits." Its vision: "Improving the quality of life for Oconto County Veterans and their family members by obtaining all available benefits that were earned by their sacrifice and service to our country." Contact: Ron Christensen, Department Head; 301 Washington Street, Oconto, WI 54153; phone 920-834-6817, fax 920-834-6819; Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Wisconsin CVSO Association's directory lists Ron Christensen at Courthouse #3043, [email protected], and "Tanya Gonzalez, Deputy CVSO", [email protected]. The staff, in the office's 2025 Annual Report (County Board packet of May 21, 2026): "Ron Christensen began employment on November 28, 2016, as the full-time Veterans Service Officer. Ron's military service includes 20 years of active duty in the United States Marine Corps from 1985-2005. Ron is accredited by the Wisconsin Department of Veteran Affairs (WDVA), Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and American Legion (AL)." The report schedules Deputy Sandy DeCleene's retirement for March 18, 2026 and Tanya Gonzalez's start as Deputy Veterans Service Officer for February 16, 2026; the board's February 19, 2026 proceedings record Christensen introducing her. What the office does, in the report's words: "information, claims development and submission, and representation" in service-connected disability compensation, nonservice-connected disability pension, vocational training and education, home loan guarantees, life insurance, hospital and domiciliary care, health care, combat veteran readjustment counseling, long-term care and veterans' home residency, funeral and burial benefits, employment counseling and death benefits for surviving dependents. The page's subpages cover burial benefits, dependents' and survivors' benefits, compensation, education, Wisconsin eligibility, health care, home loans, military funeral honors, pension, the State veterans cemeteries, Troops to Teachers and the Wisconsin Veterans Homes. Outreach. "Weekly outreach at the Riverview Office every Tuesday, providing a convenient and accessible location for veterans in the northern portion of the county to receive in-person assistance," and visits to assisted living centers and skilled nursing facilities, "ensuring homebound and mobility-limited veterans receive assistance with benefits and services." The State grants and the tax credit. The office received a $13,750.00 WDVA block grant and a $2,875.00 transportation reimbursement grant in 2025, and helps veterans rated 100% (and potentially their surviving spouses) claim the Wisconsin veterans property tax credit: the report counts 235 Oconto County veterans receiving $659,444 in the State's fiscal 2025, an average of $2,806.00 (the credit's rules are the State entry's). It puts 2024 federal VA spending in the county at $43,947,676 for a veteran population the VA estimates at 2,646.