Parkersburg native Jerry Wood has been tapped to lead the West Virginia University Office of Veterans Affairs, effective this month. As part of a recently announced reorganization, the this office now reports to the Office of the Provost, which conducted a national search for Wood’s position.
A 1993 graduate of the WVU Army ROTC Battalion, Wood served more than 30 years of active duty in the United States Army, enlisting in 1984 as a musician and retiring in 2017 as a human resources officer. Over the course of his career, he was deployed to Korea, Croatia/Bosnia and Iraq, held three commands and served seven years in multiservice/NATO assignments. Wood concluded his career representing the Department of the Army as the Southeast Regional Director for the Army’s Soldier for Life program, developing corporate, government, higher education, not-for-profit and community action veteran initiatives throughout the southeastern United States.
“We are excited to bring Jerry on board to lead as the director of veteran affairs at WVU,” said Vice Provost Paul Kreider. “He has a deep understanding of the military and of the challenges that our student veterans face. He also has a compelling vision for how we can help our students surmount these challenges and be successful in new career paths, while still proudly calling on the skills they gained through their military service.”
Since his retirement from the Army, Wood has continued to serve veterans by volunteering his time developing a national Veterans to Agriculture Career Training Program in West Virginia.
“I’m looking forward to working with our student veterans, veteran dependents and their families as they transition from military life to student life and ultimately to the establishment of meaningful and fulfilling careers,” Wood said. “I believe that by working with employers, government and community leaders, we can make WVU a national leader in veteran education through a variety of innovative support, training and research programs.”
WVU’s Office of Veterans Affairs offers a variety of programs and services for those who have served, including scholarships, job placement services, counseling and a newly expanded Veterans Resource Center.
