Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) Health Care Advocacy Department (HCAD) Director Gary Lee hails from Louisiana. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1984 and retired in February 2008 after various deployments to Iraq, Japan, Europe, the Mediterranean, and other Far East locations. During his 23.5 years of service, he served in various leadership positions, including Marine Corps Martial Arts Instructor Trainer, and 3rd Marine Air Wing (3d MAW) Inspector General Sergeant Major (as a Master Sergeant).
Gary joined the TVC staff in August 2008 as a Claims Counselor at the Audie L. Murphy VAMC office in San Antonio, TX. After two (2) years, he was promoted to that office’s Supervisor position, assisting the veterans of this great state, and also VA, city, county, and local organizations. In early 2012, he was recognized by the San Antonio Bar Association for his contributions to teaching young lawyers about veteran benefits and VA processes. After just over two (2) years of managing the second-most productive Claims office in Texas, he was promoted to the Training Coordinator for the Claims, Representation, and Counseling Department, and was responsible for the training, testing, and certification of state, out-of-state, county (and occasionally federal) personnel. A notable accomplishment was assisting the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) implement Texas House Bill 634. He visited state penitentiaries and taught their Reintegration Staff personnel to efficiently submit various claims on behalf of incarcerated veterans in advance of their imminent release. This facilitated benefit receipt far more quickly upon re-entry into the civilian populace, to potentially reduce recidivism.
In 2015, he helped establish what was then the TVC Health Care Advocacy Program (HCAP). He instituted the program’s training curriculum and SOP. In April 2018, he was promoted to HCAP Manager (to date, singularly unique in the country). In 2020, he was promoted to HCAD Director. His vision, research, and planning were vital in 2021, when the Legislative proposal for additional funding and personnel was approved, doubling the size and effectiveness of the HCAD. Gary leads a team of twenty-six (26) outstanding individuals located throughout the state that help veterans and their loved ones resolve VA healthcare issues.
Away from work, he can often be found in pursuit of music and copious quantities of northern Italian cuisine, watching New Orleans Saints and LSU football, and enjoying the liberating escape of his motorcycle.