GOVERNMENT OF 
 
                                 THE UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS 
        OFFICE OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
 
            
           St. Croix: 
           Tel: (340) 773-8387 (VETS) 
            Fax: (340) 692-9563 
  
 
 St. Thomas: 
Tel: (340) 774-8387 (VETS) 
Fax: (340) 714-0589 
 
 
June 9, 2025 
 
 
Senator Avery Lewis  
36th Legislature of the Virgin Islands 
Capitol Building   
St. Thomas, VI 00804 
 
 
Dear Senator Lewis, 
 
I hope this message finds you well. I am in receipt of your invitation to provide testimony on the following before 
the Committee on Government Operations, Veterans Affairs, and Consumer Protection on Friday June 23rd, 2025:  
 
• 
Outcome of the efforts of the recent delegation’s travels to Puerto Rico;  
• 
Effects of President Donald Trump’s Executive Orders on our territory; and  
• 
Status of reimbursements due to local veterans, among other topics.  
 
While I am willing to provide testimony on the above subjects, unfortunately, I am tentatively going to be out 
of the territory attending the 2025 National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs (NASDVA) 
Southeast District Meeting. Due to my opposition as Junior Vice President of NASDVA and a member of the 
Southeast District which encompasses nine (9) states and two (2) territories, I will be the most senior person of 
the organization attending the meeting. As a part of this meeting, Secretary Collins - Secretary of the U.S. 
Department of Veterans Affairs will be in attendance.  Attending this meeting will allow me to address some of 
the same issues discussed in our recent meeting in San Juan Puerto Rico at a much higher level.  
 
If I am in order, the budget hearing for this office is scheduled for the very next week (June 30th, 2025). I will 
be more than open to answering some of these same questions during that hearing, especially with these topics 
affecting the budget of the agency.  
 
Thanks for your interest in the Veterans of the territory.  
 
 
Respectfully Submitted, 
 
 
 
Patrick D. Farrell 
Director 
 
CF:  
Kevin Willians vSr. – Governor’s Chief of Staff  
Colette Monroe – Senior Policy Advisor