Yvonne Diesterhaft, Jefferson County Veterans Service Officer, told supervisors she will retire on Feb. 16 after almost 19 years in the position and said the job description will be posted immediately to recruit qualified candidates. Diesterhaft said she has digitized 66 filing‑cabinet volumes of records into a client database, credited staff and volunteers for program successes, and said she hopes for a "very robust number" of candidates to take the position forward.
She reflected on serving veterans across multiple generations and highlighted wins such as helping surviving spouses secure retroactive benefits under recent legislation. The board thanked Diesterhaft for her service; a county supervisor noted that the position requires a board appointment and staff will proceed with the vacancy process. Diesterhaft said she will prepare a final, career‑ending report for a future meeting and remain available to assist during the transition period.