Tim Swartz: Farewell and Job Well Done

by Fred Hernandez
To the regret of all, the VSO (Veterans Service Office), officer in charge Tim Swartz has announced that he has given his preliminary notice to the Board of County Commissioners; he will be leaving his post at the end of this month. Last year there was news that due to certain health issues Tim had decided to relocate to lower elevations. That did not happen as expected. This time, however, for the same reasons, all the elements seems to be in place to make his planned exit from Custer County a reality. Tim will be missed as one who played an important role in the lives of many residents of the county. In looking back at these achievements, particularly in how they positively affected resident veterans, we count some truly remarkable ones. 
In the year 2014, before Tim took the job as VSO, the number of appointments at that office by veterans was a paltry one hundred forty (140). The year after he took the position, that number quadrupled to between five and six hundred. Incredibly, today that number averages between nine hundred and a thousand. That alone is one huge achievement. Starting as a part timer at a job that was being done by two different entities (The Legion and VSO), with limited funding from the State, Tim rolled up his sleeves and went to work. Today, the VSO has a fully operational office, he has undergone extensive professional training and there is adequate state funding to insure the full-time employment of a service officer for the long term. In addition, great progress has been made in rating veterans and properly qualifying them in regard to service connected disabilities. As a result, funds streaming into the county have appreciated by almost one million dollars from $2.5 in 2014, to $3.5 in 2017. Remarkable indeed.
As we read this report, Tim will have given his own report of the VSO to the BOCC in their meeting of December 4th.
As he prepares for his departure Tim reminisces on the things he will miss most; the people he has met and gotten to know. Some have become like family and even more than family. And job satisfaction that he felt so deeply every time he successfully helped someone or their family to benefit from the services he provided. And yes, the mountains. He had thought that this would be his last stop. He loved the Sangre’s majestic range. These are the things he will miss most after he leaves the area. However, he looks forward to the next chapter of his life. He will move to an area that is only six hundred feet above sea level. He has identified a location he would like to live in with close proximity to a lake, great parks and trail systems. Tim looks forward to the sabbatical he plans to take in order to focus on the efforts to regain his health. He looks forward to spending time with his lovely and supportive wife Ellen whose main personal goal is to help Tim achieve full recovery. We all wish both Tim and Ellen all the best in their new adventure. As for Tim Swartz, thank you for all your hard work and efforts. Thank you, Sir, for a job well done at the VSO. Adios and Vaya con Dios!