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One of the greatest privileges we have at Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area (WSRCA) is serving the men and women who have served our nation. 

Every day, veterans walk through the doors of our workforce centers looking for guidance, opportunity, and support as they navigate new careers, new challenges, and new chapters in their lives. Helping them find that next opportunity isn't simply part of our mission. It's one of our highest responsibilities.

That's why today's WSRCA Board Meeting was especially meaningful.

Our Board of Directors joined representatives from the Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) to celebrate a remarkable achievement by one of our closest partners and colleagues, Isaac Marquez-Diaz. 

Isaac was recently named the 2026 Local Veterans Employment Representative (LVER) of the Year by The American Legion's Veterans Employment & Education Commission, a national recognition that honors individuals who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to serving veterans through employment and workforce development.

While the award recognizes professional excellence, it also reflects something much deeper. It celebrates a veteran who has transformed his own commitment to service into a calling that continues to benefit fellow servicemembers, employers, and communities across the Rural Capital Area.

Continuing the Mission

For many veterans, military service leaves a lasting impression that extends far beyond a career in uniform. The mission may change, but the desire to serve often remains.

That's certainly true for Isaac.

As a Veteran Employer Liaison with the Texas Veterans Commission, Isaac works alongside workforce professionals, employers, community partners, and veterans throughout our region to help create pathways to meaningful employment. Based inside the Workforce Solutions of Williamson County office in Round Rock, he serves veterans from across Central Texas who are working to translate their military experience into successful civilian careers.

His work is built on something that can't be taught in a training manual or learned in a classroom.

It comes from lived experience.

As a veteran himself, Isaac understands the challenges that can accompany military transition. He understands the uncertainty that can come with entering a new workforce, learning a new professional language, or identifying how years of military experience translate into civilian careers. More importantly, he understands the incredible value veterans bring to employers and communities.

That perspective allows him to connect with veterans in a unique and meaningful way. It's one thing to offer advice. It's another to offer guidance from someone who has walked the same path.

A Powerful Reminder of Why This Work Matters

The recognition became even more meaningful when it was presented by Katharine Tamez, Director of Veterans Employment Services for the Texas Veterans Commission and a proud Air Force veteran.

As she addressed our Board and guests, Katharine shared a story that resonated throughout the room.

Before leading veteran employment efforts across the State of Texas, she was once a WSRCA customer herself. Like many veterans transitioning from military service, she sought support and guidance as she explored career opportunities and navigated her own professional journey. The workforce system helped her take those next steps, much like Isaac and his colleagues help veterans every day.

Today, she leads wonderful programs that empower veterans across Texas.

Her story was a powerful reminder that workforce development is ultimately about people. It's about creating opportunities that help individuals discover new possibilities for themselves and their families. Sometimes those opportunities lead to careers. Sometimes they lead to leadership positions. And sometimes they inspire people to dedicate their lives to helping others succeed.

Watching Katharine recognize Isaac felt like a full-circle moment. It highlighted not only the impact of veteran services, but also the extraordinary ripple effect that can occur when veterans receive the support they need at the right time.

A Partnership Built Around Veterans

At WSRCA, we're especially proud of our partnership with the Texas Veterans Commission.

Many visitors to our workforce centers may not realize that TVC staff work alongside our teams every day through a co-location partnership that brings workforce services and veteran expertise together under one roof. This collaboration allows veterans to access employment resources, career guidance, training opportunities, benefits assistance, and specialized support through a coordinated system focused on their success.

The Texas Veterans Commission serves as the State of Texas' official advocate for veterans, military servicemembers, and their families. Since its origins nearly a century ago, the agency has worked to help veterans secure the benefits, resources, and opportunities they earned through their service to our nation.

Today, the Texas Veterans Commission offers a wide range of services that support veterans throughout every stage of life. From employment assistance and education resources to benefits claims support, entrepreneurial services, health care advocacy, and family support programs, TVC helps ensure veterans have access to the tools and resources needed to thrive.

What makes the agency such a valued partner is its unwavering commitment to professionalism, integrity, compassion, commitment, and teamwork. Those values are reflected every day in the work of Isaac and his colleagues, who serve veterans with the same dedication and purpose that defined their military service.

Exploring the Resources Available to Texas Veterans

One of the most important messages we can share with veterans and their families is that support is available, and no one has to navigate these opportunities alone.

Many veterans are unaware of the full range of programs, benefits, and services available through the Texas Veterans Commission. Whether you're exploring a new career, considering education or training opportunities, seeking assistance with benefits claims, launching a business, or looking for resources that support your family's well-being, there are professionals ready to help.

We encourage every veteran, transitioning servicemember, military spouse, and family member in the Rural Capital Area to visit the Texas Veterans Commission website at www.tvc.texas.gov and explore the many programs and resources available across Texas.

The website serves as a gateway to information, support, and opportunities that have been earned through service to our nation. Taking advantage of those resources isn't asking for help. It's making sure you've got every available tool as you continue building your future.

A Well-Deserved Recognition

Today's recognition wasn't simply about celebrating an award.

It was an opportunity to celebrate continued service.

Isaac Marquez-Diaz represents the very best of what happens when veterans continue answering the call long after military service ends. Through his work with the Texas Veterans Commission, he helps fellow veterans navigate new opportunities, build successful careers, and discover confidence in the next chapter of their lives.

On behalf of the Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area Board of Directors, our staff, and the communities we serve, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Isaac on this well-deserved national recognition.

We're grateful for the opportunity to work alongside dedicated partners like Isaac and the entire Texas Veterans Commission team. Most importantly, we're thankful for the impact they make every day on behalf of the veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country.

The uniform may come off, but the commitment to service often remains. For leaders like Isaac Marquez-Diaz, that commitment has become a calling, and our communities are stronger because of it.