Northern Virginia, October 22, 2026 — The Virgin Islands Veterans Association (VIVA) welcomes the announcement that the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs (NASDVA) will hold its 2027 Annual Training Conference in the U.S. Virgin Islands from August 22 to 26, 2027. Director Patrick D. Farrell of the U.S. Virgin Islands Office of Veterans Affairs (OVA), who serves as NASDVA Senior Vice President, has shared that St. Thomas was selected to host the conference, bringing veterans affairs leaders from across the country to the territory.
Founded in 1946 after World War II, NASDVA brings together the veterans affairs directors, commissioners, and secretaries of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Together, state and territorial veterans agencies are the nation’s second-largest provider of services to veterans, after the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. NASDVA holds two training conferences each year: a Midwinter Conference in the Washington, D.C., area and an Annual Training Conference hosted by a member state or territory.
The 2027 conference is expected to bring national attention to the territory and to the needs of Virgin Islands veterans, including:
• Access to care: the distances and travel many territorial veterans face to reach VA medical services
• Benefits and outreach: connecting veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors with the benefits they have earned
• Territorial partnership: the role of the USVI Office of Veterans Affairs among its state and territorial peers
• A historic year: 2027 marks the 100th anniversary of U.S. citizenship for Virgin Islanders
Director Farrell was elected unopposed as Senior Vice President of NASDVA in March 2026. His 2020 appointment to the NASDVA executive committee marked the first time a representative of a U.S. territory had served on it in the association’s history.
“Hosting NASDVA in St. Thomas is a proud moment for every Virgin Islands veteran, at home and across the mainland,” said Clarence Beverhoudt, Chair and President of VIVA. “We congratulate Director Farrell and the Office of Veterans Affairs on this achievement. VIVA stands ready to help share the news with veterans and their families, and to support efforts that show the nation’s veterans leaders the service, history, and hospitality of the Virgin Islands.”
NASDVA has said more information on the 2027 Annual Training Conference will be released in 2027. Updates will be posted on the NASDVA website at https://nasdva.us/summer/. Veterans, families, and community partners who would like to follow VIVA’s updates on the conference may email veteransusvi@gmail.com with “NASDVA 2027” in the subject line.
About VIVA
The Virgin Islands Veterans Association, Inc. (VIVA) is a Virginia nonstock nonprofit corporation established on April 2, 2026, to serve all who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, with special emphasis on veterans from or residing in the U.S. Virgin Islands and those in its mainland diaspora. Guided by the values of Honor, Service, and Community, VIVA connects veterans with resources, strengthens community partnerships, and honors their service and legacy. Learn more at veteransvi.org.
