Second Lady Karen Pence to visit Milwaukee VA, veteran-owned business Tuesday

Second Lady Karen Pence

Second Lady Karen Pence will be in Milwaukee Tuesday, Aug. 4 for a roundtable on veteran suicide prevention at the Milwaukee VA Medical Center, and to tour  a veteran-owned business in the city.

According to a news release, at the Milwaukee VA, Pence, joined by Acting Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Pamela Powers, will deliver remarks about her role as the Lead Ambassador for PREVENTS. Then, she will hear from members of the prevention suicide team and veterans who have worked with the program.Then, Pence and Powers will attend an Art Therapy Roundtable, and Pence will deliver brief remarks about her art therapy initiative. Then, she will hear from the VA's art therapy team and veteran patients on their experiences in the program.

Following the VA visit, Pence and Powers will visit a military spouse and veteran-owned business, Westallion Brewing Company. There, the owners, Kim and Erik Dorfner, will give a tour of the brewery, share their story and provide an overview of their work with the Small Business Administration (SBA), especially as it relates to adapting their business to the COVID-19 pandemic, the release said. 

The visit will also include meeting the Mayor of West Allis, Dan Devine, and SBA representatives who have helped support the business.