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Marcia
Anderson
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MILWAUKEE - The head of the Wisconsin
Board of Veterans Affairs will resign to take an active duty
assignment with the Army, she told The Associated Press on
Wednesday.
Marcia Anderson, who has been a
lightning rod for critics of the agency, plans to formalize her
resignation in the coming days. The longtime member of the U.S. Army
Reserve said she has been called up to serve at least one year at
Fort Knox in Kentucky as the deputy commanding general for the
Army's human resources command.
"I'm very honored to have been
selected for this assignment," she said.
Anderson was appointed to the board
overseeing the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs by Gov. Jim
Doyle in 2008. Some veterans, however, accused her of not being a
"veteran" as defined under state law because she had not
served on active duty or in combat. They said Anderson should be
ineligible to serve on the board.
She acknowledged in an interview
Wednesday that those attacks have hurt, since she has been a Reserve
member since 1979 and could have retired long ago. Anderson, who has
the rank of brigadier general, said their interpretation of state
law is mistaken and noted she was confirmed for the job by the state
Senate.
Anderson, 52, of Verona, also was
instrumental in last year's firing of then-Secretary John Scocos for
what she called poor management of the veterans agency and replacing
him with department administrator Ken Black.
After taking over, Black has been
embroiled in controversy over several personnel decisions and at
least two employment complaints have been filed against him.
Anderson said Black has been doing a good job reaching out to
veterans returning home and coming up with budget plans to guide the
agency's future.
Scocos has also filed a lawsuit
arguing that his termination, just weeks after he returned from
serving in Iraq, was illegal under a federal law that protects the
jobs of service members.
Among other things, the lawsuit
argues that Anderson was not qualified for the board. It also claims
that she violated the open meetings law by having secret meetings
and exchanging e-mails with other board members to firm up plans to
fire Scocos before the public meeting.
Anderson, a lawyer who is the clerk
for the federal bankruptcy court based in Madison, said she had no
idea whether her going on active duty means she will have immunity
in that lawsuit. She has denied open meetings violations in the
past, but wouldn't predict whether the board would prevail in the
case.
"I'm not one to put any bets on
anything," she said.
Anderson is the second member of the
board to resign since the lawsuit was filed. Wisconsin National
Guard spokeswoman Jacqueline Guthrie resigned in June, saying she
needed to spend more time with her family. Guthrie also acknowledged
she should not have sent e-mails related to her board work from her
Army account.
Anderson's term was set to expire in
2013. After she officially resigns, Doyle will be able to appoint a
replacement to finish that term.
Doyle spokesman Adam Collins said
Anderson "has served the state and her country with honor"
and said her latest assignment is a reflection of her service.
"The governor wishes her the
best," he said.
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