Charles A. Harpel is the Associate Director for VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System (VCB). He formally took over the position of associate director on April 15, 2019.
Mr. Harpel is a U.S. Navy Veteran, who served in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Operation Deny Flight Bosnia aboard the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71).
Upon completing his military service in 1997, the former sailor went to work for Defense Finance Accounting Services (DFAS) in vendor pay located in San Antonio, Texas.
Mr. Harpel formally began his career in the VA in 1999 by accepting a position with the Department of Veteran Affairs Financial Services Center (FSC) in Austin, Texas, as an accounting technician in the Intergovernmental Accounting Department.
In 2005, he transitioned into an accounting technician position within the Engineering Service at South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS) where he helped manage facility and construction costs. He later took on more responsibilities in 2008 after being selected as the administrative officer for the Engineering Service.
Three years later, he was selected as the administrative officer for Nursing Service and assisted the health care system's two top senior nursing officers with the implementation of the VA Initiative for Staffing Methodology.
The year 2013, saw him take on his third senior officer role, after being selected as the administrative officer for Geriatrics and Extended Care (GEC) where he assisted in the implementation of Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 17 first Hospital In Home (HIH) Program.
Mr. Harpel graduated from the 2015 VISN 17 Leadership Development Institute (LDI) prior to joining VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System in April 2017. The former Navy petty officer also earned a Master of Business Administration degree in 2008 from the University of Texas at San Antonio.