San Angelo VA Clinic renamed to honor local military couple
PRESS RELEASE
August 4, 2023
San Angelo , TX — The renaming of the San Angelo VA Clinic to the Col. Charles and JoAnne Powell VA Clinic took place on Monday, July 31, 2023.
The 117th Congress voted to change the name of the San Angelo VA Clinic in 2022 to the Colonel Charles and JoAnne Powell VA Clinic, who served the community of San Angelo, Texas, with character and dignity.
Col. Powell served as the base commander of Goodfellow Air Force Base from 1980 to 1984. When the Powells moved to San Angelo, Col. Powell was ordered to help Goodfellow avoid closure and the displacement of many members of the Armed Forces from the community they had grown to love. The impact of Charles' career can still be felt today at Goodfellow Air Force Base, as it serves as a training school for thousands of members from every Armed Force to train in cryptology, intelligence, and firefighting.
His wife, JoAnne, served multiple decades of public service. JoAnne assisted thousands of constituents in the district offices of Representatives Tom Loeffler, Lamar Smith, K. Michael Conaway, and August Pfluger. One of the several duties JoAnne spearheaded was the annual process of nominations to the military service academies, which was always a year-round process for her. With JoAnne's assistance, many of the young men and women of the 11th congressional district of Texas went on to serve the United States and attend one of the military service academies. In addition, JoAnne was a fierce advocate of Veterans and helped thousands of individuals gain access to the Veterans benefits they rightfully earned.
From left to right: the Powell's grandchildren, Caitlin and Colin McKinney; son-in-law, Jerry McKinney; daughter, Terri McKinney; and West Texas VA Health Care System Medical Center Director Keith Bass. (VA photo by West Texas VA HCS-Kelli Kay Stolle)
Kat Bailey, VA Heart of Texas Healthcare Network Chief Communications Officer
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