Milwaukee Regional Office

Director: Duane Honeycutt

Duane Honeycutt was appointed Director of the Milwaukee Regional Office on April 21, 2014. As Director of the Milwaukee VA Regional Office, Mr. Honeycutt is responsible for over 700 full-time employees and for administering benefits for potential clientele of over 400,000 Veterans and their dependents living in Wisconsin. Mr. Honeycutt also oversees pension and survivor benefits provided in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, and Tennessee.

Mr. Honeycutt previously held the positions of Director of the Chicago Regional Office from November 2008 Through April 2014. He has completed assignments of Director (acting) at the Phoenix, Newark, and Hartford Regional Offices as well as the VBA Records Management Center in St. Louis.  Mr. Honeycutt has also held leadership positions in the Cleveland Regional Office as well as VA Central Office. He began his VA career as a Veterans Claims Examiner at the Detroit VA Regional Office in November of 1993.

Mr. Honeycutt is an alumnus of the Senior Executive Service Career Development Program 2010, Assistant Director Development Program 2006, Federal Executive Institute 2005, Leadership VA Class of 2003, and Leadership Enhancement and Development Class of 1999. Mr. Honeycutt served on active duty in the US Army as an Infantry Squad Leader with the Seventh Infantry Division (Light). Using his GI education benefits, Mr. Honeycutt received an Undergraduate degree in Human Resource Development from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan and has completed postgraduate work at Central Michigan University.

Assistant Director: Keri Brezgel

Since February 2013 Keri Brezgel has served as an Assistant Director for the Milwaukee VA Regional Office (VARO). She assists the Director in managing the Compensation & Pension and Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment benefits provided to a potential clientele of over 400,000 Veterans and their dependents living in Wisconsin. Oversight for the Milwaukee VARO also includes the Pension Management Center that provides benefits and services to recipients of pension and survivor benefits in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, and Tennessee. In addition, the VARO’s Fiduciary Hub provides fiduciary oversight for beneficiaries residing in Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Minnesota, and Missouri.

Keri began her career with the Department of Veterans Affairs in December 1993 as a Rating Analyst in the Milwaukee VA Regional Office. She was later promoted to a Rating Veterans Service Representative and served in the Milwaukee VARO for seven years. Keri then worked in VA Central Office in Washington D.C. for five years, first as a Consultant for C&P Service on the Procedures and Program Operations staffs, followed by a Management Analyst for the Associate Deputy Under Secretary for Policy and Program Management. From June 2006 until February 2013 Keri was the Assistant Director for the Chicago VA Regional Office.

Keri has a Master of Arts Degree in Communications and is a graduate of Leadership VA and the Assistant Director Development Program. She has contributed to articles in Human Communication Research. Her Master’s thesis is cited as a reference in numerous publications.

Assistant Director: Jesse Severe

Mr. Jesse Severe was promoted to the position of Assistant Director, Milwaukee Regional Office in March 2012. At Milwaukee RO, he provides oversight for one of VBA’s largest offices with six business lines. He has served on a number of national projects including as the Senior Field Lead for VBA’s VSR Skills Certification and Competency-Based Testing project since 2013.

Jesse began his VA career as a Veterans Service Representative at the Milwaukee Regional Office in 2001. In 2005, Jesse moved to the Nashville Regional Office. In 2008, Jesse joined the Southern Area office in Nashville first as a Management Analyst, and starting in 2009, as the Supervisory Management Analyst. He has served details in the Office of Field Operations, as Assistant Director of the Houston Regional Office, as Assistant Director of the St. Louis Regional Office, and as Assistant Director of the VBMS Program Management Office.

Jesse grew up in Sheffield, Iowa. He received a B.A. in History, Religion and Philosophy from Wartburg College in 1996 and an M.A. in Chinese language and history from the University of Iowa in 1998. He also received an M.S. in Strategic Analytics from Brandeis University in 2017. Outside of work, Jesse enjoys spending time with his wife, Rebecca, and two children.

Fid Hub Manager: Denise Niemczyk-Mullins

Denise Niemczyk-Mullins began her VA career in 1993 as a Veterans Claims Examiner. Denise has held various positions in the Veterans Service Center, Pension Management Center, and Fiduciary Hub.  Positions Denise previously held include Veterans Claims Examiner, Authorizer, Quality Specialist, Rating Specialist, Assistant Coach, Coach, and Assistant Fiduciary Hub Manager.  Denise graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with degrees in Public Administration, Political Science, and Broad Field Social Science.  She was selected as the Milwaukee Fiduciary Hub Manager in July 2017.

Veteran Readiness and Employment Officer: Vacant

Veterans Service Center Manager: Barbara S. Nehls

Ms. Nehls began her career with the Milwaukee Regional Office in August 1991. She was selected as the Veterans Service Center Manager in May 2013. She has spent her entire career at the Milwaukee Regional Office and has held various positions, including Veterans Claims Examiner, Rating Specialist, Coach, and Assistant Veterans Service Center Manager.

Ms. Nehls graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.

Benefits Eligbility Support Team Manager: Andrew Staff

Andrew Staff was selected as the Benefits Eligibility Support Team Division Manager in October 2020. He is responsible for managing the processing of Veterans’ benefit adjustments, required benefit reviews, and unique eligibility decisions. He began his career with VA in May 2003 and has held various positions, including Claims Assistant, Veterans Service Representative, Management Analyst, Coach, and Assistant Veterans Service Center Manager. Andrew graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with a Bachelor’s degree in History.

Pension Management Center Manager: Chris Fischer

Chris Fischer took this position in December 2008. As Pension Management Center Manager, he administers approximately $231 million in monthly federal benefits to 242,858 beneficiaries living in Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.