During a meeting of the Joint Committee on Veterans’ and Military Affairs Monday, Rep. Drew MacEwen was selected to serve as co-chair and an executive member of the committee.

MacEwen, a six-year veteran of the Navy’s submarine force, said he’s looking forward to serving on the committee in a new capacity.

“In this new role, I’ll have the opportunity to work alongside my co-chair, Senator Steve Conway, to craft agendas for upcoming meetings, and work in a bipartisan fashion with all committee members to make recommendations to the Legislature on how to best address active military forces issues and aid veterans,” said MacEwen, R-Union. “This committee is an important component to ensuring the security and preparedness of Washington state during emergencies. As our nation continues to face threats from around the globe, the continued involvement of the committee in our state’s emergency preparedness is critical.”

In addition to studying issues regarding veterans and service members, and emergency management and preparedness, the committee considers matters relating to the National Guard, the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, the Washington Military Department, and more. The committee consists of 16 state legislators, four members from each caucus.

MacEwen was first appointed to the committee in 2013.

Those interested in learning more about the committee can view past committee documents, sign up for updates, and more by visiting the committee’s official website: https://leg.wa.gov/JointCommittees/VMA/Pages/default.aspx.