Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office (GLO) George P. Bush unveiled a redesigned website this week for the Texas Veterans Land Board (VLB), TexasVeterans.com, to streamline access to the information and benefits provided by the VLB to Texas veterans. The VLB was formed in 1946 and in his role as GLO Commissioner, Bush also serves as the VLB’s Chairman.
Before running for office, Bush served in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom and was an officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve. “The VLB provides Texas veterans with benefits beyond those of the federal government,” said Bush in a statement provided to Breitbart Texas. “As a fellow veteran, my goal as Chairman of the VLB is to raise awareness of all available benefits and services. Our veterans earned these benefits and our new website is designed to facilitate information sharing and accessing benefits simple and convenient.”
Breitbart Texas contacted GLO Communications Director Bryan Preston for comment regarding the redesigned website. “From a technical point of view, we set out from the start to use the latest in design and technology,” said Preston, himself a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. “So you won’t see walls of text — you’ll see full-screen video, animations, and clean navigation throughout the new sites.”
A key feature of the new website, added Preston, is that it is “fully responsive across all platforms,” making it easy to navigate whether viewing on a computer, smartphone, or tablet, as the website will automatically re-orient its layout for optimal viewing on the specific device being used.
The VLB website redesign was also accompanied by the relaunch and update of several social media accounts: TXVLB on Facebook, @TexasVLB on Twitter, TexasVLB on YouTube, and texasveterans on Instagram.
One of the chief responsibilities of the VLB is managing the low-interest land, home, and home improvement loans available for veterans. The website provides the necessary information about these loans, as well as providing a platform to list sales of forfeited lands.
The VLB website also provides information about Texas State Veterans Homes, including virtual tours of the homes, available activities, and eligibility requirements.
A “Call Center” page consolidates information about all benefits available to Texas veterans at the local, state, and federal level, including downloadable forms, details about upcoming Veterans Benefits Fairs, and how to ask for assistance. There are also online operators who can answer questions.
A final section lists the location and contact information for Texas State Veterans Cemeteries, as well as providing details about burial options, eligibility requirements, and costs.
According to the press release from the GLO, the VLB website redesign is the first step in a plan to where “all GLO websites will be consolidated, improved and relaunched to promote services provided by the Texas General Land Office.”
Follow Sarah Rumpf on Twitter @rumpfshaker.