Title: Veterans Affairs Advocate
Location: Staten Island, New York, United States
Lee S. Covino, Veterans Affairs Advocate, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements, and leadership in veteran’s advocacy.
Enlisting and serving with the U.S. Army in the 1970s and receiving an honorable discharge in 1976, Mr. Covino has since dedicated more than 40 years to veterans advocacy throughout New York City. Attending the College of Staten Island on the GI Bill, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in applied science, letter and society interdisciplinary in 1977, where has had served as a counselor and editor of the Veterans Advisement Center from 1973 to 1977. Additionally, he also holds an Associate of Applied Science in business math and electives from Staten Island Community College from 1974. Upon spearheading his career, between 1977 and 1984, Mr. Covino was a caseworker for New Broadview Manor Home for Adults, a case manager and agency field representative for Anna Erika Home for Adults and a veteran’s outreach specialist with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Between 1984 and 1990, he also served as a branch manager with Portamedic Health Care and as a program officer and in-home services coordinator for the New York City Department for the Aging. Mr. Covino was then appointed to the Staten Island Borough President’s Cabinet, where he excelled as director of contracts and procurements from 1990 to 2014. Notably, he was also selected to serve with the Veteran’s Advisory Board by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in 2002, where he was re-appointed in 2007 and 2012, and ended his term as the vice-chairperson of the board in 2015.
Distinguished for his career contributions, Mr. Covino was the recipient of the Staten Island Interagency Council for the Aging Professional Service Award in 2007. He was also granted a U.S. Small Business Administration District Award in 2005 and an American Legion Distinguished Service Award in 2002. The recipient of a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Certificate of Appreciation in 1999, he was previously inducted into the College of Staten Island Alumni Hall of Fame in 1989. Looking back, Mr. Covino is most proud of establishing a bus route between the VA Hospitals in Brooklyn and Staten Island and coordinating annual Fleet Week activities. Additionally, he is honored to have led several veterans’ operations that brought health care services to minority-based areas, assisting them with resume development and job searches and offering free basic computer skills courses. Serving as treasurer of the United Staten Island Memorial Organization, Mr. Covino is a prolific author of numerous works. He is the author of the research paper, “Borough President’s Community Access Project for Services to Staten Island HIV/AIDS Patients” from 1994, as well as “Case Management in Community Based Services” and “A One-Stop Multi-Service Concept for Staten Island.” In five years’ time, Mr. Covino hopes to continue helping veterans, playing in the South Shore Band and watching his granddaughter grow.
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