Assemblyman honors two local veterans

Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia celebrated two local veterans for their distinguished leadership and work in the community.

"Individuals who are not only serving the community but also focusing on veteran needs right here in the Coachella Valley," Garcia said.

Garcia held a recognition ceremony to honor Lauren Skiver and Edward Robles Wednesday at Veteran's Memorial Park in Coachella.

Skiver and Robles were named the 56th Assembly District's Veterans of the Year.

"It is a good strong validation because it means the work is making an impact," Robles said.

Robles served in the Navy for eight years. After returning home, he founded Mission Veteran at College of the Desert. Mission Veteran provides educational, recreational, and supportive services to veterans and their families.

"Our veterans need to be validated, need to be taking care of them. There is an incredible amount of veterans who aren't receiving any time of care," Robles said.

Skiver served nine years in the U.S. Army, specializing in military intelligence as an imagery analyst. She also served during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Skiver is now the CEO of the Sunline Transit Agency.

Many attendees at today's ceremony emphasized the importance of recognizing our veterans.

"There is never enough we can do to recognize the work of veterans those that are here and even those that did not make it back," Garcia said.

"For everyone to remember what they're doing to help protect our country," Skiver said.