Greene County’s new Veterans Services Director isn’t exactly unfamiliar to the area.

In fact, Michael Bierl has been a part-time school bus driver with the Greene County School District for a few months before he started his new part-time position as the county’s Veterans Services Director earlier this month. The Carroll native is a 1976 Carroll Kuemper High School graduate, who went on to serve in the United States Air Force from 1982 to 2003, retiring as a master sergeant. Following his military service, he and his wife moved to Harlan where they owned a screen-printing business for 15 years before moving to Panora in April of 2018.

Bierl talks about why he wanted to be the Greene County Veterans Services Director.

“It sounded like an opportunity to help individuals who have sacrificed so much and I thought that would truly be rewarding experience. Some have been away from home for months, some for years, some have sacrificed their health-physically and mentally-sometimes in some cases permanently, and some have given the ultimate sacrifice. So it sounded like an awesome opportunity to help these people.”

The former County Veterans Services Director Tracie Perez resigned her position last year prior to her moving to Texas. Her job responsibilities also included general assistance coordinator, which is now being handled by Greene County Disabilities Coordinator Ellen Ritter.

Bierl’s office hours are 9am to 1pm Monday through Friday. His office is located on the first floor of the Greene County Courthouse, just west of the Greene County Assessor’s office. Anyone with questions can call him at 386-5673 or email him at mbierl@co.greene.ia.us.