On July 31, 2023, the West Texas VA Health Care System held a renaming ceremony to change the name of its San Angelo VA Clinic to the Col. Charles and JoAnne Powell VA Clinic.
The 117th Congress voted to change the name of the San Angelo VA Clinic in 2022 to the Colonel Charles and JoAnne Powell VA Clinic. The couple served the community of San Angelo, Texas, with character and dignity.
Col. Powell served as the base commander of Goodfellow Air Force Base from 1980 to 1984. When the Powells moved to San Angelo, Col. Powell was ordered to help Goodfellow avoid closure and the displacement of many members of the Armed Forces from the community they had grown to love. The impact of his career can still be felt today at Goodfellow Air Force Base, which serves as a training school for thousands of members from every Armed Force to train in cryptology, intelligence and firefighting.
Assisted with academy nominations
Charles’ wife, JoAnne, served multiple decades of public service. She assisted thousands of constituents in the district offices of Representatives Tom Loeffler, Lamar Smith, K. Michael Conaway and August Pfluger. One of the several duties she spearheaded was the annual process of nominations to the military service academies, always a year-round process for her.
With JoAnne’s assistance, many of the young men and women of the 11th congressional district of Texas went on to serve the United States and attend one of the military service academies. In addition, JoAnne was a fierce advocate of Veterans and helped thousands of individuals gain access to the benefits they rightfully earned.
The Powell clinic saw its first patients Aug. 5, 2019. It offers primary care and specialty health services, including mental health care, telehealth services, treatment for addiction and substance abuse, and women’s health services. In the photo, West Texas VA director Keith Bass unveils the official renaming plaque for the Powell’s grandchildren, Caitlin and Colin McKinney, son-in-law Jerry McKinney and daughter Terri McKinney.
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My name is Tony Tharp. While attending college at Angelo State University (’89 -’93), I had the privilege of meeting and getting to know Colonel Powell. My wife, Jamie, worked with him at the Investment Center at Southwest Bank during that time. We thought the world of him and we are really glad to here about this honor.