The head of the newly named Utah Department of Veterans Affairs hopes the nomenclature shift will help reap financial benefits for veterans.

At the Governor's Mansion on Monday, Utah's VA director Terry Schow, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and others participated in the ceremonial signing of a bill that created the change from a division to a department.

"It is really a form of recognizing those who have served and will serve in terms of our state being organized at the highest levels to pay tribute and to offer services that are so richly deserved by so many," Huntsman said in a speech to a roomful of veterans and elected officials.

Known as a division until last week, the VA in Utah for years has been underfunded and understaffed, according to Schow. Along with the name change, however, there is already more state money — about $250,000 — for outreach among Utah's estimated 160,000 veterans.

Schow said the change will also allow veterans in the Beehive State to have more input on budget and policy matters that impact them.

"We see a light at the end of the tunnel," Schow said in an interview. "This gets us increased emphasis and attention on veterans and veteran programs."

Previously, the division was under the leadership of the Utah National Guard, reporting to its commander, Maj. Gen. Brian L. Tarbet. Schow said the dilemma has been that Tarbet's mission is to put the needs of an active military before requests from the veterans community.

Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper, said the signing of his bill, HB426, will mean the Guard can focus more on its job.

"They're in the business of training soldiers," Hughes said.

Now the VA department will answer to Huntsman, and Schow will be part of the governor's cabinet. Huntsman said that Schow's first three tasks will be to reach out more to veterans, form a database for veterans looking for information about benefits, and educate state officials and veterans about what federal money and rights are available to vets.

The $250,000 in new funding that came with passage of the bill is supposed to go toward hiring someone for extra outreach about VA programs and benefits available to Utah's estimated 160,000 veterans and about 1,600 homeless vets.

Less than 20 percent of Utah veterans are enrolled in some kind of a health-care program through the VA, according to Schow. Less than 10 percent of vets in this state take advantage of compensation and pension benefits for those with "service connected" disabilities. In states like Maine, however, more veterans take advantage of benefits because better funded outreach programs there do more to inform vets, Schow told the Deseret Morning News earlier this year.

Sitting in a wheelchair with four Purple Heart, two Silver Star and two Bronze Star awards to his name, Vietnam Army veteran Lee Ficarra said Monday that the formerly named Division of Veterans Affairs was overlooked for too long and lacked "prestige" among state leaders. The name change, he said, will give "credence" to the department and put it in the "forefront" of the minds of legislators.

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E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com