Governor Terry Branstad’s office has announced that retired Brig. Gen. Jodi Tymeson is resigning her post as head of Department of Veterans Affairs to assume her new role as the Chief Operating Officer of the Iowa Veterans Home. Tymeson’s first day will be May 28th.

Tymeson served in the Iowa Army National Guard from 1974-2007. While there, she graduated from officer candidate school and was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1982. She served as platoon leader, company commander, battalion commander and troop command commander – responsible for 3,450 soldiers.

Tymeson was selected to attend the Army War College as a national security fellow at Harvard University’s JFK School of Government, graduating in 1999. She is the first female promoted to brigadier general in the Iowa Army National Guard. She retired in 2007 with 33 years of service. Tymeson’s husband, John, is a retired brigadier general, following his 34 years of military service. He is a Vietnam veteran, and currently serves as chair of the board of directors at the Food Bank of Iowa.

Jodi Tymeson also served as a full-time 6th grade teacher at Cedar Heights Elementary in Cedar Falls from 1988-1992, and taught as a substitute teacher from 1993-1998. From 2001-2010, Tymeson served nearly 30,000 constituents as a state representative for Madison, Warren and Dallas Counties. She served as House Education Committee chair for four years, in addition to a number of other committee assignments.

Gov. Branstad will begin the search for Tymeson’s replacement immediately.