BRAD NELSON RETIRED earlier this month as public affairs officer at the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center after 32 years of federal service. Jim Rice, right, medical center director, presented Nelson with his retirement certificate May 8.

IRON MOUNTAIN — Brad Nelson retired May 8 as public affairs officer at the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center in Iron Mountain after 32 years of federal service.

Nelson, of Norway, started his VA career as Administrative Officer of the Day at the medical center Sept. 12, 2010. He was hired June 28, 2011, as the medical center’s first full-time public affairs officer, responsible for all media and stakeholder relations, internal communications and outreach efforts. During his tenure, the medical center won six national VA communications awards.

Before his VA service, Nelson served 21 years in the Coast Guard after graduating from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy on May 22, 1985. He retired from the Coast Guard in 2006 and moved to Norway, serving as the program director at Lake Lundgren Bible Camp in Pembine, Wis., from 2006 to 2010.

Nelson said he will miss the great relationships built over 10 years with coworkers, the media and veteran service officers, congressional staff and other community partners and working with them to serve veterans.