Jose “Pepe” Cervantes, ’05, serves as the Chief of Inter-Agency Data Sharing and Military Operations for Compensation Service in the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). He has previously served in leadership roles at the VA Baltimore Regional Office, VA National Capital Region Benefits Office, VA Records Management Center in St. Louis, VA San Diego Regional Office and was previously a supervisory analyst for the VBA Deputy Under Secretary of Field Operations.
Mr. Cervantes was born and raised in San Diego, CA. He attended Gallaudet University from 2001 to 2005. Upon graduation, he returned to San Diego where he served seven years on the San Diego Community College District's Trustees Advisory Council. He spent six years on the City of San Diego Commission on Gang Prevention and Intervention. Cervantes was appointed by the Mayor of San Diego and received recognition for his work in identifying, reducing, preventing, and intervening with gang activity through implementing various programs that targeted at-risk youth.