Craigslist Founder Joins VA Innovation Search Panel

Craig Newmark to Help Pick Winners of National Competition

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ - Craig Newmark, the founder of
"craigslist" and a well-known technology visionary, has agreed to serve on the
blue-ribbon panel of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that will review
and evaluate ideas to improve disability claims processing times and provide
greater transparency to Veterans.

"Transforming VA into an organization that is Veteran-centric,
results-oriented and forward-looking is my top priority," said Secretary of
Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "Leveraging the talent, innovation and
creativity of stakeholders, like Craig Newmark, is just one of the many ways
VA can think outside of the box to help deliver tangible results to our
nation's Veterans."

The innovation competition solicited ideas from VA employees and members of
Veterans Service Organizations who are on the front lines every day, working
with Veterans to help deliver benefits they deserve and need. VA officials
from each of the 57 regional offices across the country have submitted
promising ideas, which will be reviewed by Newmark and other panel members.
The panel will be chaired by Patrick W. Dunne, the VA Under Secretary for
Benefits.

"I look forward to working with VA's leadership team to bring tangible results
to our Veterans," said Craig Newmark. "I am very encouraged by the fact that
VA is embracing new ways to look at old problems."

In 1995, Newmark launched the first community site on the Internet for people
to share information about housing, jobs and other needs. By April 2009,
craigslist received more than 22 billion page-views per month, with more than
50 million members worldwide.

Newmark is a vocal proponent of using the Internet and technology to support
government innovation and maximize the utilization of human capital.
Additionally, Newmark is a passionate supporter of Veterans causes.

VA has received and reviewed over 3,000 suggestions since Sept. 8th. The panel
will review the top 17 submissions and chose 5 projects that will receive full
funding for project development and execution at the Regional Office that
submitted the idea.

SOURCE U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Public Affairs, +1-202-461-7600