VA’s national Customer Experience Symposium recognizes the best in a Veterans-first culture
VA News ·
VA’s 2026 Customer Experience Symposium honored employees and teams who transformed Veteran feedback into meaningful improvements.
VA’s eighth annual Customer Experience (CX) Symposium, held Sept. 15-17, 2026, shared CX best practices and toolswith 1,700 VA public servants across the country. Centered on earning Veterans’ trust and advancing a Veterans-first culture, the three-day event focused on turning Veteran voices into Veteran experience improvements.
The symposium opened with a two-day virtual learning series featuring 28 sessions on leading VA customer experience programs, practical insights and tools—including the VSignals customer feedback program , human-centered design, outreach and CX implementation. Together, the sessions generated approximately 11,200 learning hours focused on turning feedback into Veteran-centered service improvements.
The symposium celebrated CX achievements with an awards ceremony recognizing employees, volunteers and facilities who went above and beyond in putting Veterans first. VA Secretary Doug Collins and other senior VA leaders honored these individuals and teams in-person, thanking them for the their work that advances exceptional customer experiences for Veterans, service members, their families, caregivers and survivors.
“Veterans come first at VA,” said Secretary Collins. “It’s not a slogan—it’s our operating procedure. Veterans are our only mission, and our first and foremost responsibility is ensuring they receive the care, benefits and final dignity they have earned.”
Each award recognizes VA employees, volunteers and facilities for their hard work and dedication to VA’s Veteran-first culture. View the complete list of CX award winners online.
The VA Secretary’s Honor Award for I CARE is the Department’s highest honor, recognizing employees whose exceptional performance reflects VA’s core values of Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect and Excellence.
Learn more about VA’s I CARE Award program and how to nominate VA employees.
The CX Innovation Award recognizes new and creative customer experience approaches. View the complete list of CX award winners online.
The Exceptional Experience awards span several categories, including Best Experience, Most Improved and Service Recovery. View the complete list of CX award winners online.
The symposium was presented in partnership with the Veterans Experience Office, the Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning, the Veterans Health Administration, the Veterans Benefits Administration, the National Cemetery Administration, the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, VA staff offices and Vet Centers.
For more information on VA Customer Experience or the VA Veterans Experience Office, visit https://department.va.gov/veterans-experience.