Leadership Team
Michael T. Kilmer | 720-723-6511
Director, Eastern Colorado Health Care System
Mr. Michael Kilmer is the Director of VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System. Director Kilmer has held many vital roles in Veterans Health Administration and most recently served more than two year as the Medical Center Director for the Western Colorado VA Health Care System, Grand Junction, Colo. Through his commitment to serving Veterans, Director Kilmer has more than 15 years’ experience in VA, including various leadership roles, organizational improvement, and multi-facility operations. He has also served VA as Chief Consultant, Care Management and Social Work; Interim Director, Central Texas Health Care System; Interim Director, Amarillo VA Health Care System; and Program Director, Patient Centered Care and Care Management, VA Desert Pacific Health Care System. He earned his BA in Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences from University of Washington, Tacoma, and Master of Social Work from University of Washington, Seattle. Director Kilmer is also a 15 year Veteran of the United States Coast Guard.
Clifford L Parmley | 720-723-6511
Chief of Staff
Dr. Clifford Parmley is the Chief of Staff of VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System. Parmley previously served as our Deputy Chief of Staff and has been with VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System since October 2018. Prior to joining us, Parmley served as Chief of Staff for Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Parmley attended medical school at Loma Linda University in California through an Air Force scholarship program and was assigned to Lackland Air Force Base for his anesthesiology residency. He completed his military commitment in San Antonio and worked in private practice near Houston before taking a brief detour from medicine. He pursued his law degree from South Texas College of Law in Houston and worked briefly in medical malpractice before returning to medicine. He is board certified in Anesthesiology and Critical Care and is a Fellow of both the American College of Legal Medicine and American College of Critical Care Medicine.
Sean DeVeau, RN, MSN, J.D. | 720-723-6511
Acting Nurse Executive
Mr. Sean DeVeau joined VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System in 2021 as the Chief of Organizational Development and Education and is currently the Acting Associate Director of Patient Care Services. DeVeau previously served as the Primary Aligned Care Team Nursing Manager for VA Western Colorado Health Care System. Additionally, he served at the Cheyenne VA Medical Center as an Emergency Department and ICU nurse. Prior to his appointment with VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System, DeVeau worked with SCL Health in various leadership roles. DeVeau earned his bachelor’s degree in nursing and master’s degree in nursing from Western Governors University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Wyoming, College of Law. He is a proud U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army Veteran, starting his military career as an enlisted Airmen, before being commissioned with the Army and transitioning back to the Air Force, where he served in multiple command positions including deployments in support of Desert Shield, Desert Fox and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Mary S. Newell | 720-723-6511
Acting Associate Director
Mary (Shannon) Newell is the Assistant Director of VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System, which she has served in since October 2018. She joined VA in 2013, as a Graduate Healthcare Administrative Training Program Fellow at the Harry S. Truman VA in Columbia, MO., and later at the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System in Temple, TX. She came to VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System in May 2014, and has served in a variety of roles, including Acting Deputy Director, Acting Health System Specialist to the Director, Surgery Service Administrative Officer and the Project Eagle Executive, facilitating the successful opening of the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in August 2018. Newell received her commission and BS degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point and served for more than eight years in the United States Army. Newell earned her Master’s degrees in Public Health and Public Administration from the University of Colorado.
Thomas R. Talamante
Interim Assistant Director of the North
Mr. Thomas R. Talamante is the Interim Assistant Director of Northern Colorado for VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System. Talamante came to VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System in 2019 as the Chief of Health Administration Service. Prior to joining this team, he was Deputy Chief of Health Administration Service for the VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System. Talamante began his VA career at the San Diego VA Medical Center in 2009 as a call center Medical Support Assistant and has held multiple positions in support of organizational operations to include: Scheduling Manager, Veteran Choice Program Coordinator and Data Team Program Specialist. Talamante holds a bachelor’s in Political Science and a master’s in Organizational Leadership and is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Talamante served in the United States Marine Corps and is an Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom Veteran.
David Yarbrough
Assistant Director of the South
Mr. David Yarbrough is the Assistant Director of Southern Colorado for VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System. Mr. Yarbrough joined VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System in 2021. Before joining our team, he served at the Oklahoma City VA Health Care System as the Executive Assistant to the Director and their Facility Planner. During his time at the Oklahoma City VA, he served multiple times as Acting Assistant Director and worked diligently with all services to improve care and access for Veterans. Yarbrough also served as Acting Associate Director for the Montana VA Health Care system in 2019. After finishing his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Oklahoma State University in 2004, he earned his Masters of Business Administration and Masters in Healthcare Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2006. From there, he completed a Fellowship through the Graduate Healthcare Administration Training Program at the Charlie Norwood VAMC in Augusta, GA. Yarbrough spent the first eight years of his career in Augusta serving in various roles such as, Systems Redesign Specialist, Quality Management Specialist, and Administrative Officer for Mental Health And Geriatrics.
