CEO Highlight:
Please tell us a little bit about who you are professionally.
I am a champion for veterans and military families; advocating for solutions that eliminate barriers to the successful transition and reintegration of service members and their families. As the CEO of the National Association of Veteran-Serving Organization (NAVSO), I am able to express my passion and commitment to bringing together stakeholders and improving outcomes for veterans and military families.
I am a 20-year Air Force veteran who retired in 2014 from the Joint Chiefs of Staff where I served in the Chairman’s Office of Warrior and Family Support. In this role, I leveraged my broad and deep perspectives to assist communities across America seeking to improve the landscape for veterans as they and their families return to communities after serving our nation.
What inspires you to do the work you do?
If there were one phrase to describe how I want to be remembered, it would be that I “led a life of service,” service to our nation, service to my community, service to my church, service to my family, and service to my brothers and sisters in arms. As a career Air Force officer, I was blessed with dozens of amazing opportunities and experiences, but some were extremely hard. While serving as a commander, I walked alongside three families that lost their sons. If anyone in the nation had the right to be bitter or anti-military, these families earned the right. They trusted our military with their sons’ lives, but their sons didn’t make it home. Yet, these families are the most patriotic, loyal, and dedicated families I know. They work hard every day to carry on their sons’ legacies and honor their sacrifices. They serve as my inspiration. My hope is to also honor their sacrifices and perhaps be one-tenth of the patriotic advocate these families are.
What do you hope to accomplish in 2015 and beyond?
We created NAVSO to help service providers become more effective and efficient at what they do best: helping veterans and military families. We do this by focusing on five key areas: Research, Education, Consultation, Collaboration, and Evaluation.