To reach tomorrow, we often look to yesterday, citing the great men and women who have served to make today possible. There, within countless stories of triumphs and defeats we hear the echoes of honor, the pillars that make our country stand tall. These pillars are only possible through the fortification of young and eager minds.
The next generation is the lifeblood of this country, and it’s our mission to support a stronger, healthier military community by reestablishing trust between our national institutions and the trailblazers of tomorrow. ZeroMils believes that the most effective way to reverse these trends is through direct engagement between veterans, related institutions and youth—on a local level, driven by the private sector.
On October 23, 2024, Georgetown University and ZeroMils will host a national Change Forum, uniting senior leaders from public, private, and nonprofit sectors to develop a plan for the private sector to promote the positive effects of military service to young people. This event will feature a series of discussions aimed at informing and refining action plans, as well as breakout sessions at the end of the forum.
By channeling local leadership through a nationally-driven strategy, ZeroMils and our partners will rewrite the narrative, changing negative attitudes toward our military and our civic life one community at a time. Together, we can usher in a Military Thriving future.
Intercultural Center (ICC) Galleria // 1501 Tondorf Rd
A retrospective on the success of the public/private sector coalition to defeat veteran unemployment
Leavey Center // 1560 Tondorf Rd
A series of discussions leading to a plan of action to engage veterans, the military community and youth throughout 2025
Tanya Sanders
EVP, Head of Wells Fargo Auto
MODERATOR
Laura Schmiegel
Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, Orion Talent
Dr. Mike Haynie
Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives & Innovation and Executive Dean at Martin J. Whitman School of Management, Syracuse University
David Shearman
Staff Director, Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
The Honorable
James D. Rodriguez, MA
Assistant Secretary, Veterans’ Employment & Training Service (VETS), U.S. Department of Labor
Michael F. Kelly
AVP, Military Affairs, USAA
Gen. George Casey (Ret.)
36th Chief of Staff, US Army
William J. Lynn
CEO, Leonardo DRS
MODERATOR
Kevin Schmiegel
CEO, ZeroMils
Katherine L. Kuzminski
Deputy Director of Studies and Program Director, Military, Veterans, and Society Program, Center for a New American Security
Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly (Ret.)
President and CEO, Military Officers Association of America
Lt. Gen. Brian Eifler
Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, US Army
MODERATOR
Kevin Schmiegel
CEO, ZeroMils
Harrison Bernstein
Founder and CEO, Soldiers to Sidelines
Sean Passmore
Head of Military Talent Strategic Sourcing & Enterprise Military & Veteran Initiatives, Wells Fargo
Sharene Brown
Spouse of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Champion, Five & Thrive
Bill Novelli
Founder, Business for Impact, Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business
MODERATOR
Joel Kupersmith, MD
Head of Medical Admissions at Georgetown University Moderator
Katherine Dames
Managing Director, Education and Workforce Development, BlueForge Alliance
Melissa Bryant
Executive Management Consultant;
Member, Board of Directors, VetsInTech
Greg Summers
CEO, Orion Talent
Meg O’Grady
SVP, Military and Government Programs, National University
Sam Khichi
EVP, Chief Policy Officer & General Counsel, CVS Health
Secretary Anthony Woods
Maryland Department of Veterans and Military Families
Session 1: Finding Purpose through Continued Service
Session 2: Healthy Communities
Session 3: Small Businesses and Storytellers
Session 4: Paths to Alternate Service
And for everyone who won’t be joining us in-person, watch our livestream in collaboration with CVS Health to see dozens of the most influential Veteran changemakers in America participate in dynamic discussions that lead to action.
Support for the Change Forum and the Military Thriving initiative will be reinforced and supported by a National Pledge, signed by senior executives who commit to upholding the pillars of the Veterans Creed and the Military Thriving movement.
Founding signatories of the pledge will meet with senior retired and active duty military leadership at an Executive Roundtable in Washington, DC. The results of this meeting and launch of the Pledge will be published in a press release that also announces the Change Forum and National Initiative.
I, [CEO of x company], understand that American citizenship comes with both privileges and obligations. I recognize that doing business in America bestows on me a calling to help defend a way of life that allows my business to thrive, and that a healthy, thriving military and veteran community is a reason my company enjoys that way of life.
Therefore, I pledge to align my corporate culture and actions to the values of the Veterans Creed, to create a MIlitary Thriving community in all of my areas of influence by:
ZeroMils is a term of both science and art, used in the military to describe a state of perfection that accounts for accuracy and effectiveness. Once attained, ZeroMils allows you to achieve maximum impact on a target.
ZeroMils’ mission is to create Military Thriving cultures and communities by serving alongside our partners and clients in the places where we live, work and serve.
We are intentional in our efforts to serve alongside organizations and leaders who focus on what we know to be true: that although Veterans and their families face unique challenges, the vast majority of us overcome them and thrive as a result of our service and not in spite of it.
201 N. Union St, Suite 110
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 249-9727
Tanya Sanders is the Head of Wells Fargo Auto, a division of Wells Fargo Consumer Lending. Wells Fargo Auto is a leading indirect auto lender offering consumers vehicle financing through a network of approximately 10,300 dealers nationwide. With a loan portfolio of over $53.7 billion, we serve more than 2.5 million consumers’ auto financing needs. Tanya brings over 20 years of financial services experience to her role, including numerous leadership positions within auto finance.
Most recently, Tanya served as the Head of Auto Transformation leading the business’s innovation work to develop product strategy, Agile transformation, digital capacities, strategic partnerships and customer experience and insights. Prior to that, she was the Head of Retail Underwriting and Fulfillment responsible for improving the customer experience and consistency delivered by Wells Fargo Auto’s underwriting, funding and aftermarket teams.
Before joining Wells Fargo, Tanya was the managing director of Business Operations for Chase Auto, where she oversaw shared services operations for retail and private label auto originations. She has also held progressive roles at Bank of America and General Electric in auto, small business, business banking and consumer finance businesses.
Over the course of her career, she has earned experience in sales, strategy and business development, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate audit. She received her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Clemson University and MBA from the University of Florida. She also completed her Six Sigma Black Belt Certification. Tanya champions Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), serving as the executive sponsor for Wells Fargo’s Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter of PRIDE and the former co-chair for Consumer Lending’s DEI Council. She is also a member of the American Financial Services Association where she serves as chair for the Women’s Leadership Council.
Tanya is a thought leader in the industry and was recognized as an Executive to watch in 2022 by Auto Finance News and in 2020 was named Auto Finance Executive of the Year by Cherokee Media.
Tanya is based in Irving, Texas.
Laura Schmiegel is currently the Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Orion Talent where she is responsible for driving new business for Orion through collaboration with government, nonprofit and private sector institutions. One result is Orion’s HireSkills initiative, which pipelines junior enlisted military talent into high-paying skilled manufacturing careers. Prior to joining Orion, Laura was the Head of Military and Veteran Affairs at Booz Allen Hamilton, where she was responsible for all aspects of the firm’s military partnership strategy and for advising the firm’s military recruiting, diversity and government relations teams. While at Booz Allen, Laura created their MilTech Initiative, increasing both recruiting and retention of cleared technical military talent, and was awarded Booz Allen’s highest honor, the Booz Allen Excellence Award, for her work developing their national award-winning Military Spouse Business Resource Group, including the Group’s role in creating federal legislation to help military spouses who work in government contracting find remote work.
Laura’s career began in military nonprofits. She was a founding member and later Chairman of the Board at Blue Star Families. She created and for four years served as the first Director of the military spouse program at Hiring Our Heroes. Laura earned her law degree from the University of Michigan. She has been published in the Washington Post and the Christian Science Monitor and has served on the advisory boards of VetsInTech, VetsJobs/SpouseJobs, as a Trustee at the Virginia Veterans Services Foundation and as Chair of the US Chamber of Commerce Hiring Our Heroes Military Spouse Employment Advisory Council.
Dr. Mike Haynie is Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives & Innovation and Executive Dean of the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University. A senior member of the University’s leadership team for more than a decade, Haynie is responsible for a diverse portfolio of academic programs, innovation initiatives, and administrative functions. Dr. Haynie is also the founder and Executive Director of Syracuse University’s D’Aniello Institute for Veterans & Military Families (IVMF), the nation’s first interdisciplinary academic institute chartered to inform and advance the policy, economic, and wellness concerns of America’s veterans and military-connected families. In 2018, Haynie was named a University Professor, the most senior and selective academic rank awarded to faculty at Syracuse University.
Widely regarded as one of the nation’s leading scholars in the fields of entrepreneurship, innovation, and strategy, Haynie serves on the editorial boards of the most prestigious academic journals in his field. Dr. Haynie is an appointee to the CNBC Disruptor 50 Council – a group of world’s leading thinkers in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship. He is routinely asked to provide counsel to private- and public-sector leaders on issues related to entrepreneurship, innovation, and military-connected families. In 2013, Haynie was appointed to serve as Chairman of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Federal Advisory Committee on Veterans’ Employment and Training. In 2015, the White House asked Haynie to serve as vice chairman, and later chairman, of a Presidential Task Force chartered to set the course for long-term reform at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Among several other external appointments, Haynie currently serves as a member of the George W. Bush Institute Advisory Council, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Federal Advisory Committee on Veterans and Higher-Education, and on the Board of Directors for Crouse Hospital and the Crouse Health System.
Haynie has received numerous awards and recognitions for his scholarship, teaching, and public-sector engagement. In 2013, Dr. Haynie’s innovative work on behalf of veterans was the subject of a feature story by the CBS News program 60 Minutes. In 2020, Haynie was inducted into the Advancing Diversity Hall of Honor for his commitment to equality and inclusion. That same year, Time magazine recognized Haynie as one of 16 individuals working toward creating a more equal America. Dr. Haynie has also been recognized by the prestigious HillVets100, as among the nation’s 100-most-influential military veterans. In 2021, Haynie was awarded Syracuse University’s highest honor, the Chancellor’s Medal, for his leadership of Syracuse University’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Haynie completed his PhD in Entrepreneurship and Business Strategy at the University of Colorado at Boulder, his MBA at the University of Oregon, and his undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of Delaware. Before beginning his academic career at Syracuse University, Haynie served for 14 years as an officer in the United States Air Force.
David Shearman is the Staff Director for Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Jerry Moran of Kansas. Since March of 2015, he has worked on a range of veterans issues from education and employment, to disability and burial benefits, and VA administration. David helped passage of the Forever GI Bill, the HIRE Vets Act, the VALOR Act, the WASP Arlington Inurnment Restoration Act, the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020, and the PACT Act, among others.
David was a Noncommissioned Officer who served for six years in the U.S. Army Infantry. During that time, he was stationed overseas in Iraq, Kosovo, and Germany. David is a graduate of the U.S. Army’s Infantry Mortar Leaders Course, Primary Leadership Development Course, and Airborne School. His decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and Combat Infantryman Badge. David attended Georgetown University and earned a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service and a Master of Arts in U.S. National Security Policy. He lives in northern Virginia with his wife and two sons.
The Honorable James D. Rodriguez, MA is the U.S. Department of Labor’s Assistant Secretary for Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS). He is responsible for preparing America’s veterans, service members and their spouses for meaningful careers. In this capacity and in Fiscal Year 2023, over 2,400 DOL Veterans’ Employment and Training Service staff, contractors, and grantees served more than 430,000 veterans and military spouses across all Agency programs.
Mr. Rodriguez is an executive leader and proud veteran with more than 30 years of experience in the U.S. government, corporate sector, and 21 years in the United States Marine Corps. He possesses a comprehensive background in program management, interagency collaboration, and policy development. He also has extensive senior-level experience building and managing multi-million-dollar budgets and large diverse teams while meeting the expectations of the President of the United States and large corporate enterprises. Additionally, he has demonstrated experience with developing and leading large scale international and national programs with a commitment to operational excellence, risk management and quality assurance.
Mr. Rodriguez’s recent executive experience includes leadership roles within Deloitte LLP’s Government and Public Sector practice and BAE Systems, Inc. Government Relations department. He also previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Office of Warrior Care Policy, Office of the Secretary of Defense from 2014 through 2017.
Mr. Rodriguez earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Maryland, University College and a Master of Arts in International Commerce and Policy from the George Mason University, School of Public Policy. He also serves as an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Government and Political Science in the University of Maryland, Global Campus.
Mike leads USAA’s Military Advocacy Group and serves as deputy of Military Affairs. His team builds collaborative relationships focusing on a national dialogue surrounding important veteran and spouse issues such as financial readiness, navigating successful transitions into the civilian workforce, entrepreneurship, and building supportive and impactful military spouse communities. He also manages enterprise-wide programs and projects that sustain relationships between USAA, strategic external partners and military leaders/influencers to promote and enhance USAA’s brand and reputation.
He’s been with USAA since 2003 when he established USAA’s military communications program, later building a comprehensive military influencer program and establishing USAA’s national leadership role as a military-friendly employer.
Mike spent 25 years in the Air Force, both as an NCO and officer before retiring in 2002. While in the military he served as a photojournalist, newspaper editor, chief of public affairs and staff officer at the base and major military command level. He also served as a communications associate professor for four years at DOD’s Defense Information School where he taught future military public affairs communicators. He has multiple deployments to the Former Yugoslav Republic for Operations Able Sentry and Joint Endeavor as a member of the implementation force and supported international communication efforts for Operations Deny Flight, Deliberate Force and Provide Promise.
Mike was selected as a 2018 We Are the Mighty – “Mighty 25” influencer for his work in the military-veteran community where he dedicates his time connecting, equipping, and inspiring opportunities that benefit the military community at large. He is a 2019 George W. Bush Veteran Leadership Program scholar and also a recipient of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s annual Hiring Our Heroes Colonel Michael Endres Leadership Award for Individual Excellence in Veteran Employment. Mike currently serves on the national Hiring Our Heroes Veteran and Military Spouse Employment Councils, which focus employer actions addressing the unique employment challenges veterans and military spouses face. He served for three years on the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce executive board where he was chairman of the Chamber’s Military Affairs Council. He now serves as a member of the Society of Human Resource Manager Foundation’s Military Advisory Committee focusing on helping employees build knowledge, awareness and change in the policies, practices and culture that can hinder the success of the military community in the civilian workplace.
He has a BAAS degree with an emphasis in journalism and public relations from Southwest Texas State University and a master’s degree in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma.
General George W. Casey, Jr. served 41 years in the U.S. Army following his graduation from Georgetown University. He is an accomplished leader and an authority on strategic leadership.
He led the Army from 2007-2011 and is widely credited with restoring balance to a war-weary Army and leading the transformation to keep it relevant in the 21st Century. He was a stalwart advocate for military families, wounded Soldiers, and survivors of the fallen, and took on the tough issues of suicide and reducing the stigma attached to combat stress. Prior to this, he commanded the Multi-National Force—Iraq, a coalition of more than 30 countries, where he guided the Iraq mission through its toughest days. In his 15 years as a general officer, he held numerous senior leadership positions in Europe, the Middle East and in the United States.
He is currently lecturing on leadership at the SC Johnson College of Business, Cornell University, and to leaders of national and multinational corporations. He also lectures on International Relations at the Korbel School, University of Denver.
He currently serves on the boards of Denver University, Leonardo DRS; ColtCZ North America; and the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality.
He has published two books since leaving the Army, Strategic Reflections, Operation Iraqi Freedom, July 2004-2007, about his experiences in Iraq, and Supporting Veterans After 50 Years of the All-Volunteer Force, with Dr. Joel Kupersmith, Georgetown University, and several articles on leadership, including, “Leading in a ‘VUCA’ World”, Fortune magazine.
William J. Lynn III is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Leonardo DRS, Inc. a leading defense electronics company focused on delivering integrated products, services and support to military forces, intelligence agencies and defense contractors worldwide. He was appointed to this role in January 2012.
Mr. Lynn has a distinguished career in national security, both in government and in industry. In government, he has served two Presidents, five Secretaries of Defense and as an aide to Senator Edward Kennedy. In industry, he worked as a senior executive for Raytheon and Leonardo DRS.
Prior to joining Leonardo DRS, Mr. Lynn was the 30th United States Deputy Secretary of Defense from 2009 to 2011. Serving under Secretaries Robert Gates and Leon Panetta, he was the Chief Operating Officer managing three million personnel and overseeing an annual budget of over $700 billion. During this time, he also led the Department’s efforts to develop a new cyber strategy.
Previously Mr. Lynn was Senior Vice President of Government Operations and Strategy at the Raytheon Company where he directed strategic planning, oversaw merger and acquisition activities, and led government relations.
He served in the Department of Defense from 1993 until 2001, where he first led the Clinton Administration Defense Transition Team. He then held the role of Director of Program Analysis and Evaluation (PA&E), leading DoD’s strategic planning and program/budget development. In 1997, he was nominated by President Clinton and confirmed by the Senate as the Chief Financial Officer and Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), serving in that role until 2001.
Prior to his DoD experience, Mr. Lynn worked as counsel to the Senate Armed Services Committee for Senator Edward Kennedy supporting the senator’s work as Chairman of the Seapower Subcommittee. During this time, Mr. Lynn was instrumental in the passage of several important pieces of legislation, including the Military Childcare Act of 1989, which established childcare as a benefit for military families, and the 1991 bill that repealed the longstanding ban on women flying in combat.
Mr. Lynn was a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), serving as the executive director and principal author of the study of defense organization that helped lead to the 1986 Goldwater-Nichols Act, which reorganized the U.S. armed forces to improve joint and combined operations.
His publications include a 2010 path-breaking article in Foreign Affairs on cyber security (“Defending a New Domain: The Pentagon’s New Cyberstrategy”), which set out a new cyber strategy for the Department of Defense. He also co-authored a book, Toward A More Effective Defense, and has published numerous articles in various professional journals and newspapers.
During this career, Mr. Lynn has been recognized for his numerous professional and service contributions, including four Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service medals, the Distinguished Civilian Service Award from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and equivalent awards from the Departments of the Army, Navy and Air Force. He also was awarded the title of Commendatore of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.
He currently serves as a member of the Board of Accenture Federal Services, the USO Foundation, the Atlantic Council, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and the National Cathedral School.
A graduate of Dartmouth College, he holds a JD from Cornell Law School and a master’s degree in international affairs from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. He is married with two children.
Mr. Lynn’s background in defense and his leadership roles in government and industry have contributed to his expertise in national security, defense technology, and strategic management, making him a notable figure in the defense and technology sectors.
Kevin Schmiegel is CEO at ZeroMils. A retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel, Kevin is a mission-focused leader with a proven track record for rapidly scaling nonprofits and a reputation for delivering significant results. Kevin founded Hiring Our Heroes at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and was CEO of two other national nonprofits. Raising $100 million for these causes over a decade, Kevin and his teams have impacted millions of Americans, in and out of uniform. He is a proud husband to Laura and a father of five.
Katherine L. Kuzminski is the Deputy Director of Studies and the Director of the Military, Veterans, and Society (MVS) Program at CNAS. Her research specializations include Department of Defense institutional and organizational design and management; ground force capability development; military recruitment, retention, and talent management policy; and civil-military relations. She is also an adjunct instructor of strategy, policy, and military operations in the Georgetown Security Studies Program.
Kuzminski returned to CNAS from the RAND Corporation, where she was a political scientist researching military personnel policy and ground force capability development.
Kuzminski has testified before the congressionally mandated National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service. Her research and analysis have been featured on NPR, BBC, Federal News Radio, NBC Nightly News, The Washington Post, and Politico. She is completing her PhD in security studies from Kansas State University, where she earned her BS in military history and an MA in security studies.
Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, USAF (Ret), is a native of New Jersey. He earned his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Notre Dame and holds two master’s degrees, one in national resource strategy from National Defense University and another in military operational arts and sciences from Air University.
Kelly joined the Air Force in 1989, as a graduate of Notre Dame’s ROTC program. In his 33-year Air Force career, Kelly served in a number of key command and staff positions, including commander, 92nd Mission Support Squadron, Fairchild AFB, Wash.; deputy director, manpower and personnel, Multi-National Security Transition Command, Iraq; director, manpower, personnel and administration, U.S. Southern Command, Fla.; commander, 31st Mission Support Group, Aviano Air Base, Italy; commander, 501st Combat Support Wing, RAF Alconbury, U.K.; director, manpower, personnel and services, Air Combat Command, JB Langley-Eustis, Va.; director, military force management policy for deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services at the Pentagon; and commander, Air Force Personnel Center, JB San Antonio-Randolph, Texas.
At the time of his service retirement in 2022, Kelly had completed 3½ years serving as the Air Force’s deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services at the Pentagon.
Kelly took over as MOAA’s president and CEO in January 2023.
Lieutenant General Brian Eifler is the U.S. Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1. His General Officer assignments include service as the Commanding General of the 11th Airborne Division, Army Chief Legislative Liaison, Deputy Commanding General of the 10th Mountain Division (light), and the Director, CJ3 for Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq. A native of Michigan, LTG Eifler holds a bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University and a master’s degree from the US Army War College.
Harrison Bernstein founded Soldiers To Sidelines and serves as Executive Director. Soldiers To Sidelines (STS) began as a project to help Service Members, Veterans, Military Spouses, and Gold Star families discover a renewed sense of purpose as a character-based sports coaches in their communities. STS moved from project to a bourgeoning non-profit organization once Harrison resigned from coaching professional football to dedicate 100% focus on the STS mission.
In the past, Harrison has coached football and sports performance for several teams in the NFL, NCAA DIV I, II, and III, and at the high school level. While coaching, Harrison taught in the master’s Program of Exercise Science at George Washington University for 7 years. Harrison graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a BA in Economics, voted captain of the football team, earned All American honors 3 years, and Conference Defensive Player of the Year 1997.
Harrison authored and published a book called The Everyday Coach: Harnessing the Magic of Influence. The book is provided free to every STS Soldier Coach and all profits from sales support Soldiers To Sidelines. Accompanying the book, Harrison hosts a podcast called Harrison Bernstein’s Everyday Coach, which highlights leadership lessons learned from military heroes, business executives, and coaches to steward the craft of coaching in everyday life.
Harrison lives with his wife Laura Olendeski and their son Keturi Bernstein in Lewes, DE.
Sean oversees enterprise military and veteran initiatives at Wells Fargo, supporting the military community primarily with housing affordability, financial wellness, small business support, and career transition assistance programs. He manages relationships with strategic military, non-profit and for-profit veteran serving organizations. Sean also oversees military talent sourcing strategies and marketing strategies focused on the military segment. His Military Talent Strategic Sourcing team is comprised of more than 30 military talent liaisons, strategists, consultants, and analysts, all 100% dedicated to attracting, recruiting, coaching, and advocating for veterans seeking career opportunities at Wells Fargo.
Sean served 22 ½ years in the Army before retiring in 2014 as a senior Presidential Communications Officer in the White House Communications Agency, where he provided direct and personal support to the President of the United States and led teams supporting Presidential events around the World. Sean earned his Master of Science degree in Project Management from The George Washington University.
Sean and his wife, Mary, live in San Antonio, TX.
Sharene Brown is a nationally recognized advocate for military families, dedicated to improving the quality of life for service members and their families. With three decades of personal experience as a military spouse and mother, Sharene has been a tireless champion for initiatives that address the unique challenges faced by military families. She is especially passionate about advancing educational opportunities for military children and enhancing the support provided by the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP), which addresses the unique needs of military families with special requirements.
Sharene is the driving force behind Five & Thrive, which is an initiative focused on resolving the top five quality-of-life challenges for military families in childcare, education, healthcare, housing, and spouse employment. Five & Thrive consolidates resources, fosters community partnerships, and amplifies best practices, ensuring military families have streamlined access to critical services. Her championship in this space has been instrumental in reshaping how military families are supported, advocating for policies and practices that enhance their well-being and empower military spouses.
With a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a master’s in management from Webster University, Sharene’s diverse professional background spans advertising, education, and cross-cultural programs. A pivotal moment in her career was her role in the Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program, where she collaborated with local educators to teach English in schools near Tokyo. Her global perspective, shaped by over 21 relocations across multiple countries, further strengthens her understanding of the complexities military families face.
Sharene’s advocacy is deeply informed by her role as the spouse of General CQ Brown, Jr., Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and her strong connection to the military community. She is dedicated to fostering greater understanding and support for service members and their families by strengthening partnerships with military and civic organizations.
Sharene’s mission as an advocate is to reshape public perceptions of military life and ensure that military families are celebrated and fully supported. Her work continues to empower communities, one family at a time, creating a Military Thriving future where civic life and military service are positively redefined for generations to come.
Bill Novelli is an emeritus professor in the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, where he taught ethical leadership, corporate social responsibility and other courses in the MBA program. He also founded and is active in the Georgetown Business for Impact center there.
He co-founded and co-chairs the Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (C-TAC), a national alliance to reform serious illness/end of life care in the U.S.
Previously, Bill was CEO of AARP; founder/president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids; EVP of CARE, the international relief and development NGO; and president of Porter Novelli, the global public relations agency. He began his career in marketing management at Unilever and also was Director of Advertising & Creative Services at the Peace Corps.
Bill serves on a number of boards and committees, including in climate action, combating disinformation and promoting science and technology, as well as chair of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. He holds a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.
His most recent book is Good Business: The Talk, Fight, Win Way to Change the World (2021, Johns Hopkins Univ. Press)
Dr. Kupersmith is Professor Emeritus of Medicine previously Director, Veterans Initiatives at Georgetown University Medical Center. He has lectured widely and has over 180 publications, including 4 books. He has published in heart disease, genomics, comparative effectiveness research, privacy, health systems and more recently veterans issues.
He has been a Professor of Medicine at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, chief of cardiology, U. of Louisville and Medicine Chair at Michigan State. He was dean of Texas Tech University’s School of Medicine and Graduate School, and CEO of the faculty practice plan.
Subsequently Dr. Kupersmith became VA’s Chief Research and Development Officer 2005-2013. Under his transformational leadership accomplishments included initiation of the Million Veteran Program; pioneering research projects; development of new clinical and health service research methods; research infrastructure improvements; first-time collaborative efforts with the Department of Defense, NIH and others; and a component winning a 2010 Presidential Baldrige Award. Dr. Kupersmith is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation. His awards include a Medal of Honor from NYMC and an and an Affirmative Action Award from the University of Louisville. He has been numerous editorial and national committees including the Federal Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research, NIH’s Council of the National Center for Advancement of Translational Science and the White House Council of Science.
Katherine Dames is the managing director of Workforce Development at BlueForge Alliance, a non-profit integrator supporting the US Navy. Before joining BlueForge Alliance, Katherine was the regional director for a manufacturing-focused adult education & workforce training program in deep South Texas. Katherine’s prior experiences provide a unique perspective on career and technical education, college access, and workforce development. She led college/career readiness, access, and completion work across the four southernmost counties in Texas for an education-focused non-profit, served as CTE & College Readiness director for a rural school system, and spent a decade in the classroom in Texas, Florida, and Missouri. Katherine holds a BS in Education, and a Master of Arts and is a doctoral candidate at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
Melissa A. Bryant is a transformative senior executive leader and strategist with 20+ years of experience adeptly creating and executing executive branch, nonprofit, advocacy, political and military strategies. She possesses a deep reservoir of management, communications, legislative, policy, planning, and
operations expertise resulting in successful, innovative, and integrated campaigns with a proven track record of advancement of U.S. and international goals.
Melissa was appointed to the Biden-Harris Administration in early February 2021 and served until August 2023 as the Senior Advisor for strategic engagement to the Secretary for Veterans Affairs (VA) focused on the development, adoption, and implementation of Department-wide programs and policies affecting overall operations of VA. Lauded for her work as the Department’s senior official responsible for holistic coordination of stakeholder engagement, strategic communications and data-driven outreach on behalf of the enterprise, one of her many accomplishments was her visionary commissioning and piloting of a first-of-its-kind strategic outreach module—an interactive, web based tool marrying multiple overlays of data used by VA and other executive agencies to capture veteran stakeholders by locality for specific and targeted outreach—a game changer for VA marketing and communication efforts with revolutionary future use cases. She came into the senior advisor role building upon her success managing one of the U.S. government’s largest communications directorates as Acting Assistant Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at VA.
Ms. Bryant is widely recognized for championing causes impacting women and minority service members and veterans, highlighting the distinct challenges this growing population faces while advocating smart policy and legislative solutions. Prior to her time at VA, she campaigned as a surrogate for the victorious Biden-Harris Presidential campaign as a member of the Women Veterans Council for Biden and she delivered expert witness testimony to the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel as a legislative and media spokesperson for the grassroots movement #IAmVanessaGuillen, aka the military’s #MeToo movement, focusing national attention towards Military Sexual Trauma and resulting in rapid introduction of legislation to alleviate the military sexual assault epidemic. She was the National Legislative Director for The American Legion and previously the Chief Policy Officer for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the head of IAVA’s policy division and all its Washington, DC operations, overseeing the legislative, research, and government affairs departments. She has provided remarks in dozens of press conferences, participated as both a panelist and moderator in a variety of venues, delivered numerous oral and written testimonies before Congressional and Administration hearings, as well as conducted live and taped interviews on MSNBC, FOX News, CNN, NPR, CBS Radio, PBS NewsHour, C-SPAN Washington Journal, HLN, local television segments, web-based and print articles, and much more.
A former Army Captain and Operation Iraqi Freedom combat veteran, her extensive record of public service also includes critical roles in both military and civil service as a senior intelligence officer. As a Department of Defense and Intelligence Community plans, policy, and operations expert, she served in key leadership positions with the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Joint Staff, the United States Military Academy, and Army Intelligence. She was successful in building “coalitions of the willing” to advance operational and strategic objectives while developing and implementing plans and policy for the defense intelligence community.
Melissa was appointed in 2023 to the Board of Directors for Minority Veterans of America and VetsinTech, and serves on the research advisory board of Blue Star Families. She was named Woman Veteran of the Year 2023 by VetsInTech, one of HillVets 100 in 2020, and an Aspen Institute Ideas Festival Scholar in 2018; her civil and military service awards include the VA Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Civilian Service Commendation Medal, the Army Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, plus dozens more accolades and honors. A native of Philadelphia, PA, Ms. Bryant is a third-generation combat Veteran, an ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate with a BA in Political Science cum laude from Hampton University, is an alumna of Howard University School of Law, and holds an MA in Policy Management from the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University.
Greg started as CEO of Orion in June of 2024. Orion is a leading talent solutions firm that powers all the talent needs leading global companies through a rich network of highly sought-after candidates, including an engaged community of veterans and military personnel.
He comes to Orion as an experienced executive who has spent 30+ years in the Talent Acquisition and Talent Management space. Greg has worked across various functions including Operations, Technology/Product Management, Services and Sales for organizations ranging from start-up ventures to billion-dollar market cap corporations.
Prior to Orion, Greg spent 15 years at Cielo Corporation, leading global operations and delivery. Greg was instrumental in helping the business expand across North America into Canada and Mexico, as well as across 9 countries in Latin America and 13 countries in Asia.
Greg lives in Philadelphia with his wife Ann have two daughters. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Economic.
Meg O’Grady is the Senior Vice President for Military and Government Programs for the National University System. She has more than 25 years of experience creating outreach, transition, education, entrepreneur, and employment programs that engage the military community, transitioning service members, employers and federal agencies. She has led programs, campaigns and strategic partnerships across the highest levels of the armed forces, government, and corporate America. As a senior leader in the Department of Defense, she was instrumental in creating the Spouse Education and Career Program. This included launching the Military Spouse Employment Partnership with the White House Joining Forces Program in 2012. At the Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS), she supported the Office of Strategic Outreach as the National Veterans’ Employment Manager. Meg holds a Master of Education degree from National Louis University and was a member of the Class of 1990 at the United States Military Academy where she was an All American swimmer. She has contributed to numerous articles and publications.
Sam Khichi is executive vice president, chief policy officer and general counsel at CVS Health. He leads the legal, compliance and government affairs teams who support the company’s strategy to make health care more accessible and affordable, leading to better health outcomes for all.
Prior to joining CVS Health, Sam served at Becton Dickinson as executive vice president, corporate development, public policy, regulatory affairs and general counsel. He joined Becton Dickinson through the acquisition of C. R. Bard where he served as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary, and previously was the chief administrative officer, senior vice president and general counsel at Catalent Pharma Solutions. He has led significant transformations at complex and large-scale health care organizations.
Sam previously served as a reserve officer in the United States Navy, an active-duty field artillery officer in the United States Army and a White House Fellow appointed by President George W. Bush. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Georgetown University, a Juris Doctor from Fordham University School of Law and a master’s degree in business administration from the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management Executive MBA Program.
Secretary Tony Woods was appointed by Governor Wes Moore to lead the Maryland Department of Veterans and Military Families. The Department’s mission is to serve Maryland’s veterans, service members, their families, and dependents in securing benefits earned through uniformed service.
Secretary Woods is an Army veteran with two deployments to Iraq where he earned a Bronze Star for his service. He continues to serve in the US Army Reserves as a Major and is assigned
to the Joint Staff at the Pentagon.
Prior to his appointment, Tony worked in the private sector at Cisco Systems, The Boston Consulting Group, and Capital One. He was a White House Fellow under President Barack Obama and has served as a leader and board member in the public sector. Tony served on former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Bob McDonald’s advisory committee on minority veterans and Blue Star Families’ race, equity, and inclusion advisory board.
Tony holds degrees from West Point, Harvard, and the University of Maryland and resides in
Prince George’s County.
