Southwest Veterans Chamber of Commerce (SWVCC)

Have you heard of Gen. Ann Dunwoody? She believes, like many employers, that military service makes us stronger and enriches our workforce, community and country. Do you believe this to be true? In 2005 Dunwoody became the Army's top-ranking female when she received the promotion to lieutenant general. She served as the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Materiel Command for four years and retired on August 15, 2012. To learn more about the impact of military culture and how you can become a Veteran Champion, subscribe to Vanguard Veteran's monthly newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/ebZyAqM Join the Veteran Champion Movement. Be a part of the win! #VanguardVeteran #WomenVeteranLeader #HireAVeteran

4th Quarter 2024 Veteran Suicide Prevention Grants The SWVF will award multiple grants to selected organizations with active and successful programs that directly support Veteran suicide prevention. The SWVF Board of Directors will announce the recipients prior to the end of the year. https://lnkd.in/gzvGi3xh

Did you know that Eric Schimpf, the president of Merrill Wealth Management, is a Soldier? Eric started his military career after graduating from West Point Military Academy as an Infantry Officer and became a financial advisor at Merrill in 1994. Now, nearly 25,000 Merrill employees report to him, where he oversees client balances totaling $2.8 trillion, as of December 2022. Learn more about Eric, here: https://buff.ly/3vHS3YL Eric believes hiring Veterans brings invaluable diversity of thought to the workplace. Veterans, he says, “Understand the essence of teamwork and possess a unique perspective crucial for any mission.” Join the Veteran Champion Movement. Be a part of the win! #VeteranTalentAcademy #VeteranChampion #HireAVeteran

Wonder how Arizona’s Veterans feel about their current employment? Since 2017, the Arizona Coalition for Military Families, in collaboration with the Arizona State University, has surveyed Arizona’s Veteran community every other year. The purpose is to gain insight into the needs of Arizona’s military and Veteran population to assess interventions, improve care and the available resources. Information collected is used to make recommendations for suicide prevention, address basic needs, and reduce disparities. The 2023 survey received nearly 9,000 submissions, with respondents from each of Arisona’s 15 counties. Demographics include: 47.52% are 65+ years; 71.61% are Male; 77% are Veterans; 17% are Family; 2.1% are Military; and .5% are community helpers. Of the Veteran respondents who are currently employed: * 52.16% feel their position is stable * 42.68% feel they have opportunities for position advancement with their current company * 37.24% feel they have the training and education needed for their job and career interests * 32.32% feel they have the skills to find new employment if needed. * 31.1% feel they have opportunities for pay advancement with their current company * 23.69% feel their career path is clear What finding makes the biggest impression on you? Review the full survey, here: https://buff.ly/3A8Mnt5 Join the Veteran Champion Movement. Be a part of the win! #VeteranChampion #BeaPartofTheWin #VanguardVeteran Photo 61587174 | Survey ? Iqoncept | Dreamstime.com

Denise Gredler was recognized for leading the Veteran Champion movement as a civilian Veteran Champion at the Inaugural 2024 Women Who Lead Summit. In 2014, Denise Gredler from BestCompaniesAZ was approached by ASU’s Pat Tillman Center asking her to host a career fair for Veteran job seekers. In partnership with Career Connectors, she’s hosted “Vet Talks” annually, connecting Military and Veteran job seekers with military-friendly employers. Over the last decade, “Vet Talks" has helped thousands of Veteran job seekers secure meaningful careers. The Civilian Veteran Champion Award was to Denise for her dedication to creating opportunities for Veterans in Arizona’s business community and making a substantive difference for thousands of Arizona Veterans and their families. Please join me in congratulating and thanking Denise Gredler for all she does for Veterans and their families. Join the Veteran Champion Movement. Be a part of the win #VeteranChampionAward #HireAVeteran #VeteranTalentStrategy

Have you noticed that most military personnel have a direct communication style and a strong bias toward action? These traits are part of military culture and are more or less dominant depending on the military job. This is because we focus on finishing the tasks that lead to mission accomplishment - not emotion. Understanding/accommodating this difference in military hires is an important part of transitioning into the civilian workforce. Veterans may need support modifying their communication style. Certified career coach Marlo Lyons, in a Harvard Business Review article, recommends these tips that are particularly fitting for your military new hires. Encourage your Veteran employee to: * Listen more than speak * Phrase every thought in the form of a question like, “I’m curious; have we tried to do this?” To help Veterans succeed within the civilian workforce, it's important for employers to understand military culture. Vanguard Veteran offers military culture training. Click here: https://buff.ly/3mgiRHP Join the Veteran Champion Movement. Be a part of the win! #TrustedVeteranHiringAdvisor #VeteranTalentAcademy #VeteranChampion

Did you know that November is National #FamilyCareGiverMonth? Are you caring for a Veteran? If so, THANK YOU for providing this critical care day in and day out. So many families across the nation are serving in this important capacity. Pictured here is Major Darren R. Baldwin and his wife (and caregiver) who was a full-time caregiver for over a decade. Darren died from complications of injuries sustained in combat. How could you, as a neighbor, friend or coworker help ease a Veteran caregiver’s load? Join the Veteran Champion Movement. Be a part of the win! #VanguardVeteran #FamilyCareGiverMonth #VeteranChampions

Roger Rickard is a colleague from the National Speakers Association in Arizona. He shares these heartfelt words about the presidential election. Please read! ???????? The day was wet and windy, the city knee-deep in late winter mud. It was a Saturday, about 12 Noon, when upon the introduction and rousing ovation, the tall, well-known speaker strode to center stage – the audience full of anticipation awaiting his message. He began slowly and clearly, much like he always did. He spoke only 698 words – four paragraphs in all! And on this Saturday, March 4th, 1865, at a time of great political anxiety as the end of our divisive, bloody civil war was at hand, the 16th President of the United States closed his second inaugural speech with some divine wisdom saying, “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.” I use Mr. Lincoln’s words to set the tone for a healing of our current day political wounds, which increasingly pitted friends against friends, even amongst family. There is a big difference between his words and our current day. Mr. Lincoln dealt with the raw ramifications of war between fellow citizens, and we exercised our peaceful democratic right to voice our leadership choices by way of the ballot box. I’m going to let you in on a secret, you all didn’t vote the way I did. However, we should not think less of our neighbors because of our decisions. As Americans we must learn to agree to disagree when we must, but to do it without being disagreeable. As rooted as our likes and dislikes may seem, the wind of change and tide of time often brings forth surprising shifts in political relations. As I peer into my political crystal ball, I am unable to forecast clear skies or stormy weather ahead. But as citizens, we must hold ourselves to account. Our constitution begins with three simple words, WE THE PEOPLE. It doesn’t begin with - I THE KING or Me the President or even WE THE CONGRESS but rather - WE THE PEOPLE. We, the people, stood up for what we believed in, and on Tuesday we made our voices heard. And yet, according to CNN Election Central the difference in total presidential votes was 6,131,360 less in 2024 than 2020. America needs engaged citizens - citizens not bystanders. America needs you to fulfill an obligation to make our society better than the generations before you. We, as speakers, trainers, and coaches, are uniquely qualified to do this work - as we are the people that offer a helping hand-up, we provide solutions for our clients that make us all better. Let us go out into the world, make a difference every day, and let our voices be HEARD! Salute! ?? ????

Stacey Gordon, or the "Mister Rogers" of the Veteran Community was recognized as a civilian Veteran Champion at the 2024 Inaugural Women Who Lead Summit. She is known for her compassionate approach to teaching, educating, honoring, empowering, and inspiring Veterans and military-connected people across all ages, ranks, and branches. Examples of her commitment to the Veteran community include serving as a: - Military Transition Coach - Workforce development and well-being educator - Civilian supporter and brand advocate for VETS2INDUSTRY - An active member and leader of Women Who Lead since its founding in March 2021 - Volunteer mentor for prestigious organizations including: * United States Military Academy at West Point * American Corporate Partners * Hire Heroes USA She takes great pride in her continued influence on military service, noting that former 6th-grade students now serve in the Army, Air Force, and Marines. Stacey has unrelenting support for the veteran community. Her enthusiasm, compassion, empathy, coaching, mentorship, advocacy, and grit have improved the quality of lives of countless military and Veterans. Please join me in congratulating and thanking Stacey Gordon for leading the Veteran Champion movement. Join the Veteran Champion Movement. Be a part of the win! #WomenWhoLead #HireAVeteran #VeteranChampionAward

The manufacturing renaissance we are experiencing in America intensifies this industry's skills and talent gap. The good news is: More than 200,000 Veterans leave military service annually and most are well-suited to work in this setting. Chirs Luecke, the popular and well known podcast host of the “Manufacturing Happy Hour,” invited me to explain what Veterans bring to manufacturing. We discuss their technical, project management, and mechanical skills as well as their resourcefulness, adaptability, and leadership. And, how Veteran-Ready employers with systems in place, strong messaging, appropriate onboarding processes and something like a Veteran voice committee are better suited to retain Veteran talent. Listen to the full episode, here: https://buff.ly/4fspCQ9 Join the Veteran Champion Movement. Be a part of the win! #VeteranHiringConcierge #VeteranTalentAcademy #VeteranChampion