SPRING AGENDA

(All Times Are Eastern Time)

10:00am-10:15am
Welcome and Opening Remarks – VETS Indexes

George Altman, Managing Director | VETS Indexes

10:15am-10:45am
Morning Keynote

Pete Scobell, Former Navy SEAL, Real Leader of “Captain Phillips” Navy SEAL Team
Bob Hulslander, LTC, USA (Ret)

10:45am-11:30am
Veteran Employment Amid COVID-19

As a group, veterans often have a harder time finding work than their civilian counterparts. So how has the COVID-19 employment crisis affected these vets overall and in particular, recently discharged veterans?

MODERATOR:
Christina Krommes, Talent Acquisition Manager, Human Resources Professional | American Water

PANELISTS:
David Best, Talent Management Lead | Humana
Jason Boone, Military & Veteran Outreach Lead | Lockheed Martin
Bre’ Cameron, Veterans Employment Program Manager,Talent Acquisition | Amgen
Edward L. Nicholson, Senior Recruiter/Military Lead (US Army – Retired), Talent Sourcing Team | Union Pacific Railroad
Bonnie Zilenziger, Talent Acquisition Director | Lowe’s

11:30am-11:45am
VETS Indexes Employer Awards Overview

George Altman, Managing Director | VETS Indexes

11:45am-12:00pm
Networking Break – Morning Lounge Sponsored by Comcast NBCUniversal

Ed Carr, Director, Military & Veteran Affairs | Comcast NBCUniversal

12:00am-12:45pm
Remote Work For Military Spouses, Post COVID-19

Before COVID-19 made remote work commonplace, it was a crucial yet rarely available, option that allowed military spouses to continue their careers through their spouse’s military moves. Will remote work become part of the “new normal” and much more widely available post-COVID-19? How will this impact military spouses?

MODERATOR:
Wil Williamson, Director, Veterans Initiatives | Prudential

PANELISTS:
Beth Conlin, Sr. Program Manager, Military Spouse Programs, Global Military Affairs | Amazon
Monnisha Hawkins, Director, Talent Acquisition | Strategic Staffing Solutions (S3)
Deb Kloeppel, Founder & President | Military Spouse Corporate Career Network
James Tongate, Vice President, Government Relations | Benelynk

Breakout Sessions – Please choose 2 of the 4 to attend

Breakout sessions are designed to foster open group discussion around the below topics. Each session will feature a “fireside chat” with an expert or two in the topic area and a Moderator. These sessions are intended to be interactive for all participants.

12:50pm-1:30pm
Breakout 1: Starting A Veterans Program From Scratch

If your company is new to veteran recruiting, or is trying to bring renewed focus to veterans, it can be hard to figure out where to start. This panel will focus on answering that question, examining what elements of a veteran recruiting and retention programs are most essential and their respective priorities.

MODERATOR:
Dan Hamilton, Host of the Next Gen Warrior podcast | Texas Veterans Land Board

SPEAKERS:
Brandon Armstrong, Early Careers Lead | BP
Eddie Dunn, President and CEO | Eddie Dunn Consulting
Robyn Grable, Founder & CEO | Veterans ASCEND
David F. Wallace, USN(Ret), Senior Manager | Systematic Business Consulting

12:50pm-1:30pm
Breakout 2: Unleashing The Veteran Entrepreneurial Mindset

Military service members complete challenging tasks with limited resources in short timeframes often figuring out many of the details on their own. This provides creative problem-solving skills which are very useful when starting their own businesses and for existing companies to create a dynamic and entrepreneurial culture. This breakout session will discuss the veterans’ entrepreneurial mindset and how it can benefit companies.

MODERATOR
Vivian Greentree, Ph.D., SVP and Head of Global Corporate Citizenship | Fiserv

SPEAKERS
Marco Bongioanni, LMHC, Readjustment Counseling Therapist | Bronx Veterans Center, Dept of Veterans Affairs
Wesley R. Gray, Ph.D., CEO | Alpha Architect, LLC
James Hendon, Commissioner | NYC Department of Veterans’ Services
Robert J. Piechota, Branch Manager – Long Island, NY Office | U.S Small Business Administration

1:30pm-1:45pm
Networking Break – Afternoon Lounge Sponsored by Oracle

1:50pm-2:30pm
Breakout 3: Optimizing Veterans’ Technical Skills

The U.S. military provides world-class technical training which includes information technology, healthcare, STEM fields and much more. This breakout session will discuss the most in-demand skills, how company recruiters recognize and evaluate these skills, and the role that credentials, academic credits and certifications play in translating to civilian work.

MODERATOR:
Jim Morbach, Vice President – Field and Government Recruiting | Werner

SPEAKERS:
George Bernloehr, Lead Associate, Military and Veteran Affairs | Booz Allen Hamilton
Samantha Domingo, Military Technical Sourcing Recruiter | Amazon Web Service
Martin Laird Global Program Manager, Tech for Good | IBM

1:50pm-2:30pm
Breakout 4: How The Federal Government Is Working Together with Corporate America

When thinking of the transitioning veteran, often it’s either/or in regard to what programs are provided by the Federal government and Corporate America. This session will look at how corporations are partnering with the government and what programs are available to those still serving, but near the End of Active Service (EAS).

MODERATOR:
Matthew Amidon, Director, Military Service Initiative | George W. Bush Presidential Center

SPEAKERS:
Keith W. Wilson, Lieutenant Colonel, Regional Director, South, Northeast and Europe | U.S. Army
Bronagh Friel, Program Lead | Grow with Google
Crystal Cochran, Director, Corporate Fellowship Program | U.S. Chamber of Commerce Hiring Our Heroes Foundation

2:35pm-3:20pm
Maintaining Veteran Groups (ERGs) Remotely

Active veteran employee resource groups (ERGs), which often conduct in-person meetings, social events, and provide volunteer opportunities, can make a big difference for veteran employees. So what have veteran Employee Resource Groups done to stay active during a time when most employees are working remotely?

MODERATOR:
Christopher Valdez, Veteran Recruiting Liason | Cognosante

PANELISTS:
Gary Patton MG (Ret), Vice President Veterans and Military Affairs | CACI International
Tiffany Daugherty, Program Manager (VP), Military Veterans Outreach | Barclay’s
Don C. Livingston, Jr., Mfg & Sales Systems Manager, T&C North America | Sonoco
Chuck Bunch, USAA

3:20pm-3:30pm
Closing Remarks – VETS Indexes

** The Expert Series reserves the right to alter the agenda without notice including substitution or cancellation of speakers and topics.