HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR SPRING CONFERENCE
RECORDED ON APRIL 10, 2025
Welcome and Announcement of the 2025 VETS Indexes Employer Awards Recipients
George Altman
President, VETS Indexes
Keynote Address
Bruce Townshend
I DoD I Chief – Employer Engagement, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR)
5-Star Employer Best Practices to create a veteran-inclusive culture
These VETS Indexes 5 Star Employers will provide actionable strategies for fostering a veteran-inclusive culture through targeted recruitment, tailored support, and recognition of veterans’ unique contributions.
MODERATOR
George Altman
President | VETS Indexes
PANELISTS
Jeffrey DePasquale
Manager, Human Resources | Spectrum
Kevin Johnson
Director of Veteran Recruiting | Hearst Corporation
Michael Kelly
AVP, Military Affairs Deputy | USAA
Jason Price
Head of UBS Veterans Affairs | UBS
Leveraging nontraditional pathways to find military spouse talent
Employers can gain access to an incredibly skilled and versatile talent pool by learning how to leverage nontraditional pathways to find military spouse talent.
MODERATOR
Amy Rossi
Co-Founder | Military Spouse Jobs
PANELISTS
Rear Admiral Dan Kloeppel, USN (ret)
Founder and CEO | VetJobs and Military Spouse Jobs
Patricia “Patty” Montes-Barron
President | PMB Consulting, LLC
Susan Charlton, AFC®
Senior Key Spouse, Latham New York
Spouse of Brigadier General Gary R. Charlton II, Assistant Adjutant General – Air, New York Air National Guard
The myriad benefits of hiring 55+ Veterans
Hiring 55+ veterans brings a wealth of experience, leadership, reliability, adaptability, and strong work ethic, contributing to a more skilled, disciplined, and diverse workforce.
MODERATOR
Lida Citroën
CEO & Founder | LIDA360, LLC
PANELISTS
Rich Luby
Head of Career Services | Code Platoon
Sujal Kapadia
Co-Founder | Jivan
Charlotte Mather-Taylor
Board Chair – CWI Works & CEO | Area Agency on Aging of Broward County
Nicole Orlando
Director of Veteran Transition | NYC Department of Veterans’ Services (DVS)
VERG Roundtable: Veteran Employee Resource Group leaders share advice, success stories, and lessons learned
Sponsored by General Motors
Highlighting insights and success stories from Veteran Employee Resource Group leaders, emphasizing strategies to support veteran employees and foster inclusive workplaces.
MODERATOR
Michelle Aguirre
Community Partnerships Program Manager | General Motors
PANELISTS
Greg Hamm
Vice President – Field and Government Recruiting | Werner Enterprises
Frank McCray
Operational Excellence Manager | United Rentals
Darby Mee
Vice President, Public Sector | Virtual Service Operations
Damian Plioplys
Principal | KPMG US
How to Find Top Veteran-Owned Vendors and Suppliers
Sponsored by Fiserv
Partnering with veteran-owned businesses can enhance supply chains while supporting veteran entrepreneurship.
MODERATOR
Brennan Kenney
Senior Finance Manager | Clover
PANELISTS
Sidney Covington
Vice President of Veteran Engagement | AmeriVet Securities
Andrew Dorazio
Founder | Veteran Industrial Suppliers (VIS)
Peter Fehnel
Deputy District Director, New York District Office | U.S. Small Business Administration
Mike Schoeneck
National Program Director, Onward to Opportunity Program | D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University
Building mentorship and peer programs to maximize veteran employee retention and success
Establishing mentorship and peer programs to support veteran employees’ integration, development, and career advancement is a key component to a robust strategy.
MODERATOR
James Tongate
Vice President, Government & Military Relations | BeneLynk
PANELISTS
Beau Higgins
Vice President of Business Development | Oplign, LLC
Jennifer Lynn
Program Manager, Military Talent | Cedars-Sinai
Robert Opp
Talent Sourcer for Veterans and People with Disabilities | TD Bank
Metrics and data-driven approaches to optimizing veteran employment policies, practices, and outcomes
Metrics and data-driven approaches to optimizing veteran employment policies, practices, and outcomes
MODERATOR
Rob Arndt
Founder & CEO | BufferSprings
PANELISTS
Hector Rivera
Career Transition Specialist | Wounded Warrior Project
Matt Watkins
Military Program Manager | Premise Health