John Caron, the new provost and vice president of academic affairs, has a vision to elevate the student learning experience at Excelsior College. Photo: Mike Hemberger

In July 2019, John Caron was named the new provost and vice president of academic affairs at Excelsior College. He is the College’s second-ranking officer with strategic responsibilities that span the entire institution.

Caron has worked for more than 20 years in higher education in various senior leadership positions. Caron was provost at Endicott College; associate dean, Krieger School of Arts & Sciences at Johns Hopkins University; senior associate dean, academic and faculty affairs at Northeastern University; associate dean, School of Professional Studies at Brown University; and interim dean of admission and the first year at Bennington College.

During his career in higher education, he has worked to remove barriers to success, managed recruitment, provided academic strategic direction, and revamped, retired, and launched new programs. Caron has served on senior leadership teams and led strategic priorities to align with the vision of the institution.

Caron was drawn to Excelsior’s unique story and way it serves underrepresented students. He continues to be inspired by Excelsior’s people who care about adult learners and says, “Unlike other colleges and universities that are scrambling to serve different populations in new ways, Excelsior has stayed true to its mission.”

As provost and vice president of academic affairs, Caron’s vision for Excelsior’s future consists of four strategic pillars. In his own words:

• “Offer high quality courses that are engaging and relevant to our learners’ experiences. If we achieve this goal, students will register for more courses and tell their friends and family about Excelsior. Word-of-mouth is still a powerful way to expand the value proposition of an Excelsior education.
• Remove barriers to success. Removing barriers to admission, course registration, financial aid, and advising will lead to increased retention and persistence. I also believe we need to position the College to be a partner for life with our alumni. If we want to have a partnership for life with our students, our learning ecosystem needs to include multiple pathways for our alumni to stay engaged with the College.
• Position prior learning assessment to be a game changer for the College. Many competitors are now branding themselves as a degree completion school. Moreover, major companies like Walmart, Amazon, and Google are offering training for college credit as a way to acquire and retain talent. I believe Excelsior is uniquely positioned to evaluate and award college credit for training.
• Revamp existing programs and offer new programs and credentials aligned with industry needs. Today’s learners are consuming information in different ways and at lightning speed. The workforce of the future demands that workers acquire skills they need quickly and affordably.”

Though the pillars are Caron’s overall hopes for the future, there are some things that faculty and students can expect to see during the next few years. For instance, courses that will create a more meaningful interaction between instructors and students, integrate career readiness skills, and inspire faculty to be creative and innovative are in development. Excelsior has also hired a company to conduct an external review of the student experience from discovery to graduation so that the College can improve outreach strategies where needed.

“As provost, Dr. Caron will be a key driver in developing academic offerings and strategies that are aligned with the changing landscape of higher education, so that Excelsior may maintain positive growth and advance its position among peer institutions,” says President James N. Baldwin.

James Baldwin, the president and chief executive officer of Excelsior College, will retire on July 3, 2020. Baldwin was appointed to the role by the Excelsior College Board of Trustees in October 2016, after serving as the executive vice president of the College since September 2014.

A strong proponent of the transformational power and enduring value of education, Baldwin has focused the College on providing adult learners with degree completion and career readiness opportunities. “He has done an excellent job of providing leadership to the College at a time filled with change,” said Helen Benjamin, chair of the Excelsior College Board of Trustees, in announcing Baldwin’s plans. “The Board and I are proud of his work and feel strongly that he has set the College on a course for future success.”

A national search is underway for the next president, who will be the fourth since the College’s founding in 1971.
 

Trustees new to the board are (left to right) Kent Clark, Jennifer Gentry, Karen Kocher, and Quintessa Miller.

In January 2020, four new members joined the Excelsior Board of Trustees: Kent Clark, president and chair of the board of Clark Advisory Group and former CEO of AMVETS National Service Foundation; Jennifer Gentry, chief nursing executive, Providence Portland Medical Center; Karen Kocher, global general manager, skills and employability, 21st Century Jobs; and Quintessa Miller, a plastic surgeon practicing at Fort Walton Beach Hospital NWF Multispecialty Physicians LLC.

A military veteran, Kent Clark is certified in board and advisory work in cybersecurity, governance, finance, audit, strategic planning, and development for nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Prior to joining AMVETS, he was chief appropriations advisor and national security director for the office of U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young. Clark is the non-executive director of the National Association of Nonprofit Organizations and Executives and is the past national commander general in the Military Order of Foreign Wars. Clark earned a Master of Arts in Public Policy Management from Georgetown University. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from Regents College in 2000, after receiving an Associate of Arts in Industrial Technology and Business from Pierce College.

In her role as chief nursing executive, Jennifer Gentry is responsible for nursing strategic plans, quality outcomes, and caregiver wellness across the Providence Portland Medical Center facility. Previous to her current role, Gentry worked for Christus Spohn Healthcare System based in Corpus Christi, Texas, from 2012 to 2017, as a nurse manager, director of nursing operations, regional chief nursing officer, and chief nursing officer. Gentry is also an instructional faculty member and clinical examiner for Excelsior’s associate degree in nursing program. She is a member of several organizations, including the American Nurses Association, Texas Nurses Association, and Del Mar College Nursing Advisory Board. A three-time graduate of Excelsior College, Gentry earned an associate bachelor’s, and master’s degree in nursing, in 2004, 2011, and 2015, respectively. She received her practical nursing education from Coastal Carolina Community College.

Karen Kocher has held senior human resources, health care, and sales leadership roles in insurance, information technology, consulting, and business outsourcing across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Prior to her current position, she was the chief learning officer and talent executive for Cigna Corporation; the global content executive, Software Division at IBM; and vice president/P&L leader at New England Learning Services Business for IKON Office Solutions. She is a member of six boards, including the Glint Advisory Council, Jobs for America’s Graduates, and UpSkill America’s Business Champions. She has received many awards, including the Women Super Achiever Award, a Global HR Excellence Award, 2015. Kocher has been featured in several publications, is the contributing author of three published works, and has earned the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Strategy and Communications from DePaul University.

A highly decorated member of the Air Force, having achieved the rank of colonel, Quintessa Miller has served as commander for the 96th Surgical Operations Squadron. In addition to practicing at Fort Walton Beach Hospital NWF Multispecialty Physicians LLC, she is a staff plastic surgeon at Eglin Hospital, Eglin Air Force Base. Her areas of specialty include breast reconstruction, massive weight loss surgeries, wound care, body contouring, facial cosmetic surgery, Mohs reconstruction, generalized reconstruction, and injectables. Miller is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. She is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, and the Florida Medical Association. Miller’s honors include the Surgeon General’s Award for Best Scientific Paper Presented in Plastic Surgery by The Society of Air Force Clinical Surgeons 50th Annual Meeting, the Paul W. Myers Award for Excellence in Resident Research Competition Award, and the Air Force Achievement Medal, among others. She earned an associate degree in mathematics from El Camino College, a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the U.S. Air Force Academy, and a medical degree from the Morehouse School of Medicine.

As an executive consultant with the Florida Department of Transportation, a professor of applied cybersecurity for Tallahassee Community College, and an instructor of national security for Excelsior College, Kane Tomlin is familiar with leading teams and seeing projects through to completion. That experience plus his extensive background in project management and two degrees from Excelsior College make him a good fit for the role of president of the Excelsior College Alumni Association.

Tomlin, of Tallahassee, Florida, has been a member of the Alumni Leadership Council since 2015 and became president of the Alumni Association in July 2019. Tomlin has been managing projects in information technology, military operations, and law enforcement for 20 years. He is a former special programs administrator for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and is one of the original subject matter experts for the CompTIA Project Management Certification exam. He is a PMI-certified project management professional, a certified technical trainer, a certified e-business professional, a CompTIA certified project manager, a cyber certified expert, and a certified security professional.

Many people would be surprised to know that Tomlin is also a retired master diver from the U.S. Army. That’s not the most interesting thing about him, though, he says. Tomlin and his wife are building an elderly dog rescue in their home city for older dogs who are often overlooked at shelters. Given that you can often find Tomlin enjoying bonfires with his wife and dogs in their backyard, it’s no wonder he has a soft spot for canines.

Tomlin started college in 1998 at Texas A&M, and after changing schools a few times while working and trying to finish his degree, he enlisted after 9/11. In 2006, Tomlin discovered Excelsior College while he was on active duty in the Army and enrolled as soon as he learned he was only a few credits away from finishing his degree. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business in 2012.

Although it took him 14 years to earn his undergraduate degree, he earned a Master of Science in Criminal Justice just two years later in 2014. Tomlin went on to earn a doctorate in strategic security from the Henley-Putnam School of Strategic Security at National American University, a post-graduate certificate in leadership development from the University of Louisville, and a post-graduate certificate in project management from Florida International University.

As president of the Excelsior College Alumni Association, Tomlin also leads the Alumni Leadership Council and is an ex-officio member of the Excelsior College Board of Trustees. He will serve a two-year term.

Here’s more from Tomlin on his experience with the College and his interest in the Alumni Leadership Council.

What impact did the College have for you? It would not be an understatement to say Excelsior changed my life. Once I re-enrolled in college, I was promoted faster, and I was encouraged to complete my master’s and doctorate, and then to enter academia and begin teaching. I would never have thought of myself as a college professor prior to Excelsior. After I left the service, I was also able to find rewarding and lucrative work fairly easily, which I attribute in no small part to having multiple degrees from Excelsior on my resume.

How did you become involved with the Alumni Leadership Council? I received an alumni email and noticed a link at the bottom to apply for the ALC (then called the Alumni Advisory Board) and I decided that it would be pretty cool to give back to the College once I had some extra free time after my master’s was complete. During my phone interview, I got to know the other members of the ALC, and then I really got excited about possibly being selected. My first Commencement was when I met the other ALC members in person and from that moment on, I felt like a part of an awesome family of Excelsior alumni. The members of the ALC compose a dream team.

What motivates you to keep engaged with the College? I think staying engaged with Excelsior College is a huge win-win. My personal network has expanded, and I’ve met some truly huge leaders in their fields. Being able to text a question to a rocket scientist, or a chief nurse, or a retired CEO, or countless others I’ve met on the ALC is immensely rewarding personally and professionally. Excelsior alumni make up some of the smartest and hardest-working people I have ever met. Selfishly, I gain a great deal of insight and mentorship by being able to interact with them. I also think the College and ALC benefits from my involvement and desire to give back to our community.

What’s the best career advice you’ve received? My Dive School commander, Captain Shawn English, used to tell us all the time to “choose the harder right, over the easier wrong.” It might sound cliché, but he lived it every day. His advice and example have inspired me for my entire Army career and beyond. He was killed in action on December 3, 2006, but I hope I’ve made him proud since.

On September 3, 2019, President James N. Baldwin awarded an honorary degree to Rep. Paul D. Tonko, a sixth-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing New York’s 20th Congressional District in the Capital Region.

“Throughout his career, Congressman Tonko has been a champion for the working class and advancing policies that create jobs. He has been a champion for the underserved and underprivileged,” said Baldwin, heralding Tonko as an advocate for education and for adult learners.

Tonko had planned to attend Excelsior College’s 48th Commencement on July 12 and receive the honorary degree, but he was needed in Washington, DC, for a critical vote on the 911 Victim’s Compensation Fund. He opted to speak to graduates via a recorded video.

In recent years, Tonko has worked with Excelsior College on many initiatives and events, such as the Nyquist Leadership Series and Workforce Development Strategy and Policy Forum, and supported a grant for Excelsior College to develop the Diagnostic Assessment and Achievement of College Skills (DAACS). In 2014, he helped the College with a grant establishing new and creative uses of technology to increase college opportunities for low-income students.
 

To help provide students with an engaging start to their learning experience at Excelsior College, all undergraduate students admitted to the College as of November 1, 2019, are taking a Cornerstone course that will provide them with foundational skills and the resources needed for academic and career success. The 8-week, 3-credit course will introduce students to the skills, resources, tools, and mindsets that are critical for success throughout all their coursework — and beyond to their careers.

The course encourages what are referred to as the “5 Cs” — confidence in students’ ability to achieve their educational goals, comfort with online learning and available resources, courage to think deeply on open-ended questions, intellectual curiosity, and a sense of community. The course focuses on giving students a “smart start” for their educational journey and skills to rely on as they progress through their degree program.

Many, if not most, students start at Excelsior with no previous experience with the Canvas learning management system or the College’s other digital resources and platforms. As a result, it takes them some time to reach a comfort level and develop confidence with how the courses work, including where to submit assignments, how to see their weekly schedules, and where to contact their instructor, says Mary Berkery, the faculty program director for the Cornerstone course. “The Cornerstone provides a safe place to land and get comfortable in a low-stakes environment where everyone is learning the LMS and the resources at the same time, with plenty of help from their instructor,” says Berkery.

In developing the Cornerstone experience, Excelsior’s faculty program directors also recognize that some adult learners who are returning to college after many years express a lack of confidence in their abilities, such as writing academic papers or navigating the technology. “Starting college with a mindset of ‘I’m not sure I can do this’ is a recipe for failure as opposed to adopting a growth mindset and believing you can and will be able to finish your degree,” says Berkery. “The Cornerstone is a place where students can build their confidence over the eight weeks and recognize that they have everything they need to be successful in their next courses.”

That focus on student success is the motivation behind developing the course.

“The Cornerstone course is an innovative way to give adult learners the best possible start on their journey toward achieving the goal of degree completion,” says John Caron, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Excelsior College. “We talk a lot in higher education about meeting the learner where they are at. The Cornerstone course gives our faculty and advisors the ability to assess each learner’s level of readiness and get them on a degree pathway that is personalized to their academic success.”

The interdisciplinary Cornerstone course was developed in two versions — one for students entering Excelsior College with more than 60 credits and one for students entering the College with fewer than 60 credits. Both courses cover the same material, but they are tailored to the academic experience of students. The Cornerstone course consists primarily of activities, such as readings, videos, multiple choice questions, and reflections, and discussions within eight modules:

• Module 1: Is There Anybody Out There? Why You’re Not Alone in Your Pursuit of a Degree
• Module 2: Is Intelligence Predetermined? Why Passion and Perseverance Matter More in Future Success
• Module 3: What Is the Future of Human Thought? Critical Thinking, Reasoning, and Argument in the Digital Age
• Module 4: Is This the Dawn of the Post-Truth Era? Determining Truth in a Glut of Information
• Module 5: Why Do I Need to Take that Class? How General Education Can Save Us from Dystopia
• Module 6: Will the Robots Replace Us? How to Remain Employable in the Unpredictable Future of Work
• Module 7: What Makes Us Human? Diversity, Bias, the Workplace, and Ourselves
• Module 8: Can We Create the Future? What We Can Take Away from the Course and What’s Next

Through the module topics and their associated discussions, students will hone their skills and increase the flexibility of their minds to help them navigate the change and uncertainty in our future societies, workplaces, and selves. They will plan and write a research paper during the course that they will upload to an online portfolio in the final module. As they take other courses, students can continue to upload work to the online portfolio.

The Cornerstone course stands apart from other Excelsior courses in another way: A section of the course might consist of the most diverse group of students one will encounter during their studies. Because it’s a required course for all undergraduate students, those registered for any given section reflect a variety of degree programs. The different interests and backgrounds of the students add to the overall learning experience.

Focus on Student Success

The Cornerstone course was piloted in the Fall II term and made available to all new students for the Spring I term. It is one of three courses students are required to take at Excelsior College rather than transferring in credit to meet the requirement. The others are Information Literacy — a self-paced 1-credit course that focuses on cyber literacy, library research, academic integrity, and critical reading, thinking, and writing skills — and the Capstone, the culminating experience of all degree programs. The Capstone course has traditionally been required to be taken at Excelsior College since it’s an opportunity for students to show their cumulative knowledge of their chosen discipline and for instructors to evaluate that knowledge.

With these changes in requirements, maximums for credit acceptance and awarding toward undergraduate degrees has changed. Excelsior College will now accept all but 7 credits transferred from other institutions of higher education institutions, earned through exams, awarded for workplace training and professional certifications, or from other options toward a bachelor’s or associate degree. This change reflects efforts to ensure Excelsior students have the knowledge and skills they need for academic and future success.

Alignment with Capstones

Each degree program has a Capstone experience, typically a project or paper that gives students the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge acquired throughout their course of study. With the addition of the Cornerstone course, students will gain stronger preparation for all their coursework, including the rigorous experience of the Capstone. Since all students will complete an independent research project during the Cornerstone course, they will gain skills in locating credible information, citing information correctly, and creating an academic argument — all skills they’ll use again throughout their course experience, including in the Capstone. In addition, most students will use the online portfolio again in their Capstone course.

While faculty have been working on giving students a strong start to their Excelsior experience, they have the Capstone experience. LA 498 Liberal Arts Capstone, the largest of the Capstone courses in terms of enrollment, is being revised and will premiere for Summer I. The updated course focuses on this question posed to the student: What problem do you want to help solve?

“The course is designed to allow students to be experts on different topics and facilitate problem-solving and support their peers in discussion formats,” says Amber O’Neil, the faculty program director for the capstones in liberal arts. “All formal weekly discussions in this course are focused on group discussions where students serve as experts on things critical to the Capstone like global issues, writing, interviewing, internships, and cultural diversity.”

In the course, students must choose a short experience that informs their project — the problem they want to help solve — and also highlights the importance of having experiences in the learning processes, says O’Neil. Students are also required to have a draft of their final paper reviewed by a professional in the field, and then they must share the feedback with Capstone faculty and incorporate it as appropriate into the final paper.

The Cornerstone and Capstone courses complement each other, with the Cornerstone laying groundwork with broad interdisciplinary perspectives and the Capstone completing the degree program with work focused on a specific discipline. “The Cornerstone and Capstone are meant to serve as bookends to a student’s Excelsior experience,” says Berkery.

Alumni Award Recipients are (left to right) Jeffrey Baker, Christine Robinson-Cooley, and Greta Kostac.

Three alumni were honored for their outstanding achievements at the College’s annual Awards Convocation on July 11, 2019. Dwayn Hanford ’05, Alumni Association president, and Mark A. Bowman ’00, chair of the Awards Committee of the Alumni Leadership Council, presented the awards.

The three award recipients shared anecdotes from their educational journeys, including observations from their time spent with Excelsior College. A common theme was that each felt they would not be where they are in their careers if it hadn’t been for their Excelsior experiences. Alumni Achievement Award recipient Jeffery Baker said he would not have been able to go on in his career teaching at many universities and volunteering at various non-profit organizations if it hadn’t been for participating in the former Regents External Degree Program. C. Wayne Williams Award recipient Christine Robinson-Cooley was grateful to the College for allowing her to work and go to school at the same time, saying, “Having a career and a family should not bar a person from getting an education. It should enhance that experience.” Carrie B. Lenburg Award recipient Greta Kostac added, “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Excelsior College. Excelsior made me feel that I could succeed; that I could get to do what I wanted to do.”

Read more about the recipients:

Jeffrey Baker, Alumni Achievement Award Recipient: Jeffrey Baker ’73, ’75, of Fairport, New York, is an adjunct psychology professor at Monroe Community College in Rochester and has taught for several universities, including Rochester Institute of Technology, Walden, Buena Vista, and Thomas Edison State. He has worked as a learning specialist for students with disabilities and has worked for Excelsior College in a variety of capacities. He is president of the New York State Conference of the American Association of University Professors, president of the Learning Disabilities Association of New York State, and a member of the American Psychological Association. Before becoming involved in higher education, he had a more than 20-year career in broadcast technology. Baker has an Associate in Arts in Liberal Arts and a Bachelor of Science with a major in psychology from Excelsior College, a master’s degree in counseling from Syracuse University, and a PhD in psychology from Capella University.

Christine Robinson-Cooley, C. Wayne Williams Award Recipient: Christine Robinson-Cooley ’97, of East Greenbush, New York, is an assistant re-entry manager with the New York State Department of Corrections. She has held a variety of positions within the state criminal justice system, working with inmates, parolees, victims, and their families, and continues to volunteer her time with mental health advocacy groups. She is a teacher for National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Rensselaer Family to Family, a free educational program for family, significant others, and friends of people living with mental illness. She is a member of the New York State Corrections & Youth Services Association, American Correctional Association, and National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice. She is a walk volunteer, conference presenter, and ribbon cutter for NAMI New York State, and a crisis intervention training panel presenter. She has a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts from Excelsior College, an AAS from Hudson Valley Community College, and a master’s degree in social policy from SUNY Empire State College.

Greta Kostac, Carrie B. Lenburg Award Recipient: Greta Kostac ’91, of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, is a family nurse practitioner with Aurora Medical Group in Fond du Lac and a visiting professor in the nurse practitioner program at Chamberlain University in Downers Grove, Illinois. She has been a nurse for over 40 years. She is a member of the Wisconsin Nurses Association and American Nurses Association and is a past member of both the National Organization for Nurse Practitioner Faculties and Sigma Theta Tau. She volunteers extensively, and in 2015, received the Graduate Teacher of the Year–Marian University award for her excellence in teaching and service to the university and students. She earned an Associate of Science from Gogebic Community College, an associate degree in nursing from Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Excelsior College, a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities.
 

View the Awards Convocation and hear the remarks of the award recipients.

Excelsior College offers a professional development training for college-level faculty who are interested in improving their students’ writing skills for academic, career, and life success. The free, self-paced Writing in the Disciplines Certificate Course includes assessments and optional networking discussion forums during which faculty who wish to can share resources and collaborate on designing assignments related to writing in the disciplines.

The training consists of four modules: Introduction to Writing in the Disciplines, Creating Effective Writing Assignments, Peer Review and Revision, and Effective Feedback and Rubrics. Each module includes readings and videos. It is hosted on the popular MOOC (massive open online course) platform within the Canvas network.

Upon successful completion of this course, faculty receive a downloadable certificate in Writing in the Disciplines (WID). Writing in the Disciplines is a subfield of Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC), a nationwide movement designed to ensure students have frequent and significant opportunities to write, revise, and discuss their writing in their classes.

“We think this is an excellent professional development opportunity for faculty in any discipline,” says Ben Pearson, PhD, co-chair of Excelsior College’s Writing Across the Curriculum initiative. “Writing is a crucial 21st-century skill, and it’s not something students can master in just one to two required writing courses. The more opportunities that we can create for high-impact, high-quality writing assignments in our classes, the better prepared students will be for life and career success.”

This certificate training was developed by a team of about 10 faculty members with experience in teaching writing across a variety of disciplines and was supported by a grant from the Booth-Ferris Foundation. Many key elements of the training were developed as part of grant-funded collaboration among Excelsior College, SUNY Rockland, SUNY Clinton, SUNY Monroe, and other colleges.

“This certificate course was a labor of love for our team,” says Anna Zendell, PhD, MSW, co-chair of the Writing Across the Curriculum initiative at Excelsior College. “We wanted to design a course that equips faculty to support students in their writing. Faculty often feel quite confident in teaching course content, but much less confident helping students with writing challenges. This course provides faculty with the tools to teach students robust writing and revision skills within the context of what they are writing about, rather than compartmentalizing writing mechanics from disciplinary content.”

Keith W. Wilson, of the Army’s Soldier for Life program, encourages communities to establish a network of services for veterans. Photo: Jason Hughes

With about 200,000 servicemembers leaving the military each year, opportunity exists to ensure veterans make a smooth transition to the civilian workplace. On October 17, 2019, during the latest event in Excelsior College’s Nyquist Leadership Series, representatives from military- and veteran-focused organizations, businesses, higher education institutions, government agencies, and economic development organizations brainstormed ways to collaborate for the benefit of veterans and our communities.

The Veteran Workforce Collaboration, presented by Excelsior College in coordination with the Center for Economic Growth in Albany, New York, and the Mental Health Association of New York State, drew about 50 participants from New York’s Capital Region and beyond. Participants heard from panelists and participated in two breakout sessions to discuss topical issues related to transitioning servicemembers and veterans. Topics included:

• Veteran workforce attraction
• Improving resource and service coordination
• Strengthening education-workforce partnerships
• Service mental health and wellness in the workplace
• Enhancing veteran training and retention programs
• Making proper accommodations for veteran workers
• Igniting communities to recognize and support servicemembers

Discussions centered around what is working well, where there is opportunity for improvement, and recommendations for actions. A common theme emerged from the breakout sessions: with more alignment and collaboration — as well as some improvements — transitioning servicemembers and veterans will have access to robust and helpful resources when they need them.

An informal network that relies on referrals already exists, but the challenge is in coordinating and publicizing the services available to transitioning servicemembers and veterans. “What we don’t have is a formalized network of some sort where everyone has access to those same services and those same resources,” said Keith W. Wilson, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army and director of the northeastern United States and Europe for the Army’s Soldier for Life Program. Wilson facilitated discussions on igniting communities to recognize and support servicemembers.

During the event, speakers and participants brainstormed ways workplaces, government offices, educational institutions, and communities can support servicemembers, veterans, and their families.

Although this was a local event, the topics are relevant to communities universally and the takeaways could prove meaningful for others. “There are many resources available for veterans and sometimes accessing these resources can be confusing,” says James Lettko, chief operating officer of Excelsior College, who participated in the event and is a retired U.S. Army general. “This collaboration brought together many of the local and regional providers and afforded an opportunity to collaborate on the most effective way to communicate to veterans about available services and how to best serve their
needs.”

View highlights from the recent discussion.