50 Scholars serving our Nation’s veterans selected to begin next week
DALLAS – Today, the George W. Bush Institute announced the 2022 class selected to participate in the Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program, a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at individuals serving our Nation’s veterans who are motivated to broaden their skillsets, knowledge, and influence across the country.
The 50 Scholars will gather at the George W. Bush Presidential Center next week for their opening session. They will hear from inspiring leaders such as U.S. Navy Captain and NASA Astronaut Chris Cassidy, among others.
Throughout the five-month program, participants will meet with a variety of nationally-known and distinguished professionals, educators, and experts in veteran transition and leadership development. They will attend the first three sessions at the Bush Center and will travel to Washington, D.C. for the fourth session. The program will conclude at the Bush Center in October.
Participants were selected after a rigorous application and review process. They join an active network of 126 alumni from three previous classes who are rising leaders – both veterans and non-veterans – from a wide range of sectors who are working to improve veteran outcomes. They hold a variety of roles including business and community leaders, members of veteran-serving nonprofits, as well as leaders in government, academia, and active and reserve military service members.
The program is part of the Bush Institute’s commitment to developing and supporting effective leaders, and it builds on the organization’s extensive body of work on veteran transition issues. Each participant joins the program with a personal leadership project, which allows them to implement what they learn in the program in service of improving veteran outcomes across the United States.
The 2022 class of the Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program includes:
- Audrey Adams, Cross-Cutting Priority Director, The MITRE Corporation, Bethesda, MD
- Joseph Alexander, Executive Director of Student Programs, Mexia ISD, Waco, TX
- Vishal Amin, Head of Security Solutions, Defense, Microsoft Federal, Carlsbad, CA
- Jen Angeloni, Physical Health & Wellness Manager, Wounded Warrior Project, Colorado Springs, CO
- Khalil Arab, SIVs & Allies Program Manager, Combined Arms, Houston, TX
- Frances Arias, Director of Operations, Green Beret Foundation, San Antonio, TX
- Rochelle Arnold, County Veteran Services Officer, Sacramento County, Marysville, CA
- Daniel Avegalio, Dean of Student Services, State Fair Community College, Green Ridge, MO
- Jennifer Ballou, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, A Joyful Life with Jennifer, Harker Heights, TX
- Parshva Bavishi, Chief Impact Officer, The Headstrong Project, Fords, NJ
- Claudia Bergheger, Project Coordinator, Vanderbilt University, Clarksville, TN
- Holly Bernardo, Chief Executive Officer, Big Bend Homeless Coalition, Tallahassee, FL
- Harrison Bernstein, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Soldiers To Sidelines, Denver, CO
- Molly Brooks, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Hero’s Bridge, Midland, VA
- Phillip Burt, Branch Operations Manager, Southern States Toyotalift, Jacksonville, FL
- Ryan Callahan, VP of Marketing, RallyPoint, Ipswich, MA
- Sidney Covington, Veterans Engagement Associate, AmeriVet Securities, Chicago, IL
- Shaydi DeJesus, Emerging Manager, Military Connected Capital, Austin, TX
- Richard Delgado Jr., Community Investor, Boeing, San Antonio, TX
- Crystal Ellington, Director of Communications, Minority Veterans of America, Sanford, FL
- Bryan Escobedo, National Systems Director, Combined Arms, Houston, TX
- Jaime Feeman, Chief Operating Officer, Dog Tag Inc., Seattle, WA
- Wade Franklin, Social Mission Director, American Veterans Group, PBC, Baton Rouge, LA
- Derek Fronabarger, Chief Program Officer, Student Veterans of America, Charleston, SC
- Molly Langley, Transition Lead, Southeast Region USO, Belmont, NC
- Eric Goralnick, Associate Professor, Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Newton, MA
- Kim Guedry, Chief of Staff & Director Field Operations, Lumen Technologies, Frisco, TX
- Mark Harper, Chief Executive Officer, We Are The Mighty, Yucca Valley, CA
- Jacob Hicks, Case Manager Supervisor, Harris County Veteran Services Department, Humble, TX
- David Hodges, Special Forces, Military, Tampa, FL
- Marc Hoffmeister, leader in the veteran transition space, Littleton, CO
- Kourtney Hollingsworth, National Youth Coordinator and STEM Lead, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Office of the Secretary, Washington, DC
- Chuck Kluball, Senior Manager-Military Relations, The Home Depot, Woodstock, GA
- Monteigne Long, Assistant Director, Office of Veteran and Military Services, Texas A&M University System, College Station, TX
- Matt Miclette, Head of Clinical Operations, NeuroFlow, Philadelphia, PA
- Ben Miranda, Director, Business Operations, Endeavors, El Paso, TX
- Betsy Montanez, U.S. University Partnerships Manager, FDM Group, Nutley, NJ
- John Nipper III, Grants Management Specialist, U.S. Department of State, Naples, FL
- Muria Nisbett, Readjustment Counselor, Department of Veterans Affairs, St. Thomas, VI
- Abby Peterson, Director of Corporate Programs, The COMMIT Foundation, East Windsor, NJ
- Dayne Peterson, Command Chief, 169th Fighter Wing South Carolina Air National Guard, Lugoff, SC
- Elizabeth Pletcher, TBI Education Project Manager, General Dynamics Information Technology, Arlington, VA
- Heather Prill, Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships and Programs, The Home Depot Foundation, Atlanta, GA
- Samira Searcy, Military Liaison / Outreach Specialist, Aston Carter, Evans, GA
- Juanita Sepulveda, Chief Operations Officer, Partner, Vanyel Investments, LLC., Atascosa, TX
- Lindsey Streeter, Director of Military Affairs, Bank of America, Richmond Hill, GA
- Andrea Tice, Tech Program Manager, Deloitte Consulting LLP, Rockledge, FL
- Angel Torres, Senior Consultant, Ernst and Young Global Consulting Services LLP, Woodridge, IL
- Blas Villalobos, Chief Executive Officer, Centerstone Military Services, Lakewood, CA
- Kathryn Warren, Program Manager, Onward to Opportunity Southern California Syracuse University, D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families, Oceanside, CA
The Bush Center gratefully acknowledges the support of The Boeing Company as the Founding Program Underwriter.
To learn more about the Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program, please visit bushcenter.org/veteranleadership.
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George W. Bush Institute
The George W. Bush Institute is a solution-oriented, non-partisan policy organization focused on ensuring opportunity for all, strengthening democracy, and advancing free societies. Housed within the George W. Bush Presidential Center, the Bush Institute is rooted in compassionate conservative values and committed to creating positive, meaningful, and lasting change at home and abroad. We utilize our unique platform and convening power to advance solutions to national and global issues of the day by influencing policy, not politics. Learn more at bushcenter.org.
