Dear Veteran Leadership Program alumni, Fall marks an exciting time as the 2025 Scholars prepare to present their personal leadership projects Nov. 4 at the George W. Bush Presidential Center. Join us in person or online to cheer them on and support the next class joining this amazing network. If you plan to attend, please register here by Oct. 28, and reach out to Michael Bailey at mbailey@bushcenter.org if you have any questions. In other exciting news, please join us in officially welcoming Shilo Brooks, our new president and CEO, to the Bush Center. We’re excited about the vision and leadership he brings as we continue to advance our mission and serve our community. He’ll take his first step into the VLP program during Module Five, and we look forward to having him connect with all of you next year. Applications for the eighth class of the Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program Scholars opened on Oct. 22. We’d love for you to spread the word by distributing our press kit to your networks. Thank you for promoting the program and sharing your experiences. Please send suggestions for new groups or individuals we should contact during recruitment. Lastly, don’t forget that we’ve moved to Flip from Workplace! You should have already received instructions for onboarding in August. We use Flip to communicate important announcements and encourage collaboration amongst the network. Be sure to login today if you haven’t already. If you have any questions, please reach out to Michael. Thank you for your continued dedication to the program and the broader VLP network. As always, we’re here to support you however we can. Kelley Jiou
Director, Leadership and Programming Jason Galui
Director, Veterans and Military Families | | | | Things You Should Know | PLP presentations for the Class of 2025 will take place at the Bush Institute on Nov. 4. All alumni are invited to attend in-person or virtually to support the current Scholars. Register here to watch the presentations. Applications for the VLP Class of 2026 opened on Oct. 22 and can be submitted through Jan. 7, 2026! As always, you are our best ambassadors for recommending new applicants to join the program. Please use our press kit to help spread the word. Our annual VLP Alumni Survey also launched on Oct. 22. Not only do your responses to the survey help us to highlight your work, increase program efficacy, and create meaningful alumni experiences moving forward, but they also provide an opportunity for us to showcase the value of the investment our donors are making in this program and in you for years to come. Check your inbox for an email from Michael with more details. | | | | NETWORK EVENTS | Alumni gatherings This quarter, we were thrilled to pilot what we’re calling Topic-Based Working Groups, which we hope will provide opportunities to bring together the expertise of this alumni network to discuss today’s most pressing challenges and promote collaboration for positive impact. Our first Topic-Based Working Group centered on values-based leadership with alumni attending the Military Influencer Conference. Our second gathered alumni in the Washington, D.C., area to discuss employment challenges in the military-connected community. Additional information, as well as a formal framework and a process for alumni to organize their own Topic-Based Working Groups, will be released by the end of the year. Attending a conference or gathering? Find other alumni! We want to make it simpler for you to connect with other Veteran Leadership Program alumni at conferences. Similar to Workplace, we now have a section of the Flip Knowledge Library to which you can add information about any conference or event that you're attending. If you see an event listed that you're planning to go to, add your name to the document. Then, when the gathering gets closer, you can start a Flip Chat with everyone attending that event/conference. This is a work in progress, so please feel free to share feedback. Webinars Nov. 18 at 4:00 p.m. CT – “More Curious Less Furious” with Living Room Conversations
Join us for our next alumni webinar featuring Becca Kearl, Executive Director of Living Room Conversations. This will be an interactive and conversational webinar in breakout groups designed to give you all a chance to have a facilitated discussion around leading with curiosity. Register here to join us! Make sure to check Flip for details on upcoming webinars, and feel free to submit ideas for webinar topics at any time by emailing Michael. Update your contact information Send any email and mailing address updates to Michael and your Alumni Committee representatives so we can keep in touch and update you on the Veteran Leadership Program. | | | | PROGRAM UPDATE | Module Four of the 2025 program year concluded Oct. 10 in Washington, D.C. Scholars explored the leadership themes of influence, persuasion, and strategic partnerships. They learned from Dr. Deborah Birx, senior fellow at the Bush Institute; U.S. Senator David McCormick (PA) and Dina Powell McCormick; retired U.S. Marine Corps General Peter Pace, the 16th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and several other inspiring leaders in today’s veteran space. Read more about their experience in D.C. here. Thank you for supporting our 2025 Scholars throughout the program; we’re looking forward to welcoming the group into the alumni network in November. | | | | Around the Network
Read the most recent program and alumni articles | Alumni updates - Jennifer Goetz (2018) started a new position as commander, 932nd Mission Support Group in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
- Ian McDuffie (2024) celebrated the successful launch of his personal leadership project, focused on a Duty to Data Center initiative skills-based data center training and employment cohort for Virginia’s veterans and military spouses.
- Jermaine King (2023) recently joined Langston University’s School of Business as an adjunct faculty member.
- Betty Diaz (2024) recently launched her very own consulting firm, B25 Management, LLC, focusing on where creativity meets impact through branding, storytelling, and cultural initiatives. She was also recognized as part of the We Are the Mighty’s 10th year of the MIGHTY 25, which recognizes 25 men and women who go above and beyond to serve the military community.
- Lauren Postler (2021) started a new position as director of strategic growth for the Space Force Association.
- Jennifer Barnhill (2023) recently published her book, The Military Stories You’ve Been Told and the Ones You Need to Hear, with E.P. House.
- Charlton Meginley (2024) recently celebrated a complete update and refresh of the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs website aimed to better serve the state’s veteran population.
- Carlo Aragoncillo (2019) launched a new company entitled donAlt Labs, LLC and will serve as Founder and Principal (Applied AI for Partnerships / Decision Intelligence) for the organization.
- Eric Goralnick (2022) and Rachel Moyal-Smith (2023) recently collaborated on a piece for JAMA internal medicine on the parallels between the health impact of the Los Angeles wildfires and military burn pit exposures.
- Matthew Mitchelson (2024) started a new position as chief operations officer and creative vision director for Tradition Production Group.
- Ross Dickman(2021) recently testified on Capitol Hill calling for reforms to the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) and pushing for stronger public-private partnerships that support service members during the shift to civilian life.
- Jennifer Ballou (2022) will be publishing her book, Joyful Resilience (tentative title), with St. Martin’s Press in the fall of 2026.
- Betty Rhoades (2021) will be giving a TEDx talk called “Surprising Career Lessons from Winemaking” this fall.
- Michael Jerome Plunkett (2024) recently published his book, Zone Rouge.
- Jeff Cereghino (2024) celebrated the recognition of his personal leadership project as a category 3 winner (using innovation, data, and breaking down organizational barriers) in the 2025 Service to the Citizen Award, which honors exemplary public servants delivering impactful services that improve the lives of the public.
| | | | PLUG INTO THE BUSH CENTER | Game Changer: United by Sports Supported by Garry Weber A special exhibit where sports make history and our nation takes the field. VLP alumni receive two complimentary tickets to the George W. Bush Presidential Museum annually. If you’d like a tour, please reach out to Michael. ‘Profiles in Pluralism: Americans who are keeping this country united’ | The Catalyst: A Journal of Ideas from the Bush Institute The summer edition illustrates the various ways in which a vital abstract concept, pluralism, plays out in American life today. Profiles in Pluralism highlights people around the country working on the conviction that our differences don’t have to divide us – they can make us stronger. Read “Unity in the Trenches” by Jason Galui who takes us inside America’s most successful pluralistic institution: the U.S. military. Former Vice President Mike Pence | The Strategerist podcast Vice President Mike Pence surprised guests at the Bush Center and sat down for a special taping of The Strategerist podcast before a live audience. He discussed his views on divisiveness in our country, leadership, America’s role as a global leader, and his own new role as a professor. Beyond the Broadcast: Bob Costas | The Strategerist podcast In this episode, legendary sports broadcaster Bob Costas joins Strategerist host Andrew Kaufmann and Kevin “Sully” Sullivan, senior advisor at the Bush Center, to discuss what went on behind the scenes of broadcast moments. He reflects on the art of the introduction and explains why sports continue to bring us together. Joe Buck: Family, Broadcasting, and the Power of Sports | The Strategerist podcast In this episode, Joe Buck joins Strategerist host Andrew Kaufmann and Bush Center President and CEO Shilo Brooks to explore what makes “greatness,” how competition brings people together, and how sports can teach us life lessons along the way. | | | | About the George W. Bush Institute The George W. Bush Institute is a solution-oriented nonpartisan 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. Learn more at bushcenter.org. 2943 SMU Boulevard Dallas, TX 75205 Privacy Policy | | |
