Camo2Commerce Top 3-Finalist for National Award

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation today announced that Camo2Commerce is one of three finalists for the 5th Annual Hiring Our Heroes Capital One Award for Small Business Veteran and Military Spouse Employment.

Camo2Commerce is among 21 finalists nominated for six awards because of demonstrated efforts to connect veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses with meaningful employment opportunities both within the company and throughout the private sector.

“Camo2Commerce has been a true small business leader in the movement to hire and support our nation’s veterans and military spouses,” said Eric Eversole, a vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and president of Hiring Our Heroes.

Camo2Commerce understands the value in hiring the men and women who have served our country and has dedicated extraordinary efforts toward improving the lives of America’s veterans and military spouses.”

The Hiring Our Heroes awards are given in six categories: Veteran and Military Spouse Employment; Post-9/11 Veteran Employment; Wounded Veteran and Military Caregiver Employment; Military Spouse Employment and Mentoring; Small Business Veteran and Military Spouse Employment; and Individual Leadership.


This year’s finalists are:

• Capital One Award for Small Business Veteran and Military Spouse Employment, for demonstrated leadership by a small business or organization (less than 500 employees) in hiring veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses: Afterburner Inc.; Camo2Commerce; Greencastle Associates Consulting
• Lee Anderson Veteran and Military Spouse Employment Award, for overall excellence in hiring and retaining veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses: Comcast NBCUniversal; Hospital Corporation of America (HCA); Union Pacific Railroad
• Steve Robinson Post-9/11 Veteran Employment Award, for effective and sustained efforts to enhance the ability of post-9/11 veterans and transitioning service members to find meaningful employment: Hilton Worldwide; J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc.; PNC Bank; Roush Enterprises; Starbucks
• Don Weber Wounded Veteran and Military Caregiver Employment Award, for demonstrated leadership in addressing the unique challenges and demands for wounded, ill, and injured veterans as well as military caregivers in their search for meaningful employment: APi Group Inc.; Ryder Systems; SunTrust Bank
• Military Spouse Employment and Mentoring Award, for demonstrated hiring, mentorship, and support of military spouses in their search for meaningful employment: First Command Financial Services; Prudential Financial; United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
• Colonel Michael Endres Leadership Award for Individual Excellence in Veteran Employment, for an individual who has gone above and beyond to make a difference in employment opportunities for veterans, transitioning service members, and spouses: Mike Kelly, Assistant Vice President for Military Advocacy, USAA; Keith Nattrass, GM Military & Veteran Affairs, Global Diversity, General Motors; Blayne Smith, Executive Director, Team Red, White & Blue; Kris Urbauer, Program Manager for Military Recruiting, General Electric.

The Hiring Our Heroes Awards Committee will select the winners, which will be announced on November 10, 2015.

Since Hiring Our Heroes began in March 2011, more than 1,500 companies have hired 27,200 veterans and military spouses as a result of 900 hiring events. In March 2012, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Capital One launched Hiring 500,000 Heroes, a national campaign to engage the business community in committing to hire half a million veterans and military spouses by the end of 2014. This milestone was achieved in June 2015 when more than 500,000 veteran and military spouse hires were confirmed.

37th Anderson Military-Citizen Event Features RAdm. as Keynoter

Military Affairs Committee

Presents

37^th John Anderson Military Citizen of the Year

Award sponsored by America’s Credit Union

NOTE:  The regular monthly Military Affairs Forum will be cancelled for support for this special event

The Anderson Military Citizen of the Year award is presented in coordination with Rotary Club of Tacoma #8, to an exemplary recipient who has demonstrated the contributions that active-duty persons make to our community.  This award is the longest tenured award of the Chamber, and a major initiative of the Chamber’s Military Affairs Committee.  Please attend to show your support for the recipient.  Award Sponsor:  America’s Credit Union

Date/Time Information

Thursday, November 12, 2015
Guests Should Arrive at 11:45 a.m., program 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Fees/Admission

$20.00 At the door

Reservations (NO PREPAYMENT):  Online

Contact Information

Janice Hutchins, 253.627.2175 send an email

Event Location

Rotary Club of Tacoma #8/Landmark Convention Center
47 Saint Helens Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402 view a map

*Parking directly across from the Landmark is paid for. 

The Anderson Military Citizen of the Year award is presented to an exemplary recipient who has demonstrated the contributions that active-duty persons make to our community. 

About John H. Anderson

John H. Anderson served as Tacoma’s mayor in the early to mid-1950s. He was also a past Chair of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber Board of Directors, as well as a successful local businessman.

Keynote Speaker

Rear Admiral Jeffrey Ruth

About RAdm Ruth

Commander, Navy Region NW, Rear Adm. Jeffrey Ruth served as commanding officer USS Nimitz (CVN 68) from March 29, 2012 until July 8, 2014. He also commanded the Rooks of Electronic Attack Squadron and the U.S. 6th Fleet’s flagship, USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) home ported in Gaeta, Italy.

Ruth graduated with distinction from the United States Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering.   He reported to Flight School at Naval Air Station Pensacola and was designated a naval flight officer. He also holds a master’s degree in business administration from Colorado State University, attended the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, and the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at NAS Patuxent River, MD, as part of the NPS/TPS Co-op program.

Upon completion of the course he was awarded a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering.   He has also served as an operational planner on the staff of the Commander, Allied Forces North Europe in Brunssum, the Netherlands and attended Nuclear Power Training.

Ruth has been awarded the Legion of Merit (two awards), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (three Awards), the Air Medal (five individual Awards with Combat “V” and eight Strike/Flight), the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (three Awards, one with Combat “V”), and other personal, unit and campaign awards. 

Noteworthies with a Local Link

The chief of staff, Army announced the assignment of Brig. Gen. Gregory J. Mosser, U.S. Army Reserve, deputy commanding general, Troop Program Unit, 99th Regional Support Command, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, to commander, Troop Program Unit, 364th Sustainment Command, Expeditionary, Marysville, Washington.

SSMCP 4th Public Forum

SSMCP 4th Annual Public Forum - register today

You are invited to the 4th Annual Public Forum of the South Sound Military & Communities Partnership (SSMCP).  This no-cost event (thanks to the sponsors) is open to anyone wanting to learn more about federal, state and local priorities related to Joint Base Lewis-McChord.  The Forum will be held Thursday, November 12 from 7:30 -11:00 am at the McChord Club.

Program:
The SSMCP 4th Annual Forum will feature:

• JBLM Installation Commander Colonel Morgan, 
• I Corps Leaders, 
• Congressman Denny Heck, 
• WA State Legislators concerned about veteran and military issues, 

... and

• news from the WA Department of Commerce 
• news from SSMCP 

... about:

• the 2015 Community and Business Survey* conducted around JBLM, 
• the 2015 JBLM Joint Land Use Study (see article here), and 
• the new Washington Defense Supply Chain Modeling Tool.  

You don’t want to miss this meeting!

PLUS – immediately after the Forum, a tour of the Western Air Defense Sector will be open to the first 50 attendees who register for it.  This is a private tour not open to the general public.

SSMCP 4th Annual Public Forum - register today!

NCFA Visited MARAD Vessels at Sperry

An earlier blog article wrote of the upcoming visit by the National Commission for the Future of the Army’s (NCFA) to JBLM and the public hearing available to the community to share its comments with the commission.

The NCFA is a non-discretionary Federal advisory committee established by the Secretary of Defense to conduct a comprehensive study of the structure of the Army, and policy assumptions, related to the size and force mixture. The NCFA visited Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) September 22-25.

During the public hearing, members of the community, including the Tacoma-Pierce Co. Chamber, the South Sound Military & Communities Partnership, the Washington (State) Military Alliance/Washington State Dept. of Commerce and the City of Lakewood spoke of logistics, the Great Circle, quality of life, the Pivot to the Pacific, relationships with the Washington National Guard and other matters relevant to a grand design for tomorrow’s Army from the perspective of the Pacific Northwest and JBLM.

However, an aspect of their visit not reported has been the NCFA’s visit to the MARAD vessels in ready reserve condition at Sperry Ocean Terminals (aka Sperry Dock) at the Port of Tacoma, Commencement Bay.

On September 23, Miguel Jimenez, Director PNW-D and Christopher Donohue, PNW-D Marine Cargo Specialist joined with the Port of Tacoma (Andre Elmaleh, Military Liaison; Sean Eagan, Director Governmental Affairs, Robert Meyer, Senior Manager Port Operations, Gerry Fiola, Chief of Security, Louis Cooper, Senior Director Security and Labor Relations, and Bari Bookout, Executive for Non-Containerized Business and Commercial Strategy) and Military Sealift Command (MSC) (Bruce Leach, Director), and the USCG (Captain of the Port,CAPT M.W. “Joe” Raymond) to welcome the NCFA members at the Port and aboard the Ready Reserve Force (RRF) vessel CAPE ISLAND berthed at the Sperry Ocean Terminals. The joint team facilitated the continuation of JBLM's presentation to the NCFA addressing the unique regional power projection capabilities at JBLM and the PNW Strategic Seaport.

Jimenez began the discussion by setting the stage with some history about military port operations in the PNW, transitioning to present SDDC PNW-D capabilities. He explained the difference between Strategic and Alternate Seaports noting all of the key ports in the PNW and the metrics measured through Strategic Analysis through the Ports for National Defense program conducted by SDDC, Transportation Engineering Agency. The Port of Tacoma highlighted their ability to rapidly receive, stage, and load military cargo. MSC discussed how they are postured regionally and along the West Coast to support rapid movement from the PNW. The Commission asked questions regarding the life of steam powered ships (both CAPE I vessels berthed at the Sperry Dock are steam powered). The Captain of the Port discussed water side security response and relationships through committees like the Port Readiness Committee.

The Commission members included Thomas Lamont, former Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower, former Sergeant Major of the Army Raymond Chandler, III (retired), and LTG Jack Stultz (retired).

The Commission will issue its report no later than February 1, 2016.  Contact:

Col.Kristen Dixon, Public Affairs Officer, Commission Staff, 571-294-2914, NCFA or Joe Eule, 571-256-2643, or at 2530 Crystal Drive, Taylor Bldg., Suite 5000, Arlington, VA 22202, (o) 571.256.2651. 

Views on the Pacific at UWT

More details available here.

REGIONAL CENTERS FRAMEWORK UPDATE PROJECT – AREA WORK SESSIONS!

Please join the Puget Sound Regional Council for a work session in your area on the update to the regional centers framework.

They want to hear your thoughts on key central places in Pierce, King, Snohomish, and Kitsap County and what defines them.  Of interest and part of the centers update is the discussion about how military installations should be recognized and incorporated into land use and transportation planning by the Puget Sound Regional Council and local governments.

Attend to discuss how the region supports these important central places and the objectives of the centers framework update.    

Pierce County | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16th, 10:00-Noon | PUYALLUP CITY HALL, 333 S Meridian, Puyallup, WA 98371

Please RSVP! Email Sara Maxana to hold your spot!

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

These sessions are open to the public. They will be of particular interest to public officials and local planning and transportation staff that work on issues related to planning in centers and neighborhoods.

(Click on Image for a Larger View)

PROJECT BACKGROUND:

The Puget Sound Regional Council is working with its members and other partners to evaluate the regional centers framework and recommend structural changes to recognize both regional and subregional centers using consistent designation criteria and procedures. If adopted, the new centers framework would inform future regional and local planning and investments.

The project includes five phases. They are currently in the Research Phase that will produce a Background Paper that evaluates existing designated and undesignated centers and how they are supported through regional investments, and a Centers Market Study that identifies market indicators and estimates growth demand for centers.

The work sessions will help inform the Research Phase of the project by providing stakeholder input to shape additional research questions and allow PSRC staff to ground-truth preliminary findings of the research phase.  Please attend and lend your perspective and expertise to this process!

RSVP:  Hold your spot by sending an email to Sara Maxana at smaxana@psrc.org

WA Ranks 7th in Defense Receipts

A two-volume DoD report on 2014 military spending reveals Fairfax County, VA, is the top recipient for defense dollars, raking in $19.1 billion on contracts and money earned by uniformed and civilian workers. Rounding out the top five are San Diego County, CA; Tarrant County, TX; Los Angeles County, CA, and Santa Clara County, CA.

The report shows why states fight so hard for military bases and business. On average, states received $8.2 billion in defense spending. Virginia received $54.7 billion, making up 11.8 percent of the state’s gross domestic product.

Read the report: Part 1 and Part 2 .

(Click on Image for a Larger View)