Your Veterans: Skilled Workers for Job Creation and Economic Growth

Date: Thursday, July 11
Time: 2:30 – 4:00 p.m. EST

According to the United States Small Business Administration, 9% of all U.S. firms are veteran owned. These 2.45 million firms have nearly 6 million employees. It’s no wonder so many veterans go on to become successful entrepreneurs when you consider that the military spends$140 billion dollars annually on education and training. And the positive impact veterans can have on your local economy doesn’t end there. Each year, over 200,000 servicemen and women are transitioning into civilian life, representing a highly skilled workforce with valuable skills that are applicable in today’s rapidly changing economy, from computers to logistics and manufacturing to welding. The talent is there and all that remains is connecting the dots to putting veteran skills and know-how to work in your community.

Join us for a webinar on July 11 at 2:30 EST and learn:

• What resources are at your disposal NOW that you can begin using to develop your veteran community into a thriving, significant contributor to your local economy.
• To better understand the veteran workforce and what it has to offer your community.
• To encourage entrepreneurial growth among veterans in support of small businesses.

Our speakers have national experience in analyzing veteran workforce capabilities, and in developing entrepreneurial programs supporting veterans. Join IEDC on July 11, and learn the key building blocks to tapping into the veteran talent pool.

Speakers:

Rhett Jeppson
Associate Administrator
US Small Business Administration
Office of Veterans Business Development
Washington, DC

Rhett Jeppson's wide ranging experience includes extensive military service and small business management.  As a result, he was appointed as the Associate Administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Veterans Business Development in April of 2012. Rhett, in addition to serving our country in the United States Marine Corps, comes from a family of small business owners. He has held various roles in the Florida state government, including the Department of Business & Professional Regulation and a stint as the Director of State Purchasing. Rhett leads the US Small Business Administration’s efforts to support veteran businesses and entrepreneurial development and is a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps Reserve.

Tom Stellman
President & CEO
TIP Strategies, Inc.,
Austin, TX

Tom Stellman is founder and CEO of TIP Strategies and leads high-impact economic and workforce  consulting engagements throughout the country. As developer of TIP’s model of Talent, Innovation, and Place, he helps clients identify their core value and build consensus around strategies to promote economic health. He is the lead author of TIP’s Automotive Profile, the Invest in Texas Business Guide, and the Texas Manufacturing Skills Gap. Tom’s recent projects include developing strategies for leveraging military veterans for economic development in Louisville, KY (Fort Knox); Killeen, TX (Fort Hood); Wichita Falls, TX (Sheppard Air Base); Clarksville, TN (Fort Campbell); Calhoun County, AL (Anniston Army Depot); Northeast Texas Workforce Board (Red River Army Depot); Escambia County, FL (Naval Station Pensacola); and Okaloosa-Walton Counties, FL (Eglin Air Base).  In partnership with the Heart of Texas Defense Alliance, he helped establish the Veteran’s Inventory Project (a system to document skills and preferences for military personnel separating from service) which has been implemented at Fort Hood, Fort Campbell, and Fort Knox.