Leveraging the Talent of Military Veterans and Reservists

Description

The U.S. has approximately 15 million military veterans and reservists in the workforce, spread across all industries, sectors, and professions. They bring rare talents and experiences to their workplaces. Wise leaders seek to leverage those advantages for the good of their own organizations. This presentation seeks to explain the advantages of hiring veterans and reservists, provides concrete recommendations on how best to leverage their capabilities, and explains other ways in which your organization can benefit through engagement with veterans and reservists. 
Matthew A. Ritchie served in the United States Army from 31 August 1989 to 28 February 2018, culminating in his assignment as Deputy Human Resources Officer for the Virginia National Guard. During this period, he volunteered for several difficult missions, both domestically and overseas. Serving mostly in HR roles for the last 15 years of his career, he worked in an inter-agency and inter-service context. This background gives him the insight and experience to address the topic of veterans and military reservists in the workplace. After completing military service, Matthew continued public service: as a contractor in Afghanistan, serving as advisor to the chief of military personnel of the Afghan National Army; then as a civilian employee of the Department of Defense, working on training, education, and leadership for the workforce; then currently as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State. Matthew earned a bachelor’s degree from William & Mary, an MBA from Liberty University, a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, and a Master of Human Resource Management (MHRM) the University of Richmond. He has presented this topic to Richmond SHRM, the University of Richmond SHRM, and Virginia SHRM.