We respect and value our veterans – they lead with values we admire: persistence, teamwork, passion, ingenuity and drive. Each Veterans Day my hope is we all take time to reflect on their service and find ways to show our support and express our gratitude to those who have served our country. We have a number of programs and partnerships that we engage in throughout the year to show our support for our veterans returning to Colorado after their service:
Mentor: The Chamber continues to partner with the University of Colorado Denver on the Boots to Suits program, which helps veterans transition from the military to the classroom, and from the classroom to the workforce. As they work on their education (and you can share this guide to financial aid for veterans), many of our members mentor them, review their résumés and offer professional development advice. Interested in mentoring? Learn more here.
Hire: Many of our members, such as Comcast, DaVita and the Colorado Department of Transportation, are committed to hiring veterans. And for good reason; their real-world experience and leadership skills make them great additions to any team. The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment has a great guide for recruiting and hiring veterans.
Celebrate: Each year, we congratulate veterans who have completed their education and who are joining the workforce. This is an inspiring evening where you can meet the men and women who will bring their talents to companies across the state. We’ll host the next Boots to Suits Salute in March – we’ll let you know when we have more details.
When it comes to honoring our veterans, don’t just thank them for their service – we show our support by hiring them and helping them find careers back in Colorado. We hope more of our members will join these efforts.
Kelly Brough is the president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber.
