Monday, May 13th, 2013

Fans of our Veterans Advantage Facebook page took time for a special salute to Military Spouse Appreciation Day last Friday. Not only was it a timely way to recognize military families as part of the Mother’s Day holiday weekend, but also it signified the month-long celebration that makes Military Appreciation Month what it is today: A special time to express your gratitude.

“We have seen every part of our society come together and make a real commitment to supporting our military families — not just with words, but with deeds. Yet, we must do more to honor the profound debt of gratitude we owe our military spouses. Their strength and resolve reflects the best of the American spirit, and on this occasion, let us pledge once more to serve them as well as they serve us,” President Obama said last week.

Do your part: Key dates for military and veteran families coming up include Armed forces Day May 18, and Memorial Day May 27 – this is an opportunity for all Americans to reflect and recognize the service of our military.

And let’s not forget June’s Flag Day, and July’s Independence Day, rounding out peak season for patriotism in our country this spring and summer.

Veterans Advantage has always believed in taking time to say “Thank You” for the sacrifices of our nation’s military and their families every day, and it is through events like these that remind us to re-double our efforts and keep the gratitude alive throughout the year.

Tags: memorial day, Military Appreciation Month
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Monday, April 22nd, 2013

Our Corporate Career Symposium launches this Friday, April 26 at Citi offices in lower Manhattan. We expect a strong turnout where Vets will hear about the resources available to them and the hiring practices at Fortune 500 companies. There will be tips on resume building and interviewing skills.

Dr. Michael Haynie of Syracuse will deliver the keynote address. Paul Bucha, Medal of Honor recipient and Advisory Board member of Veterans Advantage, and I will conduct panels with senior corporate representatives. Those Vets who attend and submit their resumes to the individual companies, will be guaranteed an interview at a future date!

The companies, which collectively employ 1 million people, include GE, Citi, CBS, Google, Avis Budget Group, Tudor Investments, Penn Mutual, Dell, Verizon Wireless, Prudential, SAC, BAE Systems, among others.

The Symposium is led by our presenting sponsor GE, its underwriting sponsors — Citi, Google, Tudor Investments, Penn Mutual, City University of New York (CUNY), Avis Budget Group and HBO — and event sponsors — BAE Systems, CBS, Dell, Ford, Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families, SAC Capital Advisors LP, 1800Flowers, Edge4Vets and Prudential Financial Inc.

On the benefit front, we are rounding up some great seasonal offers to start enjoying the warmer season across America. Our first reminder – Mother’s Day is three weeks away. Act now with 1-800 Flowers!

Tags: Veteran Jobs
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Thursday, January 24th, 2013

Wings Club President Bruce Whitman, an Air Force Veteran and President and CEO of FlightSafety International, presents award to Veterans Advantage founder Scott Higgins on behalf of Veterans Advantage in a special ceremony at the Yale Club in New York City. (click image to enlarge)

I am delighted to announce that the Wings Club, a premier organization of aviation industry leaders and executives, recently honored Veterans Advantage. The award, presented to me by Bruce Whitman, President of the Wings Club and President & CEO of FlightSafety International, a Buffet company, cited Veterans Advantage’s outstanding commitment to our nation’s military, veterans and their families through the establishment of our unique benefits program, including our exclusive partnership with United Airlines.

As noted in our joint press release with the Wings Club, Veterans Advantage is honored and proud to have received this recognition by such a distinguished group. The Wings Club is an organization that has been in existence for most of modern aviation history, and many high-ranking military leaders have been involved in the club since its founding during World War II. Generals Tooey Spaatz, Curtiss LeMay, Dwight Eisenhower (who gave the Annual Dinner address in 1947) and Jimmie Doolittle (who won the first Distinguished Achievement Award from The Wings Club) have been some of the notable military men affiliated with the Wings Club.

We were pleased to host our partner United Airlines and their key New York-based executives at the luncheon award event. United is also a corporate member of the Wings Club. Airline executives have always been active members in the club beginning with Pan American World Airways founder Juan Trippe, C.R. Smith of American Airlines and Piedmont Airlines’ Tom Davis to Frederick Smith of FedEx, Robert Crandall of American Airlines, Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines, and Continental’s Gordon Bethune. Veterans Advantage began its United discount program in 2004 with Continental Airlines under the leadership of Gordon Bethune, a Navy Veteran, then CEO. The Veterans Advantage program was subsequently assumed by United, the world’s largest airline, under the terms of the merger in 2010. We are very excited by the growth in our newly expanded partnership.

Representing Veterans Advantage (l. to r.): Veterans Advantage Advisory Board Member Gerry Byrne, VP of Marketing Roy Asfar, Founder Scott Higgins, Wings Club President Bruce Whitman, United NYC Representatives Elise Antonelli, Rob Corbo and Christine Cormier; Veterans Advantage Advisory Board Member Paul W. Bucha. (click image to enlarge)

But above all, I am humbled to be recognized as the founder and CEO of Veterans Advantage, among all these industry greats. It is also a humbling reminder that our program is part of something much larger than ourselves. Veterans Advantage is part of a greater mission to deliver the respect, recognition, and rewards that military service and its sacrifices most rightfully deserves. It is about thanking those who serve our country everyday of the year with real benefits.

As our team at Veterans Advantage advances forward in our 13th year of delivering on our mission, we rely on the invaluable support of our benefit partners, like United, our members, and organizations like the Wings Club to keep us on the right flight path. To coin a favorite phrase from Wings Club President Whitman, we wish Veterans Advantage, our program partners and supporters, and our members “tailwinds” in 2013.

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Saturday, November 10th, 2012

To all of our members: We honor you for Veterans Day, as we do every day. We celebrate you and your family’s service and sacrifice to our great country. For our active duty who have returned home, we welcome you and pledge to do all we can to help in your transition to civilian life. For our active duty currently deployed overseas, we pray for your safe return.

This year, as has become our tradition, those in the New York City area found Veterans Advantage on the city’s famed Fifth Avenue, participating in the New York City Veterans Day Parade, the largest one in our nation. Its theme this year is “United We Stand.” In that spirit, let us all celebrate Veterans Day.

We offer special thanks and recognition to Pat Gualitieri, the superb organizer of the New York City Parade and Terrance Holliday, the outstanding Commissioner of Veterans Affairs of the City of New York, two great Americans, Veterans Advantage HeroVets, both of whom have served and made significant contributions to our country and community. Thank you, Pat and Terry for your continued service!

Happy Veterans Day, everyone.

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Saturday, November 3rd, 2012

Amid the tragedy that has hit the East Coast region in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, we extend our wishes for rapid healing and renewal to those hurt by the storm. Hopefully we can find comfort in the strength demonstrated by the millions of military family members throughout our country. Their unique resolve is why they stand as role models, and why we recognize them this month of November, Military Family Month.

“When a young woman signs up to defend our Nation, her parents are enlisted as well. When a father deploys to a combat zone, his children are called to serve on the home front. And when the men and women of our military serve far from home, their families feel the strain of their absence,” said President Obama in a proclamation marking the special month to recognize the families of those who serve our country.

Many in the military, most notably National Guard, are currently mobilized to support our towns and cities hurt by Sandy, tirelessly helping in the recovery. And no doubt they are leaving family members behind to take care of the household while they take care of us.

The president also pointed to data which suggested the hiring of over 125,000 veterans and military spouses since last year. U.S. businesses need to continue the momentum in this regard, recognizing the special skillset of these special Americans.

Let us all remember to find ways to show our appreciation to these families, today and every day.

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Friday, October 26th, 2012

We are pleased to announce the kickoff event of VeteransWeekNYC2012 – The Veterans Advantage Corporate Career Symposium on Nov. 7 at Citi (388 Greenwich St, NYC), 9-5pm. With identical morning and afternoon sessions, this Free Symposium addresses the crisis in post-911 unemployment (30% unemployment). Led by Citi, it includes a groundbreaking “Guaranteed Interview Initiative” from sponsoring companies for those who bring their resumes.

Panels Feature Major Fortune 500 Companies with Veteran Friendly Corporate Hiring Policies; Discussions on Corporate Culture for Veterans, Hiring Vets Policy, Internal Resources for Veteran Employees and Veteran Employee Support; Techniques and programs to ease veterans transition to the corporate workplace.

MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT, PAUL W. BUCHA, West Point Military Academy, Stanford M.B.A, will moderate one of the panels, and I will moderate the other.

Veterans Advantage and our patriotic sponsor companies and corporate panel participants, are deeply committed to providing our post 9-11 Veterans with the resources to find gainful employment, and lead successful lives with meaningful careers. Please attend this powerful symposium to get started with your corporate career and boost your prospects today!

This is a Free event, but you have to register. More details here. If you are a Post-911 Veteran or a Student Veteran looking for a career, be sure to register now.

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Wednesday, August 15th, 2012

It was an exciting two weeks in London for the 2012 Summer Games, and we are all proud to see Team USA come out on top as the leading medal winner. But an interesting sidebar story is even more powerful: Those linked by military service –  Active Duty, Veterans, and family members — continued to bring home medals. And it is the military influence that is such a driving force in the achievement of those medals. It is just another example of how the concept of military service continues to make a big impact on our nation.

We featured many of these top Americans across six different sporting events in our current Cover Story, which you can find by clicking here. We hope you enjoy it.

Tags: London 2012 Olympics
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