TopVet
WeSalute Awards
TopVet: Gregg Popovich, NBA Basketball Coach of the San Antonio Spurs
Air Force veteran and Academy graduate Gregg Popovich is a model of longevity and success. He has served as the San Antonio Spurs head coach for more than 16 seasons, longer than any other current head coach in the NBA. As he goes for his fifth NBA championship this week against the Miami Heat, he continues to pilot professional sports’ most successful team with his signature style of consistency and passion.
WeSalute Awards
TopVet: Alan Alda, Celebrated Actor and Author
For decades, award-winning actor and entertainer Alan Alda forged a unique blend of Army experience with an ability to move audiences through words and acting. It’s an approach Alda continues to follow today.
WeSalute Awards
TopVet: Terrance Holliday, Former Head of the NYC Mayor's Office of Veterans Affairs (MOVA)
Terrance C. Holliday, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs (MOVA), is passionate about New York City’s veterans. As a New York City native and retired Colonel of the U.S. Air Force himself, he deeply appreciates our military’s contributions and remains committed to serving his fellow veterans.
WeSalute Awards
TopVet: Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Sr., Marine and Newspaper Publisher
The veterans community, and the Marine Corps, lost one of its own, with the death of Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Sr. the former publisher and chairman of the New York Times.
WeSalute Awards
TopVet: Anthony F. Earley, Jr., PG&E Corporation
Anthony F. Earley, Jr. served as an officer in the U.S. Navy for five years. He was stationed as a Lieutenant aboard the USS Hawksbill, a nuclear submarine, from 1971-1976, and served as the chief engineer officer.
WeSalute Awards
TopVet: Robert S. Mueller III
The new Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, former Justice Department executive and veteran prosecutor Robert S. Mueller III, is a Marine combat veteran who served in Vietnam. Mr. Mueller, who has a reputation as a tough-minded administrator, takes over an organization rocked in recent years by scandal and embarrassing incidents, including the arrest of a veteran agent, Robert P. Hanssen, as a spy for the Russians and the revelation that the agency failed to turn over investigation-related documents to the lawyers for Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh.
WeSalute Awards
TopVet: Bill Nelson, HBO
“It is our obligation to help those who have put themselves in harm’s way,” says Bill Nelson, Chairman and CEO of HBO, in an exclusive interview with Veterans Advantage.
WeSalute Awards
TopVet: Edwin D. Fuller
Those lyrics from the Rolling Stones’ 60’s ballad capture Vietnam Army Veteran Edwin “Ed” Fuller’s early professional experience. His dream was to pursue a career in the airline industry and he was well on his way when unexpectedly, two job offers did not materialize. Disappointed, but not disheartened, he garnered a job offer from Marriott, a fledgling chain of 22 hotels in 1972. Over the next 38 years, bolstered by his military experience, Fuller has helped grow Marriott into the global hospitality leader with over 3,500 hotels.
WeSalute Awards
TopVet: Julie A. Cunningham
For Julie Cunningham, Army Veteran and successful businesswoman, public service is the “icing on the cake.” She serves proudly as the chief executive of a major national transportation advocacy organization.
WeSalute Awards
TopVet: Frank L. Miller, Jr.
Major General Frank Miller (US Army, Ret.) is a great example of how a military background can transform an organization in the civilian sector, valuable lessons for a new generation.
WeSalute Awards
TopVet: Roland Smith
When Wendy’s/Arby’s Group Inc. CEO Roland Smith (West Point, 1978) attended the Army’s Northern Warfare School as a Cadet, he had a pronounced fear of heights; even 10 feet in the air was a challenge for him. Yet, in the 30+ years that followed, he became an accomplished Army pilot, climbed mountains that rank among the world’s tallest, and earned a well-deserved reputation as a turnaround artist for struggling companies.
WeSalute Awards
TopVet: Sam Duncan, OfficeMax
For OfficeMax CEO Sam Duncan, reaching the corner office fulfilled a lifelong dream, overcoming the economic and personal adversities he endured as a child. The road he traveled was a hard one, but he managed to achieve great success in the business world, thanks in part to his talent and work ethic, but also to the influence of the two most important people in his life -- his mother and his wife of 40 years -- and to his service in the United States Army.
WeSalute Awards
TopVet: Nicholas T. Pinchuk, Snap-on CEO and Army Veteran
Snap-on CEO Nicholas T. Pinchuk is a proud Vietnam Veteran seasoned in the boardroom, lab, and factory floor, who brings a spirit of innovation and high-tech savvy to our nation’s pre-eminent tool supplier for professionals.
WeSalute Awards
TopVet: Senator Scott Brown
Scott Brown, a relative unknown just a few weeks ago, surged to national prominence by winning the Massachusetts Senate. Scott Brown's senate seat had previously been held by Ted Kennedy, making this Republican coup a shocker to most political observers. While there are clashing opinions on both sides of the aisle on how and why this happened, Brown credits his nearly 30 years in the Army and a set of strong personal discipline skills.
WeSalute Awards
TopVet: Lowell McAdam, Verizon
Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell C.McAdam is a product of hard work and a passion for leadership and technology. With a belief in building Verizon Wireless from the ground up, he expresses great confidence in the talent and persistence of those he leads. He’s also the product of a first-rate military education.
WeSalute Awards
TopVet: Dick Averitt, Raymond James Financial Services
In a period of financial uncertainty, The Marine Corps can take pride in having one of its own at the top of a major investment company. A 20-year Veteran of the Corps, Dick Averitt is chairman and chief executive officer of Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Raymond James Financial, Inc.
WeSalute Awards
TopVet: Remembering Harry Kalas, Broadcaster & Army Vet
Kalas spent two years in the Army stationed in Hawaii, then, in 1961, he became sports director at Hawaii radio station KGU and also broadcast games for the Hawaii Islanders of the Pacific Coast League and the University of Hawaii.
WeSalute Awards
TopVet: James A. Stamm
James A. Stamm stands atop one of the country’s major moving and transportation companies, and represents veterans in the executive suite who are committed to serve and employ those who serve.
WeSalute Awards
TopVet: General David Petraeus
With more than one year under his belt as commander of military operations in Iraq and a main architect of the “surge,” General David Petraeus has been chosen to head the U.S. Central Command (Centcom), the regional theater that includes Iraq and Afghanistan.
WeSalute Awards
TopVet: Clarice Joynes, Mayor's Office of Veterans' Affairs NYC
New York City’s very own home-grown Marine, Clarice Joynes, is the first woman appointed as Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Veterans’ Affairs, highlighting a 20-year career as one of the Big Apple’s most senior city servants.
WeSalute Awards
TopVet: Keith M. Kasen, Offering The Gift of Entertainment
A 20-year Navy Vet has brought millions of dollars worth of free theme park admission – and priceless smiles – to nearly two million Active Duty personnel and their families since 2005. As the Chairman and President of Busch Entertainment Corporation, the family entertainment subsidiary of the Anheuser-Busch Cos., Inc., Keith M. Kasen’s leadership demonstrates a corporate tradition of philanthropy and thanking those who serve.
WeSalute Awards
TopVet: William J. Henderson, Netflix & USPS
Mr. Henderson, 58, joined Netflix just last month, and is best recognized as the former postmaster general and CEO of the US Postal Service from 1994 – 2001. He was the fifth career employee to lead the world’s largest postal system, which processes, transports, and delivers more than 650 million pieces of mail to more than 130 million addresses every day.
WeSalute Awards
TopVet: Jim Cabela
Cabela's Co-founder, Jim Cabela, used his National Guard Salary to support himself during the early stages of the legendary outdoors company.
WeSalute Awards
TopVet: Gene Shields
The Air Force’s own Gene Shields is a major player in delivering specialized medical benefits to those who serve our nation. R. Eugene (Gene) Shields is Louisville, KY-based Humana Inc.’s senior vice president for government programs. He has responsibility for Medicare, TRICARE, the Federal Employees Health Benefit Plans and the company’s Puerto Rico operations. Prior to assuming these responsibilities, Mr. Shields led the development and launch of Humana Emphesys, the next generation of digital health plan products, and a new operating platform for Humana.