Q: How does your role allow you to continue serving military members and their families?
A: Today, I get to continue bringing value to military members and their families—not only through competitive products, but through solutions designed to meet the unique needs of military life, including deployments, SCRA benefits, and nuanced financial education.
Q: When you first decided to transition out of the Army, what did “continuing your mission” mean to you?
A: I’ve always said that whatever I do, I want it to be something that matters. When I transitioned out of service, it wasn’t just about the tasks I would perform, but the purpose behind them—and the Summit Program at USAA has helped me find that.
Q: What was the biggest mindset shift you had to make when transitioning to civilian work?
A: The biggest mindset shift has actually been an identity shift. Throughout my time in the military, I held many different identities—I was an Army officer, a commander, a paratrooper, a jumpmaster, a sapper. Now, my identity is that of a developing leader within our association. The great thing is that all of the experiences and skills that helped me succeed in my previous career continue to help me succeed in this one.
Q: What was the most challenging part of that transition, and who helped you navigate it?
A: Transitioning out of the military was something I only get to do once—it wasn’t an experience I’d already had. As I navigated that transition, having a program like Beyond the Call was extremely beneficial. It helped me find a team where I could develop, continue to grow my skills, and step into a role that truly matters—bringing value back to our members.
Q: How did your eight years in the U.S. Army shape the kind of leader you are today?
A: The biggest way that eight years of service in the Army has shaped my leadership style is by leading by example. I understood that I couldn’t ask my people to do anything I wasn’t willing to do myself. At the same time, the standard isn’t just what we tolerate—it starts with what we tolerate in ourselves.
Q: When did you realize you had truly found your place after leaving the Army?
A: I know I’ve found my home at the association because of two things. The first is the strong reception and mentorship I’ve received from not just veteran mentors and leaders in the business, but from civilian mentors as well. Having that strong network to coach me and teach me as I navigate this career transition has been paramount to my success.
The other part of it is being with these successful strong leaders, these fellows in the Summit program. Together, we really play off of each other, become force multipliers for each other, and I'm just so happy that I found this team.
Q: In what ways does your work in the USAA Summit™ Fellowship feel like a natural next chapter of service?
A: Today I get to continue bringing value to military members and their families, not just through competitive products, but also through products that meet the unique needs of military life handling things like deployments, SCRA benefits, and also nuanced financial education. Leaving the military didn't mean leaving my mission, leaving the military meant finding my new mission.
