1. Success Stories
Anecdotes
"Having just completed my official ACP mentorship, I'm incredibly happy I agreed to give the program
a try. The Mentor I was paired with couldn't have been a more perfect fit. Through our monthly emails
and phone calls, we worked to revise my résumé and improve my interview skills. I'm confident that
without ACP and my Mentor, I wouldn't have been hired at my current job, but more importantly, I
wouldn't have been as well prepared for the transition from the military to the private sector. I highly
recommend ACP to everyone in the military as they look to transition their careers, and I hope one day
to give back by being a Mentor myself."
- Tommy W., U.S. Army National Guard, Paired with Johnson & Johnson Mentor
“So far, everything has been excellent from my side of the mentoring experience. Matt has been great
to work with and has taught me a few things along the way that I value greatly.
ACP's Veteran Mentoring Program is excellent.”
- David B., Tyco Mentor paired with Matt F., U.S. Navy
Protégé Spotlight
To recognize the successes of ACP’s Protégés, ACP periodically spotlights Protégés who have gone
above and the beyond the requirements of the Mentoring Program to make the most of their
mentorships. Mentors nominate their Protégés for this recognition by submitting a brief description
detailing what their Protégé has done to help ensure their mentorship has been beneficial. ACP then
reviews the nominations in order to select which Protégés to spotlight. Protégés are spotlighted on the
website and through ACP’s social media.
If you believe that your Protégé deserves to be spotlighted, please email a brief synopsis explaining
their dedication to the mentorship to spotlight@acp-usa.org (mailto:spotlight@acp-usa.org) . Please note that ACP
reserves the right to post all nominations on our website and social media.
Mentors are encouraged to submit nominations as they wish.
Spotlight: Doug Ramsdell, Pace, FL US Navy Reserves
Mentor Ronald Blahnik, Smyrna, GA, Home Depot
I am nominating Doug Ramsdell for the Protégé Spotlight. Doug has been phenomenal to
work with over the last year. He has had to make a critical life and career transition and
has done so with enormous courage. Doug had to mentally process the unsought and
earlier than planned change from Military to Civilian life. An event with hard choices for
even the very best prepared soldier. Seemingly undaunted by all he faced, Doug clearly
maneuvered through the myriad of changes in his life with calm and dispatch that few
who make this transition overcome without significant disruption and often despair. I
have been so very impressed with Doug and have enjoyed our developing friendship. He
has a widely varied background and incredible leadership skills along with very
interesting set life/career learnings. It was clear early on in our conversations that all his acquired skills and
abilities during his highly honored military career could and would translate into an array of options for him to
consider. With his feet confidently on a successful path with his new employer, I look forward to his continued
Learn More About the
Successes of ACP's Mentors
and Protégés
• Anecdotes (#anecdotes)
• Protégé Spotlight (#spotlight)
• Mentor of the Month (#motm)
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2. February 2015
Heather Gillbanks Houston, Texas
Kris Urbauer Chicago, Illinois
Edward Wacek Liberty, Ohio
ACP would like to congratulate:
I am nominating my Mentor, Heather Gillbanks of GE Oil & Gas, to be the ACP
Mentor of the Month. Mere days before being paired with Heather, I was called
to schedule an interview. This was to be my first corporate interview in over five
years. The focus of my mentorship went from desiring assistance with
developing my résumé and building a network to help me find a job, to needing
immediate assistance with interview skills. Heather shifted gears flawlessly and
spent several hours preparing me for my interview that was only days away from
our first introduction. Some of her best tips were to be confident and listen
more than I speak. I received a job offer from my first interview thanks to her
help!
Since that time, Heather has been instrumental in helping me transition from a
military mindset to a corporate one, while still remaining focused on the valuable
skills that I learned from the service. A good attitude goes a long way, and the
military teaches you to be resilient and overcome even when obstacles appear. I
am greatly appreciative for having such a fantastic Mentor.
- Robyn M., Newport News, Virginia, U.S. Army
I would like to nominate my Mentor, Kris Urbauer of General Electric, for ACP
Mentor of the Month. Kris has been an outstanding resource for me as I make
my transition out of the military. I could tell right from the start that she was a
good match for me because it was so easy to talk to her and she showed
genuine compassion for helping veterans. Kris has always made time for me,
and has spoken with me on the weekends if we could not meet or talk on the
phone during the week. I know she has a very busy schedule, and I appreciate
the amount of time she has given me to ensure that I succeed.
Kris has helped me with a wide range of topics – everything from finding
direction in my career goals to fine-tuning my résumé and polishing my
interviewing skills. Additionally, Kris has opened up her network to me,
connecting me with other business professionals who have had successful
growth as the next chapter of his life unfolds before him and know others who must make a similar journey could
benefit from his strength and resolve to always move forward, ever forward.
Spotlight: Xarviera Appling, San Antonio, TX, US Air Force
Mentor Christine Nowakowski, Minneapolis, MN, General Mills
I am nominating Xarviera Appling for the protégé spotlight. Xarviera is a joy to work
with. She is a phenomenal self-starter who is capable of juggling her military career
and location transfer while completing her master’s degree in public health. Her
experiences in Africa have inspired her to learn more in order to help improve the
living conditions and survivability of others. She is on a strong path forward
towards her goal of attaining a doctorate’s diploma. Xarviera has passion for
helping others and I am honored to be part of her journey. I am very impressed by
her planfulness and her open approach to a very different environment from the
military. She easily connects to others and asks the right questions, synthesizing
the information to help build a solid foundation for her future. I look forward to
continued success and I know that others will benefit from her excellence and
dedication as she seeks ways to reduce exposure to and consequences of
contagious diseases.
Mentor of the Month
To recognize the outstanding work of participating Mentors, ACP has created the Mentor of the Month
contest. Each month, ACP staff reviews nominations and selects 1–3 Mentors who have had the
greatest impact on their Protégés. To commemorate the winners, each selected Mentor is featured on
the ACP website and both Mentor and Protégé receive an ACP memento.
If you are a Protégé and would like to recognize the outstanding work of your Mentor, please send up
to one paragraph explaining how your Mentor has had a positive impact on you. Please email all
submissions to motm@acp-usa.org (mailto:motm@acp-usa.org) . Please note that ACP reserves the right to post
all nominations on its website.
Veteran Protégés are encouraged to submit nominations as many times as they wish.
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3. careers in fields that I am interested in. Kris has undoubtedly made my
transition much easier and I am grateful for her mentorship and the time she
has dedicated to giving me a successful start outside the military.
Beyond the professional advice she has provided, Kris has also been a great role
model for me as a successful woman and business leader. I aspire to exude the
same competent optimism that she does when I settle into a future career.
- Jill S., Evanston, Illinois, U.S. Army
I would like to nominate Eddy Wacek from General Electric for ACP Mentor of the
Month. Eddy has been an outstanding Mentor as I have prepared to transition
from the active-duty military to a business career. Throughout the mentorship,
Eddy has made himself incredibly available. We have met regularly, allowing me
to refine career transition plans, grow from workplace challenges, and find
answers to business career questions. Even when our schedules were busier,
Eddy made sure I could keep in touch via email and phone. Over multiple
iterations, Eddy has helped me distill my military experiences and refine them
into a concise and effective résumé that captures my skills and successes. Eddy
also kept me on track with my transition preparations by following my
progress with project management and business analysis courses and
encouraging professional reading. A great coach and advisor, Eddy has exposed
me to career paths, companies, and insights that I would not have considered
without his input. Because of Eddy’s mentorship, I am a better-prepared, more
confident job candidate. I also know the advice and guidance I received from
Eddy will help ignite my business career and make me a more valuable
employee to my future employer. Thank you, Eddy!
- Don N., Dayton, Ohio, U.S. Air Force
January 2015
Doug Ketterer Purchase, New York
ACP would like to congratulate:
I would like to nominate my Mentor, Doug Ketterer, as ACP’s Mentor of the
Month. As soon as I was paired with Doug, he immediately reached out to me
and arranged for us to meet face-to-face. Being such a senior leader within
Morgan Stanley, it meant a great deal to me that he was willing to carve out a
significant portion of his day to meet with me in person.
Through our multiple meetings and phone conversations, Doug has helped me
gain a stronger understanding of the banking industry, especially in the context
of wealth management. He also facilitated meetings for me with Managing
Directors across Morgan Stanley to learn about their backgrounds, how they got
to where they are today and to simply help grow my professional network.
Beyond all the tangible assistance Doug has provided throughout my time in the
ACP Mentoring Program, Doug has been the person I have turned to whenever I
have a question about my current occupation or about the many possibilities I
may consider as my career progresses. He has always been able to give me
direction that is based on his immense amount of experience and whenever I
have shown interest in a particular subject, he always has a new person to
introduce me to that is an expert or leader in that field. I am so grateful to Doug
for all his advice and guidance and to all the folks at ACP for making this
mentorship possible; thank you so much.
- John W., Harrison, New York, US Army
Page 3 of 3American Corporate Partners Success Stories | ACP Testimonials
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