Special thanks to Grier Holliday for donating Project Transition USA’s website hosting these past 5 years!

Posted on August 30, 2017 Written by Nancy Leave a Comment

A special thank you to Grier Holliday for donating Project Transition USA’s website hosting these past 5 years!

We are very fortunate that our longtime sponsor Grier Holliday is a humanitarian and the grandson of two decorated Military Veterans — U.S. Navy & U.S. Air Force.

He’s a true descendant of the legendary “Doc Holliday”, and his father actually goes by “Doc” Holliday”!

Grier works as a licensed Real Estate Broker and Business Broker in the state of Florida, and he’s also a passionate pet & animal advocate who founded PetFriendlySites.com — a guide for pet owners seeking pet friendly destinations & resources. (If you love animals, be sure to check it out!)

We are sincerely grateful for Grier Holliday’s dedication and support!

To visit Grier’s profile, click HERE

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Congratulations to USAF Col. (Ret) Glenn Nielsen for winning a 2017 HEROES AT WORK AWARD!

Posted on June 27, 2017 Written by Nancy Leave a Comment

Glenn Nielsen, our treasured volunteer photographer, is being honored with a 2017 HEROES AT WORK AWARD by the Tampa Bay Business Journal!

The Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Heroes at Work award recognizes Tampa Bay veterans who, through their professional and personal efforts, are making a positive impact throughout the community.

USAF Col. (Ret) Glenn Nielsen is a decorated combat pilot who has been volunteering his time and expertise as a profile headshot photographer at our LinkedIN Workshops for transitioning servicemembers and their families on MacDill AFB for over a year now.

Glenn is one of the most talented, multi-faceted individuals I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. “Creative” would be an understatement….every month he magically transforms a military supply closet into a portrait studio(!) — and the quality of photos he produces under these circumstances is beyond amazing.

He is an absolute lifesaver to our transitioning military attendees since a professional profile photo is often critical to their future career success. In the past year alone, he has positively changed the lives of HUNDREDS of his fellow veterans!

In his professional life, Glenn is a sought-after Tampa Bay portrait photographer. He’s a Godsend to families seeking a keepsake family portrait, as well as expectant mothers and families with newborn babies or developing children.

Glenn simply loves PEOPLE (even little people!), and there’s nothing that gives him greater pleasure than capturing the look of love between a parent and their child.

Our heartiest congratulations go out to Glenn Nielsen for receiving this prestigious award in recognition of his excellence and extreme generosity!!

To join us in expressing gratitude for Glenn’s selfless support for our transitioning U.S. military, please visit his profile on LinkedIN: linkedin.com/in/glenn-nielsen

#TBBJHeroes

ABOUT PROJECT TRANSITION USA:

Project Transition USA is the only 501c3 nonprofit that specializes in teaching transitioning U.S. military veterans and their families how to fully utilize the powerful business networking site, LinkedIN.

We are best known for teaching inspiring & entertaining LinkedIN Job Search Workshops for troops, providing personal introductions to VIPs, and managing the highly-popular “Project Transition USA” group on LinkedIN which is frequented by military-friendly hiring managers and business celebrities from all walks of life.

We invite you to show your support for our troops by joining our group today!

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Project Transition USA Group Celebrates It’s 3,000th Member, Don Mann, Former Navy SEAL Team 6 Instructor

Posted on February 1, 2016 Written by Nancy Leave a Comment

Project Transition USA Welcomes Our 3,000th LinkedIN Group Member, Don Mann, Former Navy SEAL Team SIX Commando!

It’s exciting to reach our 3,000 member milestone, and we are grateful to Anthony Almon, Retired Navy SEAL Commander, for inviting his long-time friend Don Mann to join our group.

Don’s military biography includes being a decorated combat veteran and SEAL Team 6 Instructor, as well as many other credentials. He is the author of 11 books including the NY Times Best Selling autobiography “Inside SEAL Team SIX: My Life and Missions with America’s Elite Warriors”.

Also an endurance athlete, Don is known for producing and directing more multi-day, multi-sport, adventure races, triathlons and SEAL training events than any other person in the world. This April he will climb Mt. Everest to realize his life-time goal and “to raise awareness for the sacrifices that our veterans endure”.

His 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Frogman Charities, conducts virtual run/walk events for organizations seeking to support its mission of raising $1M for nonprofits that support U.S. Navy SEAL veterans, military personnel and their families. Evander Holyfield chose to celebrate his recent 53rd birthday by completing a 5K with Don in support of this mission.

We are delighted and honored to welcome Don Mann as the 3,000th member of our group, and we are grateful to ALL our members for being a part of this life-changing community. Please join us and give Don a hearty, “Project Transition USA-style” welcome!

ABOUT PROJECT TRANSITION USA:

We invite you to show your support for our troops by joining our group today!

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GTE Financial will be our LinkedIN Workshop Lunch Sponsor again through 2016!

Posted on January 5, 2016 Written by Nancy Leave a Comment

I am thrilled to announce GTE Financial has extended their sponsorship and will be providing lunch at our MacDill AFB LinkedIN Workshops throughout 2016!

GTE Financial, one of the largest credit unions in Florida, is a passionate supporter of transitioning troops and their families at MacDill Air Force Base.

GTE recently celebrated its 80th anniversary of serving the financial needs of its local residents and businesses, as well as enriching the Tampa Bay community. They are a not-for-profit financial cooperative and have been able to help multiple charity organizations and its members year-round. Giving back to the community is important to GTE and is embedded in its culture.

Scott DeThomas, former Wing Commander and CEO of MacDill Air Force Base, and now SVP of Products and Member Sales of GTE Financial, continues to actively support transitioning military and veterans in Tampa Bay by speaking at our LinkedIN Workshops on MacDill.

Our Jan. 22nd workshop will kick off the fourth year Project Transition USA has been invited to teach workshops on MacDill AFB, and it will be the third time Scott DeThomas has been our guest speaker.

Scott recently commented: “We are very thankful for organizations like Project Transition USA that work hard to support our military members as they transition to civilian life. Nancy and her team of volunteers do a great job.”

David Bode, AVP of Talent Management of GTE Financial, has been a member of LinkedIN for nearly eight years, and he had this to say: “Having access to resources like this workshop will no doubt be a huge help to the troops in establishing valuable relationships in the civilian world. Having a professional network is important in the transition phase.”

David continued, “Recruiters are using LinkedIN as one of their main recruiting tools, so it’s very important that job hunters put themselves out there in a variety of creative ways to catch their attention.”

Joe Brancucci, CEO of GTE Financial, kindly noted: “We believe in supporting organizations that help people better their lives, and these workshops are a wonderful opportunity for veterans to learn new and effective ways to search for employment.”

“We are aware that transitioning from the military can be a difficult process,” Joe added, “but with the right tools and support, our troops will be able to confront any hurdle and get right back into the workforce.”

Our next LinkedIN Job Search Workshop on MacDill AFB is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 22nd, 2016, and it is open exclusively to transitioning military personnel and dependents who are enrolled in MacDill’s TAP program.

To learn more about Project Transition USA’s LinkedIn Job Search Workshops on MacDill AFB, visit www.ProjectTransitionUSA.org, or contact me, Nancy Laine, at 727-415-3878.

ABOUT PROJECT TRANSITION USA:

Project Transition USA is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that has been providing career-related services to U.S. military veterans since 2012. We are the only 501c3 that specializes in teaching transitioning military veterans and their families how to fully utilize the powerful business networking site, LinkedIN.

We are best known for teaching inspiring LinkedIN Job Search Workshops for top military leaders, providing personal introductions to VIPs, and managing the popular Project Transition USA group on LinkedIN which is frequented by military-friendly hiring managers and business celebrities nationwide.

After training over 1,000 transitioning military heroes to secure meaningful & rewarding employment by building supportive professional networks on LinkedIN, we are now developing an exciting new program that will place our veterans face-to-face with military-friendly business professionals in their communities.

Our new “Bring a Hero to Work” initiative will pair military veterans with civilians working in their target industries — allowing our heroes to experience day-to-day activities in the civilian workforce by “shadowing” their business hosts for a half-day (and particularly executives who are U.S. veterans themselves!)

We invite you to show your support for our transitioning troops and their families by joining our Project Transition USA group and offering your support for our job shadowing program today!

About GTE FINANCIAL:

GTE Financial is a not-for-profit financial cooperative with more than $1.7 billion in assets and 22 Community Financial Centers located throughout West Central Florida. Chartered in 1935, GTE Financial is locally owned and operated in the Tampa Bay area, serving more than 228,000 individuals and businesses.

More information on GTE Financial can be found at www.gtefinancial.org.

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Kim Tran of Symphony Becomes Inaugural Sponsor of New “Job Shadowing” Program For Veterans

Posted on October 8, 2015 Written by Nancy Leave a Comment

Project Transition USA is preparing to launch another very exciting project, Bring A Hero To Work, a “job shadowing” program for transitioning veterans.

And we are very happy to announce that Kim Tran, Chief Officer of IT, People & Ops at Symphony (a workflow productivity company) and a loyal member of Project Transition USA’s Advisory Board, has recently become our Inaugural Sponsor.

This new initiative is expected to change countless lives for the better, giving our transitioning military and veterans a chance to get to know fellow veterans inside local companies they are potentially interested in working with.

Our pilot project will be in our hometown of Tampa Bay, and we’ll be playing “Matchmaker” — aided by the powerful business networking site, LinkedIN.

We intend to scale this program year-round and nationwide as soon as possible. And as far as we know, this has never been done before. So once again, we get to play the happy role of PIONEERS! 🙂

Our list of “Corporate Hosts” is growing fast. Several military-friendly companies in Tampa Bay have already volunteered their support (including PricewaterhouseCoopers, First Command, and ReliaQuest), and we are actively seeking others who may be interested in participating.

Although this program is designed to be an educational networking experience for veterans and their families, and not directly for recruiting purposes, we believe there is a very good chance it will reduce recruitment costs (and turnover!) for our corporate participants in the long run.

At this time there is NO COST for veterans or corporate hosts to participate. However, sponsorship opportunities are available for those who would like to help us cover our expenses and partner with us to scale this initiative year-round and nationwide.

Contact Nancy Laine at 727-415-3878 or nancy@ProjectTransitionUSA.org for more information.

Julie McAdoo, Co-founder of our Project Transition USA group, wins Finalist in the Tampa Bay Business Journal “2015 BusinessWoman of the Year Awards”!

Posted on August 29, 2015 Written by Nancy Leave a Comment

Last night I had the incredible pleasure of watching Julie McAdoo walk on stage at the Tampa Hilton as a room full of hundreds of attendees applauded her success as an Entrepreneur!

It was a moment I will long remember!!

This prestigious award recognizes the top woman executives in the Tampa Bay area. Fifty women were chosen as Finalists — out of literally hundreds who were nominated — and Julie was one of only five in the Entrepreneur Category.

This is a WIN for every one of us! And especially for all our transitioning military members, because Julie helped create our Project Transition USA group on LinkedIN while she herself was transitioning from the Air Force, and in just 2-1/2 years has gone on to realize her dream of becoming a successful business owner.

Along with her retired USAF pilot husband Kevin McAdoo from MacDill Air Force Base (also a member of our group), Julie now owns and operates two Residential & Commercial cleaning companies in Tampa Bay — Office Pride & Refresh Your Nest. They already employ over 25 people, many of whom are former military!

MORE GREAT NEWS — Julie is currently hiring! So if you, or someone you know, are interested in joining a first-class, veteran-owned company in Tampa Bay, I encourage you to invite Julie to connect today and apply!

Please join me in congratulating our ‘Project Transition USA’ LinkedIN Group co-founder, Julie McAdoo, on this very important achievement by posting a heartfelt comment on our LinkedIN group discussion (click HERE to post).

Thank you, Julie really deserves this award! 🙂

Join us in welcoming Pete Blum, our new Project Transition USA LinkedIN Group Co-Manager!

Posted on July 6, 2015 Written by Nancy Leave a Comment

I’m very excited to announce that former U.S. Marine, Pete Blum, has joined our Project Transition USA LinkedIN Group Management Team!

As we approach the 2,500 member milestone, we are extremely grateful to Pete Blum for volunteering his time and talents in support of our group members’ success in the civilian career world.

Pete is a Tampa Bay resident, a member of our Project Transition USA Advisory Board, and the very embodiment of a Servant Leader. He brings 20 years of experience as an Information Technology Executive and Technology Trainer, and a passion for helping others that has deepened as a result of personally experiencing the challenges many (if not most) transitioning military personnel endure.

In his professional role of Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Solvability, Inc. in Tampa, FL, Pete’s focus is on training & technology solutions for small businesses.

As a new member of our Project Transition USA group’s leadership team, Pete will be supporting transitioning U.S. military veterans worldwide who are seeking their “next mission” — a meaningful and rewarding civilian career.

Pete recently shared, “I’ve been a member of LinkedIN since 2007 and I have seen what connecting to the right people can do. The job I have now is due to a LinkedIN connection I met in this (Project Transition USA) group!”

He added, “Being a part of Project Transition USA and this group in order to help transitioning military is a huge thing to me! I’m honored to be on the team!”

Thanks in advance to all our members for extending a hearty welcome to our new group co-manager, Pete Blum, by adding your comment HERE.

Interested in learning more about Project Transition USA and our LinkedIN group? We invite you to click on this link to JOIN NOW!

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Introducing our Project Transition USA YouTube Channel for Transitioning Military Veterans

Posted on April 30, 2015 Written by Nancy Leave a Comment

We’ve created our new YouTube Channel especially for transitioning military veterans seeking meaningful and rewarding new careers!

And here’s a Quick Start Guide to help you find the videos you need most right NOW:

* Want to learn how to build solid professional relationships with people “on the inside” who can help you get hired fast? Click HERE

* Need to polish your Interview Skills? Click HERE

* To learn if your Resume’ is hurting or helping you, click HERE

* Click HERE to listen & learn from military-friendly business execs who CARE!

(We’ll be adding new videos often, so check back soon!)

ENJOY!

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GTE Financial Sponsors LinkedIN Job Search Workshops on MacDill AFB

Posted on April 21, 2015 Written by Nancy Leave a Comment

Project Transition USA is very pleased to announce our new LinkedIN Job Search Workshop sponsor GTE Financial!

GTE Financial, one of the largest credit unions in Florida, recently sponsored our March and April LinkedIn Job Search Workshops on MacDill Air Force Base and have committed to sponsoring the remainder of our workshops in 2015.

GTE is currently celebrating its 80th anniversary of serving the financial needs of its local residents and businesses, as well as enriching the Tampa Bay community. Giving back to the community is important to GTE and is embedded in its culture. Year-round, the not-for-profit cooperative has been able to help multiple charity organizations and its members.

“We believe in supporting organizations that help people better their lives, and these workshops are a wonderful opportunity for veterans to learn new and effective ways to search for employment,” said Joe Brancucci, CEO of GTE Financial.

“We are aware that transitioning from the military can be a difficult process, but with the right tools and support, our troops will be able to confront any hurdle and get right back into the workforce.”

“We are very thankful for organizations like Project Transition USA that work hard to support our military members as they transition to civilian life. Nancy and her team of volunteers do a great job.”

David Bode, AVP of Talent Management of GTE Financial, added: “I’ve been a member of LinkedIn for seven years. Having access to resources like this workshop will no doubt be a huge help to the troops in establishing valuable relationships in the civilian world.“

“Having a professional network is important in the transition phase”, David continued. “Recruiters are using LinkedIn as one of their main recruiting tools, so it’s very important that job hunters put themselves out there in a variety of creative ways to catch their attention.”

The next LinkedIn Job Search Workshop on MacDill AFB is scheduled for Friday, May 15th, 2015. It is open exclusively to transitioning military personnel and dependents who are enrolled in MacDill’s TAP program.

To learn more about Project Transition USA’s LinkedIn Job Search Workshops on MacDill AFB, visit www.ProjectTransitionUSA.org, or contact me, Nancy Laine, at 727-415-3878.

ABOUT PROJECT TRANSITION USA:

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Project Transition USA has been teaching free LinkedIn Job Search Workshops on MacDill Air Force Base (Tampa, FL) and other locations since Nov. 2012 at the request of transitioning U.S. military veterans who were in dire need of support.

In addition to their workshops, they also maintain a YouTube Channel and provide personal introductions to corporate military hiring managers and military-friendly civilians via their popular “Project Transition USA” group on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/groups/Project-Transition-USA-4842096/about

Many workshop attendees and group participants have already been offered top-level positions throughout the U.S., and all of this has been accomplished with little to no operating budget. Project Transition USA’s goal is to make this training available to every transitioning U.S. military veteran nationwide.

Visit their website to learn what military troops and community leaders are saying about this project: www.projecttransitionusa.com/testimonials/

About GTE FINANCIAL:

Pane Rustica Sponsors Jan. 2015 LinkedIN Workshop for Transitioning Military on MacDill AFB

Posted on January 28, 2015 Written by Nancy Leave a Comment

Thank you to all who participated in our January LinkedIN Job Search Workshop on MacDill AFB!

We are sending out a HUGE thank you to our Workshop Sponsor, Kevin Kruszewski, owner of the awesome Pane Rustica Bakery & Cafe in South Tampa.

Kevin is an Honorary Commander of MacDill AFB, and he personally delivered the most incredible gourmet feast we have ever experienced!

(To say it was highly appreciated by the transitioning troops in attendance would be an understatement! Everyone was RAVING about it, and Pane Rustica will be seeing more of us very soon!)

Special thanks also goes out to our guest speaker, Scott DeThomas, former CEO and Wing Commander of MacDill AFB, who shared his personal experience of transitioning just months ago after 30+ years of service in the Air Force.

Scott is now a Sr. VP with GTE Financial, a leading credit union in Tampa, and this was his second speaking appearance with us in the past few months.

We are also grateful to Darrell Wade, Senior Law Office Manager/Paralegal from U.S. Special Operations Command, who made a guest appearance to speak to us about his continuing transition experience after attending our LinkedIN Workshop last October.

Darrell has been receiving many attractive job offers, and most of these potential employers found him on LinkedIN!

And finally, a sincere thanks to our wonderful volunteers, Paula Hochman, Tony Michaelides, Pete Blum, and Robyn Mussler. All our lives are so much richer because of people who CARE like you!