Major General Matthew P. Caulfield USMC (Ret.) served 34 years in the U.S. Marine Corps as an infantry officer. His distinguished military career includes service in the Vietnam War, where he advanced from company commander to battalion operations and ultimately battalion executive officer. After Vietnam he commanded two battalions, 3rd Battalion 5th Marines and 1st Battalion 9th Marines. Additional assignments included battalion and regimental staff officer, division assistant chief of staff, Commanding General 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Director of Marine Corps Training and Education Command and Director of the Warfighting Center in Quantico, Virginia. He received an MBA from Harvard University and was the first Marine officer selected as a military fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and he served as the military assistant to President Reagan and deputy director of the White House Military Office.

Following his time of service, Caulfield founded and served as the CEO of a subsidiary of a major corporation and several entities involved with veteran’s employment. He is considered a “subject matter expert” on transitioning service members into the civilian sector and has met with numerous government and military officials, members of congress, and congressional staff members in an effort to support and improve military transition services. He has met with twenty-five state governors in public venues, with extensive media coverage, which elicited support for veterans in the workplace. He has appeared in nationwide television news, radio programs and in the print media on behalf of veteran’s employment. He has appeared before the US House of Representatives, Committee on Veterans Affairs on several occasions, and often consults with public officials on a variety of issues concerning veteran’s transition to civilian life.

Matt currently serves as the founder and principal of M.P. Caulfield Associates, a consulting firm focusing on veterans’ employment.

Col. Roger Dimsdale (Ret.) has a distinguished military career of more than 30 years in the United States Army. After entering the service as an enlisted solider, Dimsdale worked his way up the ranks to eventually command at every level, including command of three companies, a battalion and a brigade. Among the nation’s most highly decorated Vietnam veterans, Dimsdale holds awards and decorations that include the Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, two Purple Hearts and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. He also has been awarded the Department of Veteran Affairs Meritorious Service Award and the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service.

Dimsdale brings extraordinary experience and leadership in dealing with wounded veterans. In November 2007, he was appointed as the chief of staff of the Wounded, Ill and Injured Senior Oversight Committee within the Department of Defense (DoD). He then served as the executive director of the VA/DoD Collaboration Service. In this capacity, he was responsible for oversight of Department of Veterans Affairs activities involved with wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans. Dimsdale currently serves as senior vice commander of the nation’s oldest veterans service organization, the Legion of Valor. Membership in the Legion of Valor is granted to recipients of the nation’s two highest awards for valor, the Medal of Honor, and the Distinguished Service Cross. In this capacity, Mr. Dimsdale represents the membership in national discussions pertaining to care of veterans with a particular emphasis on OEF/OIF returnees and serves as a member of the Veterans Day National Committee.

Rear Admiral Ronne Froman (Ret.) has an incredible history of leadership in both her distinguished military service and civilian career. Froman spent more than 31 years serving her country in the U.S. Navy, retiring with the rank of rear admiral. Throughout her time in service, Froman rose through the ranks as one of the Navy’s top administrators and reformers. She was executive officer of the Navy’s largest installation at Norfolk, commander of Naval Station Charleston and “Navy mayor” of the San Diego region. Her outstanding service in the Navy earned her the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, and various other service and unit awards.

Following her retirement from the Navy in 2001, Froman has continued to serve in numerous executive roles in the private and public sector. From 2001-2003 she served as chief of business operations for the San Diego City Schools. From 2003-2005 she was the CEO for San Diego’s American Red Cross Chapter. In 2005 she returned to public service as the chief operating officer (COO) for the City of San Diego, a post she held until 2007. After departing that position, Froman served as senior vice president of energy at General Atomics for two years.

Captain Gordon H. Mansfield (Ret.) served as the deputy secretary and COO of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from January 2004 until January 2009. During that time, he also served as acting secretary of the VA from October 1, 2007 until December 20, 2007. As COO, Mr. Mansfield had direct oversight of all business operations department wide and most notably, the largest IT reorganization within the federal government, which included the vital operating systems of the heralded veteran’s Electronic Health Record, VA’s automated claims processing system and the new GI Bill benefits program. During this time, Mr. Mansfield was honored with the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service and the Robert Dole Service to Our Nation Award.

Prior to joining the VA, Mr. Mansfield served as executive director of the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), the leading veterans’ organization that represents and advocates for paralyzed veterans. In his role as executive director, the highly decorated Vietnam veteran oversaw daily operation of PVA’s national office in Washington, D.C. Mr. Mansfield held several positions at PVA from 1981 to 1989. Mr. Mansfield served assistant secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at the Department of Housing and Urban Development from 1989 to 1993 under President George H. W. Bush’s administration. Prior to 1981, he practiced law in Ocala, Florida.

Mansfield enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1964 and served two tours of duty in Vietnam. While serving as company commander with the 101st Airborne Division during his second tour, he was wounded during the Tet Offensive of 1968 and sustains a spinal cord injury. For his actions while his unit was under fire, he was decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross. He was medically retired by the U.S. Army at the grade of captain. Mansfield currently lives in Alexandria, Virginia.

James A. “Spider” Marks served more than 30 years in uniform in the intelligence field, attaining the rank of Major General. Throughout his time of service, Marks held command and staff positions in the 101st Airborne Division and 82d Airborne Division, which included infantry platoon leader and infantry company command. General Marks commanded at the battalion and brigade levels, served as a strategist on the Army staff and as the senior intelligence officer for Joint Task Force Los Angeles during the LA Riots, in the Balkans, Korea, and in combat for the Coalition Land Forces during the liberation of Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He culminated his career as the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Intelligence Center.

Marks currently serves as a managing partner for ERGO, a leading, global primary research and consulting firm, specializing in emerging and frontier markets. Marks is based in ERGO’s Washington, D.C. office and is responsible for strategy and business development. Before joining ERGO, Marks was president and CEO of Global Linguist Solutions, which provided coalition forces and reconstruction efforts in Iraq with more than 9,000 linguists fluent in Arabic, Persian Farsi, and English.

General Marks is an Honor Graduate of the US Army’s Ranger School, a Master parachutist, authorized to wear Canadian and Korean Airborne wings, and has been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and multiple expeditionary and service ribbons. He is a 1975 graduate of The United States Military Academy at West Point, NY and holds a Master of Arts degree in International Affairs conferred by the University of Virginia in 1985. Additionally, he received a Master of Science degree in Theater Operations from the School of Advanced Military Studies, US Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas in 1990.

Sergeant First Class Steve Robinson (Ret.) had a distinguished career in the U.S. Army and served for more than 20 years. During these two decades he held numerous ranks, from private to platoon sergeant, and served in Ranger, LRSD and Special Forces Units. During the 1991 Gulf War, Robinson was deployed as a medic with the Operational Detachment Alpha Team 32 to Northern Iraq in support of Operation Provide Comfort, where he worked to provide humanitarian assistance and aide in the repatriation of Kurds. In his final assignment with the Army, Robinson served as an analyst and provided military briefings at the Office of the Secretary of Defense on the Gulf War Illnesses research effort.

Since retiring in October 2001, Robinson has become a tireless advocate for fellow veterans and the issues impacting them upon their return home. He has held the positions of government relations director, executive director and program director in three separate nonprofit organizations, where he monitored Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs programs and policies. He also served on the Department of Veterans Affairs Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Illnesses and has been a special advisor on chemical and biological weapons exposures to Vietnam and Gulf War Veterans. Most recently, Robinson acted as an independent consultant for a variety of organizations that help service members re-enter civilian life. Some of those organizations include the Armed Forces Services Corporation, Swords to Plowshares, and the Coalition for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans.

Brigadier General Harry A. Sieben, Jr. (Ret.) entered military service in the Army Reserve in 1968. In 1975 he transferred to the Air National Guard and served with 148th Fighter Wing, 133rd Airlift Wing and Joint Force Headquarters, Minnesota National Guard. He retired in 2003 after 36 years of service, including serving as Adjutant General, Minnesota. He currently serves as a Civilian Aide to Secretary of the Army.

Sieben served seven terms in the Minnesota Legislature, including two terms as Speaker of the House. He is founder and President of Sieben, Grose, VonHoltum and Carey law firm in Minneapolis. As an attorney, Sieben has fought numerous pro bono cases to ensure that returning veterans were granted re-employment to civilian positions they held prior to their deployment. His wife, Mary, is a Colonel, USAF, having retired after serious injury in 2004 in Iraq. One son currently serves as a Captain, US Army, having just left Iraq after his second tour.

Major General Craig Whelden (Ret.) served more than 30 years in the U.S. Army as an Armor officer. Prior to his retirement from active duty in 2004, he was the Deputy Commander of U.S. Army, Pacific. After the events of 9/11, and — in addition to his other duties — he was charged with coordinating Hawaii’s homeland security efforts with the state’s civil authorities.

From 1998-2000, Whelden served as the Commanding General of the U.S. Army’s Community and Family Support Center, overseeing all Soldier and Family programs as well as the Army’s Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) programs: a $1.5 billion program. Whelden was the first former garrison commander in the Army to be selected for Brigadier General and subsequently, Major General.

In early 2008, Whelden was asked to lead an Army Task Force to plan and implement a Secretary of the Army initiative called “Community Covenant.” The project was designed to bring American communities closer to support for our country’s service members and their families. For his efforts, Whelden was personally recognized by the Secretary of the Army with the top two awards granted to civilian employees: the Meritorious Civilian Service Award and the Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service. Whelden continues to work this project from his home in Florida.

Master Chief Petty Officer Maurice Wilson (Ret.) had a distinguished military career in the U.S. Navy, where he served for 26 years. Prior to his retirement, he held the positions of Command Master Chief for the USNS Mercy and was the Training and Communications Division Officer for the MIS Department at Naval Medical Center Balboa, where he was responsible for the implementation and planning for the Command-wide medical information system known as Composite Health-Care System.

In 1996 Wilson began volunteering at the San Diego Urban League. In 1998, after his retirement, he joined the League’s executive management team, eventually holding several positions with the organization before being appointed as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the League in 2006. In this position, Maurice oversees the Urban League’s Business and Workforce Development and is responsible for a variety of assignments including; new program design and implementation, grant-writing, fundraising, program services, research, community organizing, event planning, administration, fiscal management and operations. Wilson is also the publisher of the Urban League’s Diversity Works! magazine and the Employment/Career Business Guide.

In addition to his role at the Urban League, Wilson is very active throughout the San Diego community. He produces a weekly Employment/Career section in the local community newspaper “The Monitor News,” which focuses on employment and career advice to over 10,000 readers. Wilson also serves on several community organization boards, including; San Diego Workforce Investment Board, US Navy SEALS Executive Diversity Advisory Council, Technical Professional Career College, and the Urban Youth Empowerment Academy, to name just a few. Wilson and his wife Ethel, reside in Lemon Grove, California.