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.

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.

Lisa Rosser is on a mission to help organizations improve their veteran recruiting and retention programs. She is a vocal advocate of hiring veterans to be the solution to poor fit, high turnover, feeble pipelines, and homogeneous succession plans.

Lisa helps her clients make the business case for targeting the military, learn which recruiting tactics are most effective, and implement retention programs that resonate with veterans and makes them feel “at home” in their new environment.

Lisa ‘s military career spans over 20 years (both active and reserve), 3 continents, and 4 major deployments, including the Gulf War, Somalia, Bosnia and a 2-1/2 year mobilization immediately following the events of 9/11. Her military career includes detailed work as a telecommunications officer and as an operations officer, and general work in the human side of the military – performance management, recruiting, placement, training and skills development. She continues to serve in the Army Reserve, working as an instructor in a training battalion. Her civilian career included 8 years with Accenture, a Global Fortune 500 consulting firm.

In 2007 Lisa founded her own company, The Value Of a Veteran. In that capacity Lisa is a consultant, author, speaker, and workshop leader on military hiring and retention strategy development. She’s written “The Value of a VeteranTM: The Guide for Human Resource Professionals to Regarding, Recruiting, and Retaining Military Veterans “, and delivers workshops and seminars nationwide to corporate, government and higher education employers.

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.

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.

Rear Admiral James J. Carey, U. S. Navy [Ret.], served in uniform for 33 years as a Navy Surface Warfare Officer and retired on October 24, 1994 in ceremonies at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, DC, where he commanded Readiness Command Region SIX for 3 years during Desert STORM in Iraq.  Admiral Carey also served as Vice Chairman of the U. S. Federal Maritime Commission during the Reagan Administration and Chairman during the Administration of George Bush Sr..  He has been a lifelong active participant in numerous military and veterans organizations, including 40 years as a national leader in military voting rights where he has been deeply involved in last years passage of new federal legislation for military voting rights.  Carey also recently testified before the Texas Senate regarding their new military voting legislation. 

Carey currently serves as Chairman of the National Defense Committee: www.NationalDefenseCommittee.org and National Chairman of The Flag & General Officers’ Network:  www.FlagAndGeneralOfficersNetwork.org  In addition, he serves as Chairman of the Rear Admiral James J. Carey Foundation: www.AdmiralCareyFoundation.org  where the primary focus is on leadership training of America’s best & brightest next generation, including a Military Veterans Program designed to provide younger veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with “career-shift training” that credentials them to pursue civilian career paths in national public policy provides them with a lifetime career path rather than “just a job”— www.NationalDefenseCommittee.org/?page_ID=24   Admiral Carey is married, and lives in Alexandria, VA, and has two grown daughters living in Denver, CO and San Diego, CA.

Rear Admiral [Ret.] James J. Carey, National Chairman
THE FLAG & GENERAL OFFICERS’ NETWORK
www.FlagAndGeneralOfficersNetwork.org 

”A War Veterans Organization”

Alan Baldwin, Colonel, USMC (retired), served for more than 30 years in infantry, reconnaissance, and intelligence assignments. He held command and staff positions in the 1st and 3rd Marine Divisions, I MEF and at the joint level. His command assignments included Rifle platoon, Sniper Platoon, Rifle Company, and Reconnaissance Company. He commanded at the Joint level while also serving in a number of key staff positions in peacetime and in combat, including as the Senior Marine Intelligence Officer for the initial Operation Iraqi Freedom operations.

Baldwin is the Market and Strategy Leader for IBM’s Global Defense Industry as well as for IBM’s Intelligent Transportation Systems Global Industry. He is responsible for the business development and strategy for these two global business areas.

Baldwin is a graduate of the Florida State University with a Bachelor of Arts in History and English. He also holds advanced degrees in International Relations and National Security and Strategic Studies as well as advanced studies in Strategic Intelligence.