Newswise — The Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University (IVMF) is pleased to announce that USAA will join as a corporate two star partner in support of the institute's programs for veterans and military families as, and after, they make the transition to post-service life.

"We are thrilled to welcome USAA as an IVMF Corporate Partner," says Mike Haynie, IVMF executive director and founder. "USAA has a long history of supporting military members, veterans, and their families. USAA is an exemplar for others in the private sector with regard to the association's commitment to veteran hiring, and we are proud to help them deliver on that commitment."

As an IVMF Corporate Partner, USAA will engage with the institute's subject matter experts, research fellows and coalition partners in support of IVMF initiatives impacting veterans and their family members. USAA's financial support, deep ties to the military and a progressive approach to veteran issues will assist in the growth of existing IVMF training, education, and employment programming and will seed development of new programs and research supporting veterans and their families.

"USAA is proud to join IVMF in its efforts to aid our military members and their families," said Dana Simmons, USAA executive vice president for Human Resources and retired Air Force brigadier general. "With our long-standing commitment to get more veterans hired into meaningful careers, we are always looking for innovative ways to help military members and their families successfully transition to the private sector. We believe the IVMF brings a unique level of expertise to our efforts to help veterans and military spouses achieve their full potential when they decide to rejoin the civilian workforce."

IVMF's recent work with the George W. Bush Institute, presented in part at the recent Military Service Initiative Summit, "Empowering Our Nation's Warriors," represents one of the most comprehensive studies ever conducted of post-9/11 veterans. Studies like this will help USAA and other corporate partners get more veterans hired. President Bush called Syracuse University's IVMF a "vital program" serving our nation's veterans and their families.

"We're excited to announce this partnership," said James Schmeling, IVMF managing director and co-founder, "and we're looking forward to announcing the specific activities we will undertake with USAA's support in the coming months. Corporate partnerships support IVMF's mission to carry out our ground-breaking initiatives, focusing on specific issues important to our partners and bringing benefits to our veterans and their families."

Planned work includes a focus on employment, IT supply chain diversity, and call center operations, building on unique expertise IVMF has established in the Veterans Career Transition Program in IT, Operations, HR, and career transition for veterans and spouses.

For information on partnership opportunities with the IVMF, contact Raymond Toenniessen, IVMF director of new initiatives and external relations, at (315) 443-0256 or [email protected]; for collaboration related to employment, training, and career transition, contact James Schmeling at 315-443-2937 or at [email protected].