Col. Adam Rocke
President, Client Relations
Katie’s Way Plus 

Matthew R. Mahoney
Executive Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Development, Tunnel to Towers Foundation

Julian Purdy
Former Army NCO and Deputy Assistant Secretary,
U.S. Department of Labor

Daniel Donlon
Senior Advisor, Global Marketing
Indeed

Sgt. Sarah Lee
Founder, Waypoint Vets

Joe Marino
US Army Air Defense Officer
Executive Director, Veterans Florida

Adam Rocke is a retired Army Colonel and career Infantryman who was a Special Assistant to the Army Chief of Staff and Director of the Soldier for Life Program. In this capacity, he led the U.S. Army’s effort to create a network of enablers to connect Soldiers, Veterans, and families with employment, education, and the well-being required to successfully reintegrate into civilian society. Throughout his distinguished military career, Adam served in various infantry and special operations units from Platoon to Brigade, including the Army Staff and Joint Staff. He also deployed overseas numerous times to support the Global War on Terror. In his civilian career, Adam continued his mission to assist service members and their families as the Senior Director of Engagements at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Hiring Our Heroes program. Before this, Adam was the Managing Director of NS2 Serves, a non-profit providing high-demand IT training for our veterans and transitioning service members. Previously, he was the Vice President of Veterans Affairs at FASTPORT Inc., a digital technology company assisting veterans and military spouses with services that supported meaningful employment opportunities. Adam is a staunch advocate for Veterans and their families and serves on the Board of Trustees at Home Builders Institute (HBI), as well as serving as the Chairman of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Retired Soldier and Veterans Affairs Committee and as an AUSA Leadership Fellow, along with the American Legion Innovation Task Force on Veterans Employment and Training, the George W. Bush Institute Task Force on Higher Education, the executive committee of the Feherty’s Troops First Foundation - “Warrior Call” initiative, The Warrior’s Journey Advisory Board, and Katie’s Way Military Advisory Board.

Matthew Mahoney is the Executive Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Development for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Mr. Mahoney is uniquely suited for this position due to the service he provided the City of New York and the United States during and after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He was at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, serving as the Deputy Director of the Mayor’s Office of the City of New York. After September 11, 2001, he coordinated the visits of foreign heads of state, United States government officials and other dignitaries to Ground Zero. He was also tasked with attending cabinet meetings and briefings at the City’s Emergency Operations Center as a member of the Mayor’s Executive Staff. Since that time, and prior to joining Tunnel to Towers full time, Matthew Mahoney has worked in various capacities serving in and out of government. First serving the Associate Commissioner for Public Affairs, at the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) relations later as the Vice President of External Affairs for SUEZ, North America. While at the Department of Environmental Protection, Matthew was appointed by Mayor Bloomberg as the community restoration director for Manhattan in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. Mayor Bloomberg once referred to Mr. Mahoney as one of the "seasoned, high-level managers in our administration that I have enormous confidence in” Mayor Bloomberg gave Matthew the task of spearheading relief for the immediate human needs of people recovering from Sandy’s effects. Prior to being appointed to DEP, he was a senior advisor to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s reelection campaign, helping to steer the Mayor towards a historic third term. Previously, Mr. Mahoney was the Executive Director of the New York State Senate Republican Committee, based in Albany, New York, overseeing the efforts of Republican Senators in the legislature. Matthew is a veteran of three US Presidential campaigns as well as countless federal, state and local elections. He has been a guest lecturer at John F. Kennedy School at Harvard University, is a published author and producer of both live concert and television productions and has chosen to dedicate his time to philanthropic work with first responders, Gold Star families, our most seriously wounded service members, and our at risk veteran community.

A Senior Talent Advisor for Indeed and Glassdoor, Daniel Donlon works with Fortune 500 companies to strategize on attracting, hiring and retaining top talent.

He started the Indeed for Military team 7 years ago and does monthly webinars with Hiring Our Heroes to help transitioning members find employment opportunities.

SGT Sarah Lee is an Army OIF Combat Veteran and Founder of Waypoint Vets. She enlisted at age 17, served for 8 years, and was honorably discharged in 2009. At age 20, SGT Lee deployed to Iraq in 2004 for12 months with the 216th Combat Engineers under the 1st Infantry Division, and with the 612th Combat Engineers to Panama, Central America in 2002. Sarah is a Life Member of AMVETS (Post 1776), the VFW (8422) and MOC (Pup Tent 5), the American Legion (Post 88), the Society of the 1st Infantry Division, and a full patch member of both the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association (18-1), and Rolling Thunder Inc (TN-1). In 2018, Lee completed a 4,010 mile self-supported cycling journey across America named A Vicious Cycle. The level of healing, clarity, and kindness she experienced while immersed in our beautiful nation was unexpected and lifesaving. The combination of physical and mental intensity while surrounded by life resulted in a complete transformation and inspired her next chapter. Sarah is adamant about making a difference for her community. "While the war inside is very different from the wars we were trained to win, we must Honor our Fallen by Living, and by taking back our health and happiness - together."

Joe Marino is a West Point graduate and former US Army officer. During his time in the Army, he was a commissioned Air Defense Artillery Officer. Following his military service, Joe spent eight years working for the State of Florida in various capacities. Joe has been active in Florida Legislative policy regarding military, veteran and defense economic development issues since 2002. From 2002 to 2006, he also worked as a legislative analyst on the Florida House of Representatives Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. From 2006 to 2008, he was Deputy Legislative Affairs Director for the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, advocating for Veterans issues and the departmental budget. From 2008 to 2010, he was the Governor’s Office liaison to the state’s military installations and communities. Prior to his time with the State of Florida, Joe was a recruiter assisting separating military officers find employment with Fortune 500 companies. Joe founded a trade association in 2010 for Florida defense businesses working to improve their business climate in Florida and to connect defense businesses for opportunities all across the state.

Julian Purdy is honored and proud to serve as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Policy of Veterans' Employment and Training Service in the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Julian has over 12 years of service working for and in the federal government. As a former Army NCO, he is truly dedicated to public service and to the betterment of our nation's heroes. Prior to his appointment by the Biden Harris Administration to DOL, Julian served as a Professional Staff Member on the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. On the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Julian was responsible for conceptualizing, drafting, and analyzing legislation related to military transition, employment, education, vocational training, home loans, and homelessness. During his tenure, he was one of the leading contributors for H.R. 7105, the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020, which increases protections for student veterans, expands benefits for homeless veterans, and mitigates the impact of COVID-19 on veterans. Julian built his acumen for veteran’s issues while serving as a Legislative Assistant in the Office of Rep. Adam Smith, where he worked on a wide range of domestic policies. He began his career on Capitol Hill through two programs that bolstered his desire to improve the lives of his fellow Americans through legislation: the Chief Administrative Officer of the U.S. House of Representatives' Wounded Warrior Fellowship Program and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Legislative Internship Program. Before working in the Legislative Branch, he served in the U.S. Army Reserve for eight years. Julian hails from Northern Virginia and holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in International Business from Bethune-Cookman University.

ABOUT THE LAB

The Spark Change Lab is an interactive accelerated learning experience that brings together companies and experts to tackle business issues in real time and generate immediate and actionable solutions that will drive positive change within the supply chain. By taking an outside-the-box approach emphasizing people, inspiration, action, evolution, and community, the Lab sparks practical innovation and has a lasting ripple effect on bettering workplaces.

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