VCC Magazine Fall-Winter 20-21

V irginia C apitol C onnections , F all 2020/W inter 2021 15 V IRGINIA D EPARTMENT OF S MALL B USINESS AND S UPPLIER D IVERSITY M ore than 97% of Virginia’s businesses are small . We are your economic development agency , helping you grow and prosper through increased revenue and job creation . What we offer… • Virginia Small Business Financing Authority providing access to capital; • Business Development and Outreach providing education and outreach to assist small businesses with strategic growth and development; • Certifications to enhance procurement opportunities for SWaM and DBE qualified businesses. For further information about services offered, please visit us at www.sbsd.virginia.gov or call (804) 786-6585 Virginia Helps Transitioning Service Members Find Civilian Jobs By Kathy Owens, Thurraya Kent, and Victor Angry The three of us share many things in common. As with nearly one in 12 of our fellow Virginia citizens, we are military veterans. We also share the pride of serving on Virginia’s Board of Veterans Services. This gives us the opportunity to offer our views and opinions to help the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (VDVS) better serve the over 721,000 veterans and their families that call the Commonwealth their home. Virginia’s veterans are a major state resource—from their contributions to our economy in the private and public sectors and in their participation as community volunteers. As these men and women leave active duty, it is important that we do all we can to help them put the skills and training they learned in service to work in the civilian workforce. The Commonwealth leads the nation in assisting transitioning service members in helping and counseling them to take the path that works best for each of them to be successful as they start their new journey. Three uniqueVDVS programs designed to do this are the Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Program, a public-private partnership between more than 2,000 employers statewide who are committed to hiring veterans; the Virginia Transition Assistance Program (VTAP); and the Military Medics and Corpsman (MMAC) Program, which helps place veterans with medical training in jobs with civilian health care providers. Nothing pleases veterans like us more than sharing each of our personal transitioning stories and offering advice to other veterans and transitioning service members. Two of us are US Navy veterans— Kathy Owens piloted aircraft, and Thurraya Kent was a PAO (Public Affairs Officer). Victor Angry is an Army veteran who specialized in logistics. Today, Kathy is a retired commercial airline pilot and successful commercial real estate development business owner, and Thurraya owns a home-style catering and event planning business. Victor teaches motivational leadership, is a volunteer firefighter and serves on the Prince William County Board of Supervisors. Here are our stories and perspectives: Kathy Owens VTAP has built a successful partnershipwith theVirginiaChamber Foundation and V3 employers to hold Hire VETS Now networking events on military bases throughout the state and, during COVID restrictions, as online virtual events. These events have resulted in the hiring of hundreds of transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses. VTAP is always looking for innovative ways to connect job seekers with the top employers throughout the state. With one of the largest populations of women veterans, Virginia has also been a leader in recognizing the unique challenges transitioning women service members face. VDVS hosts an annual Virginia Women Veterans Summit. As a speaker at the 2017 Summit, See Virginia Helps Transitioning Service Members Find Civilian Jobs, continued on page 16 kent angry owens