Course curriculum

    1. Introduction

    2. Gaining Approval

    3. Laying the Foundation

    4. Building Your Program

    5. Additional Resources

    1. Evaluation

About this course

  • Free
  • 6 lessons
  • 1 hour of video content

Subject Matter Experts

Wendi Safstrom

Executive Director, Society for Human Resource Management Foundation

Wendi Safstrom is a senior non-profit leader committed to serving the public through philanthropic program management, cultivating strategic partnerships and managing and developing high performing teams. Ms. Safstrom has both association and nonprofit management experience including; national program development and administration, membership strategy, marketing and product development, grant management, development and donor stewardship, and leading cross functional teams. Ms. Safstrom currently serves as Executive Director for the Society for Human Resource Management Foundation (SHRM Foundation), where she leads the development and implementation of SHRM Foundation’s programmatic, development, and marketing and communication strategies in support of SHRM Foundation’s new mission and vision, creating growth plans and ensuring alignment with SHRM goals.

Beth Conlin

Senior Program Manager for Military Spouse Programs, Amazon

Beth recently started her journey with amazon when a year’s long passion collided with a professional opportunity of a lifetime. An Army spouse, Beth has been working to improve employment opportunities for military spouses since an overseas move in 2013 forced her to quit her job, putting both her professional development and family stability at risk. Initially, Beth started working on the unemployment crisis for military spouse alone from Germany. From educating employers, recruiting spouses, and directly placing spouses into long term careers, Beth has intimate working knowledge of the obstacles and has developed solutions to help reduce employment challenges. Recognized as a subject matter expert she has contributed to panel discussions, authored op-eds, and been called on to support various members of Congress with military spouse initiatives. Now at Amazon, Beth is working to connect this untapped talent pool to the workforce inside Amazon as well as build strategic partnerships that will elevate the impacts this group has and ultimately end the recession our military spouses face.

James Beamesderfer

Vice President, Veterans Programs, Prudential Financial, Inc.

Jim Beamesderfer is vice president, Veterans Initiatives and heads the Prudential Veterans Initiatives Office. He is responsible for the company’s external and internal veterans programs, which includes supporting Diversity and Inclusion activities, implementing the communications strategy and overseeing philanthropic activity in coordination with internal business partners. In addition, he oversees the VETalent program that in partnership with the nonprofit organization Workforce Opportunity Services, recruits, trains and hires Iraq and Afghanistan-era military veterans and military spouses. Beamesderfer has been a driving force behind the development of the company’s military spouse employment program and was recently appointed as the Co-Chair of the US Chamber of Commerce Hiring Our Hereos Military Spouse Employment Advisory Council. He also plays a key role in expanding the VETalent program and other Military Talent employment programs to other companies.

Laura Schmiegel

Head of Military and Veteran Affairs, Booz Allen Hamilton

Laura Schmiegel is Head of Military and Veteran Affairs at Booz Allen Hamilton, where she is responsible for all aspects of the firm’s military partnership strategy and for advising the firm’s military recruiting, diversity and government relations teams. Prior to Booz Allen, Laura had a career in military nonprofits. She was a founding member and later Chairman of the Board at Blue Star Families, she created and directed the military spouse program at Hiring Our Heroes and served as a regional director for The Mission Continues. Her writing has been published in the Washington Post and the Christian Science Monitor. Laura lives in Arlington with her husband Kevin Schmiegel (USMA Ret.) and children. Beamesderfer has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix. He also earned the Project Management Professional designation. Beamesderfer is an active member of the Rutgers Business School Military and Veteran Advisory Board.