Operation Vital Crosswalk Bridges the Work Gap for Veterans
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STEUBENVILLE -- Bill Johnson’s response to a question from Steubenville Mayor Ralph Petrella Thursday night was delivered in a very straight-forward fashion.
“You’re here -- and that’s step No. 1,” Johnson said after Petrella asked what city government could do to help men and women who were looking to transition into the civilian workforce after their military service had ended.
Johnson, the president of Youngstown State University, took the question from the mayor while speaking as part of Operation Vital Crosswalk. Presented by the Warriors Art Project and other sponsors, the event was designed to bring veterans, their families, employers and service providers together in a setting where they could discuss available options.
“Give these guys a chance -- whether it’s chamber of commerce events or Rotary events of whatever it is, highlight these men and women,” Johnson said while speaking in Founders Hall at YSU-Steubenville.
“Let the community know, because everybody says they can’t find workers,” he added. “Military folks know several things. They know how to get up on time, they know how to show up for work on time, they know how to put in a full day’s work, and they accomplish what you hire them to do. What more can you ask for? You are getting a premium employee when you hire someone who has worn the uniform.”
Kristine Stanley, the founder of the Canton-based Warriors Art Project, explained that building those connections is something that Operation Crosswalk is all about. Veterans, she said, can often find returning to civilian life to be challenging.
“Veterans often struggle a little bit with that transition, and small business isn’t one of the pillars that’s offered,” she said. “It’s usually go to school, get a government job and figure something out. But small business is a great fit, so we are providing an opportunity to have that discussion.”
Like Johnson, Stanley is an Air Force veteran, having served for 24 years. The nonprofit art project, which helps veterans through art, is making a difference, she said.
“I spend a lot of time in the veteran nonprofit world, helping either women veterans or homeless veterans and a lot in mental health,” she said. “We all know that employment is a big piece of that. Sometimes a traditional job doesn’t really work out, but you have your own business to make your own money and support your family.”
Among the organizations who set up tables around the room was the Jefferson County Veterans Service Commission. Dan Wilson and Martin Dalton, commissioners on the board, said ensuring veterans and their families know about the services available to them is crucial.
“An event like this provides veterans who are looking to start a business with information about the resources we have in the area to actually help them out,” Wilson, an Air Force veteran, said.
Wilson is familiar with numerous options for help through his job as workforce specialist with Ohio Means Jobs.
“Veterans bring a variety of skills back to their homes whenever they come back,” Wilson said. “An event like this gives them a sense that we have stuff here that they thought was only available in the big cities. We have support here in Jefferson County, and we have people who know how to connect people.”
Dalton served in the Navy from 1962 to 1966, during the Vietnam War. He said while there are resources available, one of the biggest problems he sees is that veterans don’t always find ways to access them.
“The big thing for veterans is to get out and find what is available in their area that they need,” he said.
Available resources are far different from what he found when he left the service.
“We had no one to turn to and ask where to go. If your neighbor didn’t know, then you probably didn’t know,” Dalton explained. “Obviously, things have come a long way.”
Johnson admitted he was not comfortable when he was faced with retiring from the service at the rank of lieutenant colonel. He found it to be a big challenge.
“I was more scared when I got out of the Air Force than when I got in, and I was scared enough when I got in,” he explained. “I had absolutely no clue about how to transition from the uniform to civilian life. I just thought it was going to be automatic -- I served my country for nearly 27 years, and I thought everybody was going to be lined up and holding a sign that said, ‘Hey, Bill Johnson -- turn in here, we’ve got a job for you.’
“I found out, back when I first got out, that many people were intimidated by the work ethic of officers in the military. You would oftentimes get blackballed when you went for a leadership position because they knew what you were capable of,” Johnson added. “The people who were making the selections didn’t want that type of competition because they knew you were going to outshine them pretty quickly.”
After starting his own company, he ended up in Northern Ohio -- Warren -- as the chief information officer of a global manufacturing company before running for the U.S. House seat he would hold for more than 13 years. When he became the YSU president, he said it was the sixth major career move he had made -- and, as he said he has told his co-workers, “I’ve never gotten a job where I knew what I was doing on the first day. I figured I learned pretty quick, because I pay attention and I believe in working hard.
“I think things have gone pretty well,” he continued. “I love what I do, and I love working with these guys and the rest of the team at YSU. I don’t have a lot of notes with specific instructions on how to get your career under your feet, but I will tell you that it has a lot to do with persistence and a belief in yourself.”
Thursday’s presentation was the third in a series that started in April in Youngstown and continued in July in Kent. A fourth presentation will be held in January.
Helping to sponsor the event were the Ohio Apex Accelerator at Youngstown State, Todd Packer and Associates, Axess Family Services, Syzygyst, the Professional Veteran and the Kent State University research faculty.