Sunday, January 1, 2012

Weekly News & Agenda for Tuesday, 1/3/12

1. AGENDA FOR TUESDAY, 1/3/12:

0700-0730: INTRODUCTIONS & ASSISTANCE
We begin with individual introductions and discussion of any networking needs. Share as much or as little as you'd like on what's going in your world lately. If you have networking needs, chances are good that someone in the group will be able to make a referral, provide contacts, or offer advice.

0730-0800: PROGRAM

Annual White Elephant Gift Exchange. Join us for this fun BizNet tradition to kick off another year. Bring an unwanted (but wrapped) gift to unload on a fellow grad. We'll put all the gifts on the table, then follow a well-honed selection procedure. No worries if you forget to bring a gift -- please join us anyway, as we always have a few extra gifts to share. Typically there are a few rather nice gifts in the mix too, not just gag gifts.

2. TUESDAY PROGRAM SCHEDULE:

1/3/12 (this week): Annual White Elephant Gift Exchange.

1/10/12: TBD/Open Forum. If there's a speaker you'd like to invite, or if you'd like to lead a discussion yourself, just let me know (panicciaj@aol.com).

3. FOLLOW-UP ON RECENT DISCUSSIONS - JOB ASSISTANCE FOR EXITING SERVICE MEMBERS:

Thanks for your many great ideas, emails, and discussions on how we might help enlisted servicemembers with civilian job placement. While the need is not new, there has been heightened focus on the high unemployment rate among post-9/11 veterans and a related directive for commanders to assist their departing servicemembers with civilian job placement.

Some common themes and progress from our discussions thus far:

A. BizNet and/or the academy grad associations are in a position to help.
B. That help needs to be something sustainable, not a labor-intensive process that demands time which most of us realistically don't have.
C. There are existing programs to help with this, so we need not duplicate those efforts, but rather complement or supplement them.
D. Many of the existing programs are either nationally-based and very broad, or very base-specific with limited reach. Our efforts should be more locally focused, meaning the greater Denver-Colorado Springs-Front Range area.
E. The most prevalent suggestion, and perhaps most sustainable, is to establish a simple database to which commanders could submit their members' resumes, and to which grad-connected employers could subscribe to search or receive some kind of periodic notification of matches with their needs. This idea requires one or more individuals to get it off the ground. Once established, it should be sustainable with minimal ongoing effort. However, we have not yet identified anyone to do that. Our recent Tuesday speaker on this topic, CSM Bill Woods, who is president of local chapter of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), has indicated a possibility that the AUSA might be able to provide some kind of staff for this. That remains under consideration, but we also welcome any interest any of you might have in helping with this.


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Happy New Year!

Joe Paniccia (USMA '84)
BizNet Coordinator
panicciaj@aol.com

Service Academy BizNet of Denver meets weekly on Tuesdays at 0700, in the Marriott Hotel at the Denver Tech Center. From I-25, exit Belleview east, then turn north onto Syracuse Street. While the Marriott lots are paid parking (approx $2-4), you can park for FREE across the street at Garcia's Restaurant (we have their permission). Look for us in the seating area inside the Marriott's coffee shop. RSVP is not required. Dress is casual. Attendance is open to graduates of the federal service academies (USAFA, USCGA, USMA, USMMA, USNA). Our schedule, roster and other information are posted on the web site at www.academybiznet.org

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