American Corporate Partners (ACP) A Mentorship that Matters

By Amy Meehan

American Corporate Partners (ACP) is a national nonprofit organization focused on helping returning veterans, veterans who have transitioned out of the military and active-duty spouses find their next careers through one-onone mentoring, networking and online career advice.

According to the Department of Labor, approximately 200,000 men and women leave U.S. military service every year. ACP believes the biggest issue facing those transitioning service members is not unemployment – it’s underemployment. ACP focuses on helping veterans and active-duty spouses find meaningful employment opportunities and develop long-term careers and professional goals. To date, ACP has helped more than 20,000 veterans and active duty spouses through its mentoring program.

Post-9/11 veterans, active-duty spouses and eligible military spouses are referred to as Protégés, and the professionals that participate through their organization’s partnership with ACP are known as Mentors.

ACP focuses primarily on three groups: Post 9/11 veterans, women veterans and active duty spouses. An ACP mentorship is a yearlong commitment, which encourages Mentors and Protégés to connect for monthly discussions. ACP staff support the program with customized resources, training and suggestions, and helps the pair build a successful mentorship. It begins through a pairing process where ACP’s staff carefully selects a Mentor for each Protégé based on career compatibility, experience level, location and personal interests. Every Mentor and Protégé has a phone call with an ACP staff member to communicate and consider preferences. Most mentoring pairs are long-distance and communicate primarily through phone, videoconference and email exchanges.

ACP’s Veteran Protégés are post-9/11 service members and veterans at various stages of the transition process:

• Service members who are still serving on active duty and planning for an upcoming transition or retirement

• Recently separated veterans in the midst of a transition

• Veterans who separated years ago and are currently employed, but are looking to advance in a current civilian career

• Student veterans who are seeking advice from successful business leaders in the private sector

ACP Veteran Protégé Alum and JP Morgan Chase Software Engineer, Yang Zhou, said “ACP definitely helped me get the job I have now. I was lost and confused on how to start and didn’t have any prior experience in IT.

My Mentor really encouraged me and gave me detailed steps on how to get started and approach people with similar backgrounds.

His personal experiences in the corporate world made a difference and I also appreciated my ACP contact who stayed on top of our partnership, always sending me resources and touching base with me.”

Whether a veteran is actively searching for a new career or newly employed and looking for advice about how to be successful in their new role and advance, ACP’s customized program is designed to assist a veteran or active duty spouse on their path toward rewarding, meaningful employment.

Typical mentorship topics include:

• Résumé review and interview preparation

• Career exploration

• Work-life balance

• Networking

• Small business development

• Leadership and professional communication

With eight months to go before his official retirement, Army Sergeant Major (E-9) Bryan B applied to ACP in August of 2020. Soon after, he was paired with ACP Mentor James Wise, PMP from Amentum. After getting to know one another, Jim and Bryan rolled up their sleeves and got to work.

They explored careers in project management, discussed best PMP study practices, conducted countless mock interviews, overhauled Bryan’s resumé, and so much more. Their hard work paid off when Bryan accepted his “dream position” at Airbus Defence and Space and Bryan and Jim continue to meet and conquer workplace challenges as they arise.

ACP has more than 20,000 success stories like the ones Yang and Bryan experienced in their mentorships. You can see the impact be visiting www.acp-usa.org facebook.com/AmericanCorporatePartners linkedin.com/company/american-corporate-partners

Instagram.com/acp_usa

By Michelle Muniz www.sdsellhome.com

There are so many home improvement projects you can do, but which ones actually add value in the long run should you decide to sell in the future? The answers vary depending on current trends, but the Pandemic has taught us that some improvements are more widely valued than others.

The following home improvement projects statistically have the greatest return on investment:

1. Refinishing hardwood floors – 147%

2. New wood flooring – 118%

3. High efficiency windows – 105%

4. Upgrading insulation – 100%

5. Adding an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) – 100%

6. Converting unused spaces (basement or attic) into living areas) – 86%

7. Complete kitchen renovation – 75%

8. Bathroom renovation – 71%

9. Kitchen upgrade/New appliances – 63%

10. Bathroom addition – 61%

If these improvements are too hard on your wallet, consider small do-it-yourself updates that can instantly boost value:

1. Paint walls and/or cabinets

2. Update or install new lighting and/or plumbing fixtures

3. Uncover and refinish hardwood floors

4. Install new knobs and pulls

5. Clean or paint the exterior and tidy landscaping to improve curb appeal

Improvements that buyers may NOT want to pay more for include:

1. New pool installation

2. Solar panels

3. Garage conversion www.sdsellhome.com michelle@jmxinvestments.com

For more information on buying and selling your home, contact Michelle Muniz at michelle@jmxinvestments.com.

The San Diego Veterans Coalition was organized in 2009 and using the Collective Impact Model, SDVC is a premier San Diego County-wide monthly convener of over 160 unique member and participating organizations, businesses, and agencies. The Collective Impact Model is based on leveraging relationships with other veteran and family serving organizations so that we may provide veterans and their families with a complete array of services and other opportunities.

The purpose of the San Diego Veterans Coalition (SDVC) is to serve the needs of San Diego regional Veterans, their families and significant others. We intend to improve collaboration and coordination among community service providers so that delivery of services is more comprehensive and Veteran Family-centric.

The vision of the SDVC is to honor the nation’s commitment to veterans, their families and significant others by leading collaboration among all potential partners, making the San Diego region a national model for a comprehensive, integrated system of community services.

The SDVC is a catalyst that inspires collaboration and cooperation among service partners to deliver premier support for Veterans in the San Diego region.

At the SDVC we have found that collaboration is the key to addressing the needs of San Diego Veterans, their families and significant others. We have four Action Groups:

• Physical and Emotional Health Action Group (PEH)

• Family Life Action Group (FLAG)

• Veterans: Empowered, Successful, and Thriving Action Group (VEST)

• Education, Employment, Entrepreneurship Action Group (E3) www.sdvetscoalition.org

Through these Action Groups we are identifying gaps and creating measurable outcomes to resolve them. These groups are made up of our members and together we are working to strengthen our community.