Ashley Bethea | 2026 Woman Veteran of the Year
Sometimes rebuilding begins with asking for help. In this powerful and deeply personal story, Ashley Bethea shares her journey through military service, motherhood, loss, resilience, and ultimately finding hope again during one of the hardest seasons of her life. 🎖️ Award: Woman Veteran of the Year 🏅 Honoree: Ashley Bethea 🎤 Event: 2026 Empowerment Gala, Hire Heroes USA 📍 Location: Atlanta, GA Raised in Dillon, South Carolina, Ashley grew up surrounded by family, faith, and community — values that would continue to guide her throughout her 22 years of service in the United States Air Force. Just as retirement approached, Ashley and her family faced unimaginable tragedy. After enduring the loss of her son and later surviving a devastating house fire that left her family with almost nothing, Ashley found herself navigating military transition while trying to hold her family together. Through Hire Heroes USA, Ashley found not only career support, but people willing to walk beside her during a season of rebuilding. From interview clothing and a replacement laptop to personalized career coaching and resume support from her career advisor Allison, Ashley received the tools and encouragement she needed to move forward with confidence. Not long after, she landed a new career opportunity — a moment that reminded her that purpose was still ahead of her. Today, Ashley continues to lead with strength, grit, and compassion, using her story to encourage other transitioning service members and veterans who may be facing uncertainty of their own.
Terry Weinberger| 2026 Volunteer of the Year
For more than a decade, Terry has faithfully lived those words through his volunteer service with Hire Heroes USA — helping veterans and transitioning service members navigate some of the most important moments of their civilian careers. 🎖️ Award: Volunteer of the Year 🏅 Honoree: Terry Weinberger 🎤 Event: 2026 Empowerment Gala, Hire Heroes USA 📍 Location: Atlanta, GA Inspired by generations of military service within his own family, including his son Chad’s 23-year Navy career, Terry began volunteering with Hire Heroes USA shortly after retirement. What started as a single workshop opportunity became years of mentorship, encouragement, and one-on-one support for veterans across the country. Before every session, Terry begins the same way: “You have a story, and I’d like to hear your story.” Through resume reviews, career conversations, interview preparation, and ongoing encouragement, Terry has helped countless veterans recognize the value of their lived experiences and translate their military service into meaningful civilian careers. His story is a powerful reminder that career transition is not something veterans should navigate alone — and that sometimes the most meaningful impact begins simply by listening.
Amy Bonnar | 2026 Military Spouse of the Year
Community can change everything — especially when you’re trying to rediscover yourself. In this deeply personal story, Amy Bonnar shares her journey through military spouse life, career transition, loneliness, and ultimately finding renewed purpose through connection and support. 🎖️ Award: Military Spouse of the Year 🏅 Honoree: Amy Bonnar 🎤 Event: 2026 Empowerment Gala, Hire Heroes USA 📍 Location: Atlanta, GA After years of building a life alongside her husband’s military service, Amy reached a season of uncertainty as retirement approached. Feeling lost and unsure of what came next, she began searching for help for military spouses — and found Hire Heroes USA. With the support of her career coach, Beth, Amy began rebuilding her confidence, exploring new possibilities, and reconnecting with the parts of herself she had set aside for years. What started with a simple LinkedIn post reaching out to other military spouses looking for community soon opened unexpected doors — leading Amy to a meaningful career with American Corporate Partners (ACP), where she now helps other military spouses and veterans navigate their own career journeys. Today, Amy serves as a Senior Operations Associate at ACP, combining her lived experience, heart for service, and growing project management expertise to support others who are searching for connection, purpose, and belonging after military life transitions.
Kente Bailey| 2026 Junior Enlisted Veteran of the Year
The best time to start building your future is right now. In this inspiring story, Kente Bailey shares his journey from joining the U.S. Air Force straight out of high school to navigating military transition and building a new career in technology. 🎖️ Award: Junior Enlisted Veteran of the Year 🏅 Honoree: Kente Bailey 🎤 Event: 2026 Empowerment Gala, Hire Heroes USA 📍 Location: Atlanta, GA After serving as both an air traffic controller and military flight attendant, Kente developed skills in communication, coordination, adaptability, and leadership — experiences that shaped the next chapter of his career journey. As he prepared to transition out of the military, Kente turned to Hire Heroes USA for guidance and support. With help from his career advisor, Madison, he gained the confidence and direction needed to pursue a career in IT — combining his longtime passion for technology with a new opportunity to build the life he envisioned after service. Today, Kente is thriving in a hybrid technology role and continuing to grow the skills and passions that first sparked his interest years ago.
Jason | 2026 Client of the Year
Sometimes a second chance can change everything. In this deeply personal story, Jason shares his journey through military service, mental health struggles, addiction, recovery, and rebuilding his life after believing his future had been lost. 🎖️ Award: Client of the Year 🏅 Honoree: Jason 🎤 Event: 2026 Empowerment Gala, Hire Heroes USA 📍 Location: Atlanta, GA After joining the Marines with dreams of serving a full career, Jason’s path changed unexpectedly following a mental health crisis that ended his military service early. Struggling to rediscover purpose and identity outside the military, he faced years of depression, addiction, and moments where hope felt out of reach. Through the VA’s vocational rehabilitation program and the support of Hire Heroes USA, Jason found an opportunity to begin again. With guidance from his career advisor, Cynthia, mock interview preparation, and encouragement from a community of fellow veterans, Jason slowly rebuilt his confidence and started moving forward — one step at a time. Today, Jason’s story is a powerful reminder that healing is not linear, progress takes courage, and no veteran should have to navigate life after service alone.
Tailored Brands | 2026 Partner of the Year
For 10 years, Tailored Brands has stood alongside Hire Heroes USA in a shared mission: helping veterans, military spouses, and transitioning service members build meaningful civilian careers. In this special Partner of the Year spotlight, leaders from Tailored Brands reflect on a decade of impact — from supporting career readiness and professional confidence to empowering military families through long-term partnership and community investment. What began as corporate giving evolved into something deeper: a partnership rooted in service, purpose, and opportunity. 🎖️ Award: Partner of the Year 🏅 Honoree: Tailored Brands 🎤 Event: 2026 Empowerment Gala, Hire Heroes USA 📍 Location: Atlanta, GA Through initiatives like Threads of Valor, support of Hire Heroes USA programs, executive leadership involvement, mentorship, and employee engagement, Tailored Brands has helped expand access to personalized career coaching and employment support for the military community nationwide.
Call of Duty Endowment | 2026 Community Impact
Behind every veteran employment statistic is a real person, a real family, and a future being rebuilt. In this special Community Impact Award spotlight, Dan Goldenberg, President of the Call of Duty Endowment (C.O.D.E.), shares the mission that has guided the organization’s work for nearly two decades: helping veterans secure meaningful, high-quality careers after military service. By investing in proven veteran employment organizations like Hire Heroes USA, C.O.D.E. continues to create lasting impact for veterans, military families, and communities across the country. 🎖️ Award: Community Impact 🏅 Honoree: Dan Goldenberg, Call of Duty Endowment 🎤 Event: 2026 Empowerment Gala, Hire Heroes USA 📍 Location: Atlanta, GA Founded in 2007 by Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, the Call of Duty Endowment was built on a different approach to veteran support — one focused on measurable impact, accountability, and long-term employment outcomes for veterans and their families. Through its Seal of Distinction program, the Endowment invests in high-performing nonprofit organizations delivering meaningful career results for transitioning service members and veterans, including Hire Heroes USA. Together, Hire Heroes USA and the Call of Duty Endowment have helped place more than 48,000 veterans into meaningful civilian careers — generating more than $3.3 billion in economic impact for veterans and military families nationwide.