CIT, a division of First Citizens Bank, introduces us to a program designed to help vets enter the workplace.
Our coverage of corporations that have done an outstanding job of supporting veterans, including HP, Ricoh, and U.S. Bank, has inspired readers to reach out to us about their own efforts to help veterans. One of the most impressive was CIT Business Capital, a division of First Citizens Bank, who didn’t tout what they do but introduced us to an organization known as Operation New Uniform (ONU).
We initially learned about what CIT was doing from Michael D’Errico, director office imaging group, CIT Business Capital, who reached out to CJ and me to share what they were doing to support veterans. He shared some of the reasons they were so pleased that it was helping many of their local veterans. In the beginning, CIT’s efforts were local, but today due to the support received from CIT and nonprofits such as Wounded Warriors, the program is expanding nationally.
As D’Errico explained it, ONU filled in an area that no one has totally focused on before, at least not in his experience or mine. The story starts with two dedicated people, Michele McManamon and her husband Pat. They owned and operated a successful sales management development firm that helped companies grow their businesses.
Michele decided to retire from their company in 2018 to run a nonprofit she co-founded with veteran Justin Justice in 2014. They named it Operation New Uniform. The company teaches veterans how to approach the marketplace and find jobs. In short order, they have done a remarkable job.
A total of more than 358 veterans have already graduated from this program that includes 15,000 veterans and their families. Ninety-seven percent of those graduates have found a job within four months of completing the ONU training program. Their average starting salary is $65,000.
This comprehensive training program takes veterans through an in-depth process that starts with challenging old ways of thinking, having the right attitude, and providing the successful behaviors and refined techniques critical to an effective career search. The program escalates through practical application until the final lesson when each veteran stands before local-area human resource representatives and senior executives ready to apply their skills.
This training program focuses solely on helping veterans make a successful transition from a military lifestyle into the civilian way of life. The name of Operation New Uniform dramatizes the swapping of a military uniform for a new one in the civilian world and making a successful transition.
When ONU was first detailed to us we were curious about Michele’s professional training skills and what the motivation was for wanting to volunteer those special talents to help veterans.
The McManamons operated a successful 20-year company that was an affiliate of Sandler Training, and their business was successful. According to Michele, she wanted to give back to the veterans residing in the Jacksonville area.
The McManamons started by offering workshops for veterans to teach them how to sell themselves when being interviewed for a job. What stunned Michele was when they invited veterans to attend a local business networking event only one of them who was transitioning to civilian employment showed up.
It was apparent to Michele that they were uncomfortable and perhaps intimidated. Fortunately, she found one veteran who was willing to explain the problem. “Once we take off our uniform, people don’t treat us the same,” he told her. “We don’t get the same level of respect.”
It was apparent the McManamons did not fully understand the nature of the veterans’ problems when going through a transition to civilian life. They gave a year-long Sandler Training program scholarship to one of the veterans they met. It became clear that the tools and techniques Sandler taught them could be adapted to training veterans.
This ONU training program goes from three to six weeks and is free for veterans. Once a veteran goes through the program, they are encouraged to come back and discuss what problems or difficulties they may be having. The program estimates it costs $5,000 to train a vet. This money is raised through non-profits and businesses that want to help vets. Wounded Warriors is an example of one of the veteran groups that supports ONU.
In doing our own background research, we found a 2018 article by Beth Cravey in the Florida Times that quoted the co-founder Justin Justice:
“Michele and I founded Operation New Uniform together in late 2014 with $100 in a bank account. At the time, I was an unemployed, frustrated, career-seeking veteran and she was a successful business owner who seemed to know everyone in our community,” Justice said. “We met while she was donating her time to help a room full of veterans grow confidence in themselves, and I was fortunate enough to be one of those veterans. Helping fellow veterans was a privilege,” he said, and he committed to continuing his support of the nonprofit.
When Justice departed in March 2018, Michele was on the board of directors. Her fellow board members asked her to take over running the nonprofit. She had the training expertise from Sandler, as well as experience running a community organization from her 2016 stint as chairwoman of The Players Championship and ongoing volunteer work for the event’s charitable program. And she was already passionate about the ONU mission.
She continues to do the job, and one of her biggest supporters, CIT, a division of First Citizens Bank, is excited and cannot wait to hire the next veteran coming out of training. Our hope is that the document imaging technology industry will embrace this charity because it is a solution for helping vets get jobs.
“Because CIT Business Capital is a premier lender and preferred employer, we look for personnel that demonstrate agility, resilience and attention to detail,” said D’Errico. “And that’s exactly what we get from the graduates of Operation New Uniform, which does an awesome job of helping veterans transition from the world of military service to the private sector. We know because we’ve hired ONU graduates and would not hesitate to do so again as opportunities arise.”
Please feel free to reach out to Michele with any questions you may have about ONU. We encourage you to do your own research as we did. You will find some interesting information about veterans who have gone through the program. This is just one more opportunity to help vets where they need it to most.
If you believe as we do that this is a charity worthy of your support, you can reach Michele at:
Operation New Uniform
8825 Perimeter Park Blvd
Jacksonville, FL 32216
Phone: (904) 328-1600
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