Member Webinar: Veterans Day 2024

Richard Brookshire is a multi-hyphenate storyteller and reparationist working at the intersection of politics and culture. A nationally recognized political communications strategist known for creating impactful social campaigns, Richard is also a former U.S. Army Combat Medic and veteran of the War in Afghanistan. He is the co-founder and CEO of the Black Veterans Project – an organization driving legal strategies, research, public education and multi-media storytelling to make reparations for Black veterans and their families real.

Richard’s writing has been featured in TheGrio, The Root, and AfroPunk, and his commentary and work have been highlighted by The New York Times, The Washington Post, PBS Newshour, CNN, NBC News, NPR, and the Southern Poverty Law Center. He holds an MPA in Urban and Social Policy from Columbia University’s School of International & Public Affairs and a BA in Political Science from Fordham University. He spent his freshman year at Morehouse College before enlisting in the military.

Recognized as ‘One to Watch’ by The Haitian Roundtable in 2017, named one of Native Son’s 101 ‘Black Gay Men Who Make An Impact’ in 2020, he is the recipient of the 2022 Veterans Justice Award by Senator Richard Blumenthal and the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center and the 2024 Unsung Hero Award by Black Veterans for Social Justice. Richard is currently Creative Producer for ‘Just Call Me Lucki,’ a forthcoming documentary about a soldier’s attempt to stop the worst military intelligence failure in American history, selected as a finalist for The Stay Indie Project. He resides in Washington D.C.

For over 25 years in national and global sales, Kendra has exceled at building and managing relationships across matrixed organizations. Throughout her career, she has earned credibility by deeply understanding her customers’ headwinds and the complex solutions to solve for those challenges, becoming a trusted resource for customers and colleagues alike. 

As a board member of Wesco’s Veterans Opportunity Liaison Team (VOLT) BRG, she contributes to fostering inclusivity and supporting the veteran community that she cares deeply about.  Kendra and the VOLT Community Outreach subcommittee pioneered Wesco’s first suicide prevention summit this year, a significant milestone in our commitment to mental health.  

Maggie joined the Wells Fargo team in June of 2021 as the Head of Military Talent Events & Programs, responsible for all high-volume veteran and military spouse hiring programs and brought with her 20+ years of financial services experience and a lived understanding of the military lifestyle and its unique challenges.  

Prior to joining The Stagecoach, Maggie worked for USAA for 18 years.  In her final role she served as the Chief of Staff as a Strategy & Planning Director on the Small Business Insurance (SBI) Team. Prior to her service in SBI she served as a Military Relationship Director on USAA’s Military Affairs team, responsible for managing all external Military Spouse & Family Advocacy relationships/sponsorships with several key external organizations. 

 Earlier in her financial services career, Maggie managed USAA’s Lobby Operations in the Federal Savings Bank; also managed call center operations for Deposit Servicing and started her USAA journey as a Senior Billing Specialist in Property & Casualty.  

Prior to joining USAA, Maggie held various corporate roles and was also an entrepreneur.  Maggie holds a BA in Communications, has attained numerous training certificates and SHRM certifications, holds a Texas Property & Casualty License, is a Certified Project Manager and holds an RCC Coaching Designation. 

Jon Snider currently serves as the Director, Engagement and Workplace Programs at HCA Healthcare, responsible for the strategic direction and impact of colleague diversity programming to include talent attraction, colleague engagement and resource groups, and development programs. Jon joined HCA Healthcare in 2016 and has led and supported many major milestones in business lines such as: Graduate Medical Education, Clinical Operations Group, and, most recently, leading the Military Affairs program from April 2022 – September 2024. Jon was selected as one of MilitaryFriendly® 2024 Veteran Advocate of the Year in Corporate America. He holds a master’s of science in healthcare quality and safety from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and in 2021, Jon graduated from the American Medical Association’s Health Systems Science Scholars Program as the only non-doctoral trained participant. Jon is a proud U.S. Army veteran and devotes his time giving back to the transitioning military community.