Five Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program Scholars are behind the initiative
Louisiana is turning to service member retention as part of an attempt to improve the state’s economy, workforce, and population declines, thanks to the work of a group of Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program Scholars.
Entrepreneur and veteran advocate Andrew Ward and Ben Armstrong, NextOp’s Director of Strategic Partnerships and Outreach, began considering how best to address an exodus of residents from Louisiana in recent years. This prompted questions like, “How do we keep our talent in the state?” and “What are we doing as a veteran community to improve Louisiana?”
They knew that veterans, service members, and their families were uniquely equipped to lead the state into more prosperous times through their economic power and commitment to community. So they started working on The Boot, an independent nonprofit, partnering with the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs (LDVA) via Secretary Charlton Meginley, a 2024 Veteran Leadership Program Scholar.
The Boot, which officially launched last month, is designed to “recruit, return, and retain military service members to Louisiana after their service concludes.” The goal is simple: to boost the state’s economy and become a more welcoming, thriving place for service members, veterans, and civilians alike.
“The more veterans you have in your communities, the stronger your communities will be, not just economically, but through the discipline, the sacrifice, and the service that veterans can bring,” Meginley said.
Ward and Armstrong found that about 85% of service members stationed at Louisiana’s largest military bases, Fort Johnson near Leesville and Barksdale Air Force Base near Shreveport, were leaving the state after completing their service. They’re trying to reduce that percentage of attrition and ultimately recruit, return, or retain 100 service members and their families in The Boot’s first year of operation.
It’s a big challenge, but one their time in the Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program helped prepare them for. This George W. Bush Institute initiative maximizes the impact of leaders who are working to improve outcomes for veterans and military families.
The Boot’s leadership team includes members of four different Veteran Leadership Program classes – all veterans who call Louisiana home. They know a thing or two about what the Pelican State has to offer, and they want to share it with those beginning their transition out of the military.
Powered by an investment from the State of Louisiana and several other public-private partnerships, The Boot is a mutually beneficial initiative that is well-positioned to meet its goals and help the state prosper.
The Boot’s Founder, Ward tapped into the robust, tight-knit Veteran Leadership Program alumni network to build the rest of the team. Ben Armstrong is now leading the nonprofit as CEO, Aaron Lawrence serves as General Counsel, Wade Franklin is the Head of Partnerships and Development, and Meginley provides strategic partnership and funding through the LDVA.
“It made sense to harness the talents of these people – Charlton, Aaron, Wade, and Ben – to be able to form up this team to take care of the things that we needed to do here in our state,” Ward said.
The Boot will reimagine the transition process for service members, taking them on all-expense-paid trips into Louisiana communities and introducing them to everything the cities and towns can provide. They’ll connect with employer partners, real estate and insurance brokers, chambers of commerce, and community leadership. They’ll tour colleges and universities. They’ll even immerse themselves in the cultural offerings of the state, from music festivals to the best restaurants and parks.
“We’re putting our arm around these transitioning service members and saying, `Come here. Let me show you our home,’” said Lawrence, The Boot’s General Counsel.
The Boot also aims to shift the narrative of service members transitioning out of the military to focus on the “economic and social power of these individuals as citizens,” rather than the idea that they’re lost or having difficulty figuring out how their skills can translate to civilian life.
The Department of Defense is “perhaps one of the best trainers in the world,” Meginley said. Retaining that talent for local communities is critical to improving “a state that desperately needs our veterans and service members.”
At its core, though, the organization aims to make the human connections we all crave, according to CEO Armstrong.
“We’re driving humans together to solve issues,” he said. “This is a really innovative and beneficial thing that we’re doing as a state. We’re making this investment in these service members because we understand their economic value and the investment they’ve made and will continue to make in our country.”
