Military-Ready Ecosystems: A Successful Convening in San Diego

On March 11, 2025, CAEL hosted Military-Ready Ecosystems, an in-person gathering of its national Military Community of Practice. Held at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) in San Diego, the meeting served as a pre-conference event for CAEL’s Regional Convening, which took place the following day at National University. 

Military-Ready Ecosystems brought together attendees from across the workforce ecosystem. About 40 experts from higher ed, chambers of commerce, government, workforce development, employers, and community-based organizations joined CAEL staff to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing veterans and their families as they transition from military to civilian life. 

Holding the first in-person event for the community of practice in San Diego allowed attendees to witness first-hand the city’s commitment to the military, both active duty and those who have separated or retired. Keynote Speaker Chris Thorne, CEO of the North San Diego Business Chamber, provided many examples of how a united San Diego supports the military community. In speaking about this region-wide collaboration, he emphasized the importance of stakeholders understanding the specific challenges and then using outcomes data to track progress toward community goals. 

Melinda Gomez, manager of veteran initiatives from the SEMI Foundation, led an employer panel that allowed panelists to highlight successful veteran programs. Semiconductor employers discussed military initiatives in both attracting and supporting veterans, participation in programs like DOD SkillBridge, and engagement with student veteran organizations. Nick Curry, global head of emerging talent programs at Amazon (and a CAEL military advisory team member), offered details about Amazon’s extensive apprenticeship and other work-based learning programs.

One of the more insightful panels featured veterans who had recently left the military. Led by Ashley Camac, CEO of Zero8Hundred, the veteran panelists provided honest feedback about their experiences. Their stories included common challenges confronting veterans and the resources that were most helpful. The panelists also offered suggestions about how the system could be improved, including more intentional career advising and mentorship. They also spoke about the challenge of translating their military experience into “civilian speak” to create resumes and prepare for interviews.  

CAEL also used this first in-person gathering of the Military Community of Practice to share results of the 2025 needs assessment. The survey was delivered to all members of the community of practice to collect data on the number of military-connected individuals group members serve, how they meet their needs, and to identify strengths and challenges. It also highlighted priorities and goals and established annual benchmarking and trends. 

Military-Ready Ecosystems also dedicated time for unstructured networking, a feature attendees always find valuable in CAEL events. CAEL is thankful to National University, which sponsored the event, and to the MCRD’s Bay View Restaurant staff, who supplied the space and refreshments that allowed for productive dialogue.    

CAEL’s Military Community of Practice brings together individuals and organizations in CAEL’s member community who are dedicated to supporting military-connected individuals in their transition to civilian education and careers. Offering a series of in-person and virtual convenings along with continuous networking and a resource library at the CAEL Member Hub, it fosters an exchange of winning strategies and opportunities for members to connect with key partners throughout the workforce ecosystem, such as Military-Ready Ecosystems.

The convening is part of a series of virtual and in-person meetings of the Military Community of Practice. The next virtual meeting will be on April 17. Additional virtual meetings are planned in July, October, and December. CAEL’s annual conference, held this year in Memphis Nov. 11-14, will also host special events dedicated to the veteran community.

For more information on joining the Military Community of Practice, visit CAEL’s website or contact Carolyn Swabek at cswabek@cael.org.