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Continuation of Service Award

The Veterans Colleague Network Group (VCNG) Cornell Veterans Continuation of Service Award recognizes Cornell veterans for their continued leadership and service.

The award celebrates veterans who have continued to serve after their military service by giving back to other veterans or making outstanding contributions to the Cornell community. Award recipients will receive an engraved plaque which will be presented during the annual Veterans Day activities.


Presentation of 2023 VCNG Continuation of Service Award: Jennifer Ross  

Jennifer Ross formal portrait

The Veterans Colleague Network Group (VCNG) Cornell Veterans Continuation of Service Award recognizes Cornell veterans for their continued leadership and service. The award celebrates veterans who have continued to serve after their military service by giving back to other veterans or making outstanding contributions to the Cornell community.  

The VCNG Continuation of Services award is being presented to Jennifer Ross. Jennifer is an EMBA candidate in the S.C. Johnson School of Business. 

Jennifer and team member Victor Vichith established the Executive Student Veterans Association in August to create an avenue to collaborate with other student veterans in NYC and create unique opportunities to network across various universities. Empowering Veterans NYC is dedicated to creating a transformative and uplifting experience for ALL Student Veterans Community by actively supporting them through their academic and professional journey, enabling them to not only chase their passions but also to excel in their chosen endeavors.  

Her team, including Victor Vichith (Cornell EMBA) and Francois Barre (Columbia), began planning the event in August. In order to create a way to collect donations and sponsors for the event, she was able to coordinate a relationship with HKPO Veterans Academy, a non-profit organization where she is currently a member of the Board of Directors. They were thrilled to partner for this event.  

She set up everything from the marketing, website, social media posts (Linkedin, Instagram), planning, and fundraising activities and were able to keep the costs down so that all student veterans are able to attend the event for free.  Due to the overwhelming support and interest in the event, they are already planning another for the spring and possibly one in DC as well. She notes they are excited to continue this effort to bring veterans together for community, connection, and collaboration. 

Jennifer served in the United States Air Force as an Intelligence Specialist. She spent the majority of her career providing strategic guidance and support to Department of Defense leadership in various roles around the globe. Since retirement, Jennifer has dedicated her time to support other veteran organizations and nonprofits to include serving as an Executive Advisor to Sigma Forces, a military training provider, the Vice President of Corporate Sponsorships and Grants for HKPO Veteran's Academy, an official Skill Bridge provider and establishing the Executive Student Veterans Association in New York City. Jennifer has a bachelor’s degree in Intelligence Studies from American Public University and a master’s in organizational leadership from University of Massachusetts, Global. Additionally, Jennifer is a EMBA candidate for Cornell University, S.C. Johnson School of Business. 

We’d also like to recognize our other nominees:

  • CPT Anthony “Tony” Roach: Tony’s nominator says, “Tony is a new employee to the university.  While being introduced to the work of being the new Dean of Administration at BME, he has still taken on the leadership of the Veteran's House as the Cornell Veterans House Community Fellow.  He is also leading the charge for the 2023 Veteran's Day events.”
  • Emily Franco: Emily’s nominator says, “Emily Franco has been and continues to be a tireless advocate for veterans on campus. From holding several leadership roles within the Veterans Colleague Network Group (VCNG) to being an active member of Team Red White and Blue (RWB), Emily has often been an integral part of the pioneering work that led to the current atmosphere of veteran support. Emily was a supporter of the Office of Academic Diversity Initiatives (OADI) nontraditional students program on behalf of veteran undergraduates. She then became the first advisor to the Cornell Undergraduate Veterans Association (CUVA). Her early work for undergraduate veterans through the VCNG helped lead to the improved student experience that we see today.”


Eligibility:

  • Nominee must be current Cornell faculty, staff, or student in good standing or a veteran from the community that supports veterans at Cornell
  • Nominee may not have previously received the award in the past 3 years

The VCNG Executive Committee will oversee the award review and decision-making process.

Criteria:

  • Nominee serves as a role model and/or mentor for others and demonstrates a high level of professionalism, collaboration, and creativity
  • Nominee enhances the quality of the campus and/or local area environment for the veteran community by providing extraordinary services, activities, or other initiatives to benefit the working and learning environments.
  • Nominee advances opportunities and access for veterans

Nomination:

A link to submit nominations for 2024 will be posted here when the next nomination cycle opens.