Veterans & Military Families Month: APB Thanks Speakers for Their Service

06 Nov 2019

November is National Veterans and Military Families Month, marked most famously by Veterans Day. The sacrifices of veterans and their families are the bedrock of our country’s identity, and here at APB, we would like to take a moment to reflect on the contributions of our speakers that have served our country. We express our gratitude to APB speakers and veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces:  

Mike Hayes – Commanding officer Hayes led SEAL Team TWO and oversaw special operations task forces in Afghanistan during his 20-year SEALS career. Drawing from his experiences, he helps organizations develop stronger leaders and improve their bottom line. 

Michelle Howard – Admiral Howard was not only the first woman to achieve the rank of 4-star admiral and the second-highest rank in the Navy, but also the first African-American woman to command a naval ship and achieve a 3 or 4-star rank in any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. Her keynotes address leadership, cybersecurity, diversity, innovation and teambuilding. 

John Kirby – Admiral Kirby was a spokesman at the highest levels of the Navy, the Pentagon and the State Department, holding positions from Pentagon Press Secretary to U.S. Navy Chief of Information. Taking you into the White House Situation room and dangerous locales around the world, he brings exceptional storytelling to the speaking stage. 

Rick Lynch – Lieutenant General Lynch is one of only 50 3-star generals, who was responsible for managing all instillations in the Army (roughly a 12 billion budget) and successfully lowered divorce and suicide rates in Fort Hood by outlawing weekend work and mandating soldier family time. His keynotes offer insight from personal experiences of overcoming adversity on both the battlefield and in the boardroom, providing unprecedented clarity to leaders from all walks of life.  

Nicole Malachowski – Colonel Malachowski is a boundary-breaker, becoming the first woman to fly in any Department of Defense military jet demonstration team during her Hall-of-Fame career as a fighter pilot. She inspires audiences to rethink the challenges they face every day, and urges them to go beyond resilience and become resurgent.  

Rye Barcott – Rye Barcott managed to balance being a U.S. Marine with co-founding an NGO working to break cycles of violence and poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa. Through his narrative, accompanied by illustrative media, Barcott shows how small groups of committed people from different backgrounds can unite and defy the odds. 

These incredible veterans all have distinct stories and careers, but share the common threads of patriotism, sacrifice and valor. We are lucky enough to be able to learn from their inspiring lives and selfless contributions. This November, we are taking time to give thanks to these awe-inspiring veterans in our APB family, and the many, many more across the country!