Translating Military Skills into Careers for Veterans

Aaron Strong is a senior economist at RAND and a professor of policy analysis at the RAND School of Public Policy. Trained in environmental and natural resource economics, he develops models to estimate the economic impacts of disaster, recovery efforts, and frameworks to measure the value of resilience investments. His research spans energy, environmental, and macroeconomic policy, including work on oil and gas markets, land loss in Louisiana, and Medicaid expansion.

Strong earned his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Colorado Boulder and previously held faculty and postdoctoral positions at the University of Iowa, the University of Wyoming, the University of Calgary, and Arizona State University.

Jeffrey B. Wenger is a senior economist at RAND and director of the RAND Lowy Family Middle-Class Pathways Center (MCPC). He leads research on middle-class stability and mobility, labor force participation, and the transition of military personnel to civilian employment. He also co-directs the RAND Budget Model, which assesses the fiscal impacts of policy proposals and pending legislation.

Prior to joining RAND, Wenger was on the faculty of the University of Georgia. He holds a Ph.D. in policy analysis from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Melanie Zaber is an economist and co-director of the RAND Lowy Family Middle-Class Pathways Center, as well as a professor of policy analysis at the RAND School of Public Policy. A labor economist and postsecondary education researcher, she studies civilian and military workforces, STEM talent pipelines, and the workforce implications of artificial intelligence. Her broader work addresses household transitions, postsecondary finance, and the value of educational and occupational credentials.

Zaber earned her Ph.D. in economics and public policy from Carnegie Mellon University.

Lakiesha Lloyd is the national deputy climate justice director for Common Defense, the nation’s largest veteran-led grassroots organization committed to engaging, organizing, training, and mobilizing veterans to elect accountable leaders and advance social justice. The climate program is centered on the idea that true national security includes protecting communities from the threats posed by climate change and investing in renewable energy solutions. This includes organizing efforts around renewable energy workforce development, renewable energy development projects, halting liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure expansion, and fighting environmental racism. .

Lloyd is a disabled Army veteran who served from 2001 to 2010, a mother of two, and is a resident of Spring, Texas.

Moses Maddox is the program and talent manager for Veterans to Naval Careers and the California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) Veteran Center. He leads initiatives that connect academic achievement with professional advancement, helping student veterans transition successfully to civilian careers.

A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Maddox’s 2006 deployment to Ramadi, which included distributing humanitarian aid, shaped his commitment to service and community development. Before joining CSUSM, he built a diverse professional portfolio spanning personal training to lobbying and national advocacy, all centered on expanding career opportunities for veterans.

Maddox holds an M.S. in organizational leadership from Colorado State University and a B.A. in social sciences from CSUSM. Drawing on more than a decade of multisector experience, he mentors veterans in professional branding and workforce readiness, ensuring graduates leave the classroom with a degree in one hand and a job offer in the other.

Matthew Passmore is a regional veterans’ employment coordinator with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (DOL VETS). He collaborates with employers and federal partners to expand career opportunities for veterans and strengthen community support networks.

A U.S. Army veteran, Passmore was commissioned in the Chemical Corps after graduating from the United States Military Academy in 2011. He deployed to Afghanistan with the 2nd Aviation Regiment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and served in several leadership roles before completing active duty in 2016.

After service, Passmore managed the Seoul operations of an international fitness company and founded a wellness business for the military community. He then served as VA Benefits Site Lead for U.S. installations in South Korea, Transition Services Manager at Fort Belvoir, and National Recruitment Program Manager for U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Information and Technology.