A Record-breaking Year
It feels impossible to say this, but in 2020, Merivis hosted a record-breaking number of training programs.
Take that in for a moment.
Amidst the tumult of 2020, we served more people last year than we have in any year since our inception. Those services were provided while we overcame challenges as a society and mourned the losses we faced as a nation.
Pivoting in a Pandemic
Like most organizations, our world was turned upside down by the pandemic. In a matter of days, Merivis went from a full schedule of in-person events to the reality that our plan had to drastically change.
That moment was intimidating, but it also provided great clarity. We would do whatever it took to continue serving the veteran community, so we pivoted from our old format and started from scratch to reinvent Merivis programming and go virtual.
It felt like an unexpected about-face. We weathered the challenges of technology implementation, virtual trainings and revamped communication, but we were determined to make the best of a daunting year.
And the pivot worked. We transitioned our training programs to a virtual format and, without the constraints of in-person trainings, even expanded our reach.
Transformative Services
We supported veterans like Desmond, who says that Merivis enabled him to find a new career and that when someone goes through a Merivis cohort, “there is no end in sight to the opportunities that will await.”
We served military spouses like Melinda, who says that Merivis was transformative and she’ll, “forever be grateful to Merivis and the Merivis community for lifting me up and helping me believe in myself.”
Talent and Determination at Work
Although a record-breaking year in 2020 seems impossible, there is a group of people who found a way to make it possible: The Merivis leadership team.
These incredible advocates faced the challenges of the year head-on so Merivis could continue unlocking potential for veterans and military spouses.
Our leadership’s collective experience and skills certainly contributed to their success. We have McCombs School of Business graduates, early Dell leaders and multiple recipients of the coveted Salesforce “Golden Hoodie.” It’s no wonder this group of all stars accomplished what they did.
In addition to their talent, our leadership also embodied the spirit of the veteran community and approached their work with loyalty, determination and perseverance.
Because of our leadership team, our programming not only survived 2020, it thrived. Merivis was able to stay the course, innovate along the way and help veterans and military spouses create new futures.
Thank you to the Merivis Leadership Team
Board of Directors
The Merivis Board of Directors oversees the organization’s programming, operations and finances. They develop Merivis’ strategic plan and steer the organization in pursuing our vision.
Officers
Joe Castro / Vice President / Okta / Co-Founder, President of the Board
Hector Perez / Senior Director of CRM Applications / Elastic / Founder, Past President, Operations Chair
Michael Valocci / Senior Vice President / Cognizant / Finance Chair
Jesse Grothaus / CEO / Cloud Pathfinder Consulting / Technology Chair
Directors
Amy Flamenbaum / Senior Principle Consultant / Slalom
Stephanie Herrera / Global Vice President / Computer Futures
Kevin Lenau / Manager / Alvarez & Marsal
Chris Gerritz / Chief Product Officer / Infocyte
Anne Sprute / President & Principal / REV Tech
Sheldon Simmons / Senior Salesforce Consultant / Slalom
Michelle Schenk / Director, Employer Engagement / UT San Antonio
Bill Blackstone / EVP, Operations / Galvanize
Advisory Board
The Merivis Advisory Board is a group of industry leaders who serve as mentors, advisors and advocates for organization and support our strategic growth.
Cristina Jones / Chief Engagement Officer / Salesforce.org
Dave Shaw / President / Arrow
Dan Streetman / Chief Executive Officer / TIBCO
Amy Weaver / President & Chief Financial Officer / Salesforce
Glenn Weinstein / Chief Customer Officer / Twilio
Alumni Board
The Merivis Alumni Board is made up of Merivis graduates who represent the transitioning military, veterans and military spouses we serve. They help guide our programmatic efforts to ensure that our graduates are set up to succeed in their technology careers.
Dan Carpenter / Lead Salesforce Administrator / Spring Venture Group
Johanna Ciezczak / Business Systems Analyst / Yelp
Andrew Day / Salesforce Administrator / Department of Defense
Roger Miranda / Salesforce Business Analyst / Capgemini Government Solutions
Joey Eisenzimmer / Salesforce Administrator / Amazon Web Services (AWS)
David Nava / Senior Solution Engineer / Salesforce
Mike Hoal / Director of Operations / Cheshire Impact
Janelle Fields / Salesforce Software Engineer / USAA
Jae Park / Senior Consultant / Slalom
Kelsey Gibson / Senior Salesforce Consultant / Vantage Point Consulting
Jose Rodriguez / Digital Engagement Consultant / Slalom
Jade Leong / Consultant RevOps & Strategy / Kicksaw
