First Lady Michelle Obama is set to give the keynote address at next month’s Veterans Institute workshop at the Walt Disney World Resort.
The Veterans Institute workshop is a free program offered by Disney to inspire companies to employ servicemen and women who are transitioning to the private sector.
Mrs. Obama launched Joining Forces in 2011 with Dr. Jill Biden. Joining Forces is an initiative dedicated to connecting servicemen and women, veterans, and military spouses with resources they need to find jobs at home. Through their work with the initiative Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden have connected businesses and non-profit groups with military families as they look for work in the private sector.
“We applaud First Lady Michelle Obama’s efforts to raise awareness of the strengths and unique needs of veterans and their families, and we are honored to have her join Disney’s first-ever ‘Veterans Institute,’ a program designed to showcase the value of veterans, share best hiring practices, and encourage greater employment opportunities for military men and women transitioning into civilian life,” said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company.
The Veterans Institute is a day-long workshop which is being co-sponsored by Heroes Work Here and Disney Institute. The event will feature experts who are part of Disney’s Heroes Work Here initiative, government officials, veterans, and non-profit veterans service organizations.
Highlights of the workshop will include a look at Heroes Work Here, keynote speakers, panelists, Disney on-air talent and personalities, customized Disney Institute courses, advice and insight from the experts and veteran support organizations, and stories from veterans about their own transition to the civilian workforce.
Earlier this month it was announced that ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff would be presenting a keynote speech at the workshop. Woodruff was seriously injured by a roadside bomb on January 29, 2006 while reporting on U.S. and Iraqi security forces. He suffered a traumatic brain injury, but returned to ABC News just 13 months later with his on-air report “To Iraq and Back: Bob Woodruff Reports” where he chronicled his injury, recovery, and the plights of thousands of service members who are returning from war with similar injuries.
The Veterans Institute is scheduled for November 14. More information is available here.
