2026 Hiring Our Heroes Awards Finalists Announced
Hiring Our Heroes is gearing up to welcome top business leaders from across the nation to Washington, D.C., for the 16th Annual Lee Anderson Awards Gala. This event spotlights the extraordinary individuals and organizations driving meaningful change and creating economic opportunity for our nation’s veteran and military communities.
“Every year, we are inspired by the leaders and organizations that dedicate themselves to making brighter futures for our veterans, service members, and their families,” said Eric Eversole, president of Hiring Our Heroes. “This year’s finalists demonstrate innovation and a relentless commitment to creating employment opportunities for the military community. As we celebrate incredible milestones in 2026, their work stands as a reminder of what we can accomplish when purpose meets action.”
Honoring A Champion for the Next Generation of Service Members
This year, Hiring Our Heroes is proud to honor Dr. Ken Hartman with the President’s Award for Lifetime Achievement. Following his service as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, Dr. Hartman built a distinguished career as an educator and university president before turning his attention to a gap in how communities recognize high school seniors who choose military service. In 2009, he founded Our Community Salutes (OCS), a national non-profit dedicated to recognizing and supporting high school seniors who enlist in the military after graduation.
Driven by a profound belief that young enlistees deserve the same community celebration as their college-bound peers, Dr. Hartman has transformed how the nation honors military-bound youth. Under his visionary leadership, OCS has grown to host ceremonies across the country, honoring more than 250,000 high school seniors and providing their parents with guidance and community support. His dedication to these young enlistees and their families has earned him widespread recognition, including the U.S. Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Medal, cementing his legacy as a true champion for the military community.
2026 Hiring Our Heroes Awards Finalists
We are proud to recognize the following organizations and individuals across six award categories.
The Lee Anderson Veteran and Military Spouse Employment Award is presented for excellence in hiring, training, and retaining veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses. This year’s finalists include:
- First Command Financial Services
- Salesforce
The Colonel Michael Endres Leadership Award for Individual Excellence in Veteran and Military Spouse Employment recognizes individuals who have made a significant impact on employment opportunities for veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses. The 2026 finalists are:
- Brad Bentley, Fastport
- Gen Harrison-Doss, Visa
- Ian McDuffie, Amazon
- Vivian Greentree, Quickstep Advisory
The Steve Janke Post-9/11 Veteran Employment Award recognizes an organization that has made sustained efforts to enhance employment opportunities for post-9/11 veterans and transitioning service members. This year’s finalists are:
- The Boeing Company
- General Motors
- Lowe’s Companies, Inc.
The Military Spouse Employment and Mentoring Award finalists are organizations that have shown leadership and dedication to hiring and empowering military spouses. For this year, the finalists are:
- The Boeing Company
- First Command Financial Services
- Leidos
The three finalists for the Military Community Nonprofit Leadership Award are nonprofit organizations that have demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting veteran and military spouse employment and economic opportunity. These finalists are:
- CreatiVets
- FourBlock
- INvets
The Fellows Program Alumni Excellence Award honors an individual who has gone above and beyond to support the military community after graduating from the Hiring Our Heroes Fellows Program. Whether through their professional career or volunteer efforts, these individuals have demonstrated outstanding achievement in their profession, made significant contributions to the military community, and/or exhibited a commitment to Hiring Our Heroes’ values of service, leadership, and excellence. The 2026 award finalist is Sonya Legaspi from Amazon.
A Night of Celebration and Recognition
Congratulations to the outstanding 2026 finalists. Winners will be announced during the 16th Annual Lee Anderson Hiring Our Heroes Awards Gala, presented by Deloitte, on November 12 at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C.
