Recognizing Those Who've Led the Way
Each year, Hiring Our Heroes recognizes the tremendous contributions of those who have gone above and beyond to help our nation’s heroes.
About the Awards
The 2025 award recipients will be announced at the 15th Annual Lee Anderson Awards Gala in November.
The Lee Anderson Veteran and Military Spouse Employment Award is presented to a company or organization for overall excellence in hiring, training, and retaining veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses. Whether through its own work or philanthropic efforts, a successful nominee takes a comprehensive approach to creating economic opportunities for veterans and military spouses and works to close the civilian-military divide. Efforts may include up-skilling/re-skilling opportunities, apprenticeship programs, employee resource groups, HR training efforts, volunteer opportunities for veterans in local communities, and other efforts to empower veterans and military spouses as they search for meaningful careers.
Previous Recipients
- 2024: Booz Allen Hamilton
- 2023: TransForce
- 2022: Wells Fargo
- 2021: Comcast NBCUniversal
- 2020: Amazon
- 2019: Prudential Financial
- 2018: Deloitte
- 2017: Ryder System, Inc.
- 2016: Lockheed Martin Corp.
- 2015: Hospital Corporation of America (HCA)
- 2014: Capital One
- 2013: USAA
The Steve Robinson Post-9/11 Veteran Employment Award is presented to a company or organization for effective and sustained efforts to enhance the ability of post-9/11 veterans and transitioning service members to find meaningful employment. Leveraging technology and/or innovative programs such as SkillBridge and apprenticeships, these organizations understand the value of post-9/11 veterans and work to enhance their skillsets, prepare them for a modern workforce, and provide opportunities for growth.
Previous Recipients
- 2024: Fiserv
- 2023: Johnson & Johnson
- 2022: Indeed
- 2021: Verizon
- 2020: Salesforce
- 2019: LinkedIn
- 2018: Amazon
- 2017: Microsoft
- 2016: Hilton Worldwide
- 2015: Starbucks
- 2014: USAA
- 2013: Toyota Motor Sales, USA
The Wounded Veteran and Military Caregiver Employment Award is presented to a company or organization for demonstrated leadership in addressing the unique employment challenges faced by wounded warriors and military caregivers and providing pathways to economic stability.
Previous Recipients
- 2022: Booz Allen Hamilton
- 2020: U.S. Postal Service
- 2019: Wounded Warrior Project
- 2018: Dog Tag Inc.
- 2017: USAA
- 2016: Senator Elizabeth Dole, Elizabeth Dole Foundation
- 2015: APi Group, Inc.
- 2014: Anthony Odierno, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
- 2013: Operation PAVE
The Military Spouse Employment and Mentoring Award is presented to a company or organization for demonstrated leadership and commitment to hire and empower military spouses in their search for meaningful employment. These organizations provide spouses with professional development opportunities and, when possible, work to keep them employed through change-of-duty-station moves. Other key actions includes supporting remote and flexible work opportunities, availability of child care, research to address and enhance military spouse employment, and other philanthropic efforts to empower military spouses and families in local communities.
Previous Recipients
- 2024: USAA
- 2023: Deloitte Consulting
- 2022: T-Mobile
- 2021: Salesforce
- 2020: First Command Financial Services
- 2019: Board of Veterans’ Appeals
- 2018: Microsoft
- 2017: Booz Allen Hamilton
- 2016: Capital One
- 2015: Prudential Financial
- 2014: Toyota
- 2013: La Quinta Inns & Suites
The Military Community Nonprofit Leadership Award is presented to a veteran- or military spouse-focused nonprofit for demonstrated commitment to supporting veteran and military spouse employment and economic opportunity. These organizations take a holistic approach to serving veterans and military spouses, focusing on activities critical to supporting positive economic outcomes such as mental health and wellness, work to close the civilian-military divide, education, and veteran and military spouse community empowerment efforts.
Previous Recipients
- 2024: wear blue: run to remember
- 2023: VetJobs and Military Spouse Jobs
- 2022: D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University
- 2021: Student Veterans of America
- 2020: Operation Gratitude
- 2019: PsychArmor Institute
- 2015: Camo2Commerce
- 2014: FASTPORT
- 2013: International Franchise Association
The Colonel Michael Endres Leadership Award for Individual Excellence in Veteran and Military Spouse Employment is presented to an individual who has gone above and beyond to make a difference in employment opportunities for veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses. Working within a company or organization, to include federal or state agencies, these individuals have a demonstrated track record of creating and launching efforts to help veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses find employment opportunities and help them grow.
Previous Recipients
- 2024: Sean Passmore (Wells Fargo)
- 2023: Tom Downs (Booz Allen Hamilton)
- 2022: Beau Higgins (Amazon)
- 2021: Laura Schmiegel (Booz Allen Hamilton)
- 2020: Jim Beamesderfer (Prudential Financial)
- 2019: Danny Chung (Microsoft)
- 2018: Sean Kelley (Amazon)
- 2017: Carol Eggert (Comcast NBCUniversal)
- 2016: Michael Kelly (USAA)
- 2015: Keith Nattrass (General Motors)
- 2014: Frank Bisignano (First Data)
- 2013: Evan Guzman (Verizon)
- 2012: Kris Urbauer (General Electric)
The Fellows Program Alumni Excellence Award is presented to an individual who has gone above and beyond to serve and 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.
Previous Recipients
- 2024: Sean Passmore (Wells Fargo)
- 2023: Tom Downs (Booz Allen Hamilton)
- 2022: Beau Higgins (Amazon)
- 2021: Laura Schmiegel (Booz Allen Hamilton)
- 2020: Jim Beamesderfer (Prudential Financial)
- 2019: Danny Chung (Microsoft)
- 2018: Sean Kelley (Amazon)
- 2017: Carol Eggert (Comcast NBCUniversal)
- 2016: Michael Kelly (USAA)
- 2015: Keith Nattrass (General Motors)
- 2014: Frank Bisignano (First Data)
- 2013: Evan Guzman (Verizon)
- 2012: Kris Urbauer (General Electric)
The nomination period for the 15th Annual Hiring Our Heroes Awards will open in the summer of 2025.
A business must meet the following requirements to be eligible for the Awards:
-
Must currently employ at least one veteran and/or spouse or caregiver of a service member or veteran.
-
A representative of the nominated business must be able to participate in the 15th Annual Lee Anderson Awards Gala on November 5, 2025.
Limited sponsorship opportunities are available for the 15th Annual Lee Anderson Awards Gala. Contact the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Relations team for information on sponsorships.
