2025 Hiring Our Heroes Awards Finalists Announced
Hiring Our Heroes will soon welcome business leaders from across the country to the 15th Annual Lee Anderson Awards Gala in Washington, D.C. The event celebrates individuals and organizations that provide leadership and impact in supporting and strengthening of our nation’s veteran and military community.
“Each year, we are inspired by the remarkable organizations and individuals who go above and beyond to create lasting impact for our nation’s veterans, service members, and military families,” said Eric Eversole, president of Hiring Our Heroes. “The finalists for the 15th Annual Hiring Our Heroes Awards exemplify innovation, leadership, and a deep commitment to those who have served. Their achievements are a powerful reminder of what’s possible when mission-driven people and companies lead with purpose.”
This year, Hiring Our Heroes is proud to honor Wayne Peacock with the President’s Award for Lifetime Achievement. Throughout his distinguished 36-year career at USAA, Peacock has been a steadfast advocate for military families. Before his retirement from USAA in 2025, he rose through the ranks, ultimately serving as president and CEO during his final five years with the organization.
As the first non-veteran CEO in USAA history, Peacock embraced the organization’s mission with humility and purpose, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to its members. His leadership was defined by empathy, inclusion, and a deep understanding of the military community. Under his guidance, USAA championed veteran and military spouse employment and spearheaded legislative efforts to improve professional license portability for military spouses. In addition, USAA’s philanthropic giving reached $50 million annually to support the wellbeing, economic mobility, and basic needs of military families.
2025 Hiring Our Heroes Awards Finalists
The Lee Anderson Veteran and Military Spouse Employment Award is presented for excellence in hiring and retaining veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses. This year’s finalists include:
- GE Aerospace
- JPMorganChase
- Werner Enterprises
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 2025 finalists are:
- Tiffany Daugherty, Johnson & Johnson
- Gen Harrison-Doss, Visa
- Rob Schroder, SteerBridge
The Steve Robinson 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. The 2025 finalists are:
- CSX
- UnitedHealth Group
- Zermount
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:
- Booz Allen Hamilton
- UnitedHealth Group
- Wells Fargo
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:
- INvets
- Lowe’s Foundation
- NextOp Veterans
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 2025 award nominee is Mark McKiernan, First Command Financial Services.
This year’s Capital One Small Business Award honoree is American Veterans Group (AVG), a veteran-owned securities brokerage firm. As Wall Street’s first and only Public Benefit Corporation, AVG supports veteran-focused nonprofits and connects clients with military-connected talent through their innovative AVG Veteran Jobs Network. AVG’s longstanding partnership with military-focused organizations has directly funded employment and learning opportunities for active-duty service members and military spouses.
Congratulations to all the 2025 award finalists. Winners will be announced during the 15th Annual Lee Anderson Hiring Our Heroes Awards Gala, presented by Deloitte, on November 5 in Washington, D.C.
