For Former U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue, hiring veterans and their spouses to address the labor shortage is just "good business." This attitude and his dedication to putting it into action has earned him the Hiring Our Heroes’ President’s Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions in providing job opportunities for military veterans and their families.
Before diving into details about the award, let's look at Mr. Donohue's career trajectory. According to a U.S. Chamber of Commerce press release, Donohue served as president and CEO from 1997 to 2019. He now sits on the chamber’s board of directors. In 2011, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation started the Hiring Our Heroes (HOH) program. Under Donohue’s leadership and a partnership with Capitol One, the Hiring 500,000 Heroes campaign launched in 2012. By tapping into the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s large network of employers, resources and training tools, the nationwide program has connected more than 500,000 veterans and military spouses to jobs at more than 2,000 businesses.
Moving on from the impressive statistics achieved under his leadership, let's consider Mr.Donohue's thoughts on this subject. "Hiring Our Heroes is a win-win-win. The veteran wins. The company wins. And you know who else wins? The United States military and therefore the United States of America wins because we are creating a situation that makes it more attractive for young men and women to join the services of the United States," Donohue said in his acceptance speech.
Now that we understand how passionate Mr.Donohue is about this initiative, let's see who was involved in presenting him with the award. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce press release, the award was presented to Donohue by 32nd Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, retired Gen. James L. Jones; Amanda Eversole, executive vice president and chief advocacy officer at American Petroleum Institute; and Hiring Our Heroes President Eric Eversole.
