My dear friends,
Spring is upon us already in New England. The semester is rapidly winding to an end as we shake off the long winter, and of papers and presentations and final exams. This semester has seen a flurry of activity at the EBV program at UConn. The graduate assistants have been working to collect data and assist veterans start their ventures. Planning is already under way for next year’s program. We are working hard on expanding our public engagement and outreach to realize our vision of becoming the New England center for veteran business education and transition.
It’s amazing how far we’ve come since we began the online phase of the program in August. In just the 6 months since we parted company at the Storrs campus we’ve gone from exploring ideas and doing market research on a chosen industry, to acquiring and developing the skills necessary to start a business, to starting the business! Eight of you have started businesses, and one of you has enrolled in a full-time MBA program! It’s incredibly edifying for all of us to be part of the solution, helping veterans start businesses and forge a new identity as an “entrepreneur.”
As the seasons change, though, so we will see some personnel changes in 2011. First, Melissa Martin will be leaving us. She has landed a prestigious and high-profile internship with a well-known NY public relations firm. She did an amazing job for us as an administrative assistant and will be sorely missed. I know she will be phenomenally successful in her new endeavor.
Second, Kathy DeChant has announced she will be retiring in May. Kathy was the moving force that made the EBV happen. I owe her a debt of gratitude larger than I can articulate for offering me the chance to be part of the EBV. I wish her all the best and know she will always be a friend of the program.
Finally, Lane Barrow has agreed to join the EBV as the faculty advisor. All of you remember Lane’s incredible devotion and energy in helping us prepare for the final pitch competition. This is truly a labor of love for Lane, himself a veteran of the Viet Nam war, and we are very lucky to have him formally involved. I thank him for his service, and welcome him aboard.
To wrap up, let me congratulate all of you as you continue to meet the dual challenges of post-combat and post-military transition and of starting a new career and venture as an entrepreneur. I have gotten far more out of being a part of the program than I have put into it.
To our friends, supporters, graduate assistants, veterans, and the UConn community, I wish each of you and your families health and happiness and every success in 2011.
Semper fidelis
Mike Zacchea
