After the JAG Corps: Navigating Your Career Progression

In this episode, retired Navy Captain Alex Whitaker tells us how he ended up back at his alma mater in an administration role before eventually becoming the President of King University in Tennessee where he has been for the past 7 years. He also talks about the state of higher education today, its challenges and rewards. A great primer for any JAG (or non-JAG) who may be interested in pursuing a career in higher education when they leave the service. Alex's LinkedIn profile can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderwhitaker4/.

Last week, I had the opportunity to chat with retired Captain Dan D’Alesio, who made Jacksonville, FL, his home after retiring from the Navy in 1998. In this episode, Dan talks about his journey into and out of uniform, the things he has done and thought about doing in his second career, taking the Florida bar exam, and the retired Jax JAG community. Dan’s LI profile can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-j-d-alesio-jr-esq-2b702b21.

In 17 years as a lawyer, Joanne Neighbors has done a lot. After serving in the Army JAG Corps for approximately seven and a half years, she then moved onto civil service for about 10 years before breaking into banking world. Join us as Joanne talks about her incredible journey and what she did to get here.

This week, J. Lee Marsh recounts his journey from the United States Naval Academy, where he became enamored with the law, to submarines to the Navy JAG Corps and finally to becoming a judge in Florida. Judge Marsh's profile is at https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-lee-marsh-2991424/.

This week, I sit down with Hank "Mongo" Molinengo, a Navy JAG Corps legend, who, as you will hear, did a lot scut work while on active duty. A true force of personality, Mongo served as the Navy JAGC's 06, which is a tombstone position, meaning that upon retirement, he was promoted to flag rank. Nonetheless, as you will hear, that did not help much when it came time to looking for post-service employment. (A lot of us generalists can probably identify with this.) Now retired and serving as a full-time grandfather, Mongo gives a candid assessment of his career progression.

This week, I catch up with Matt Dursa, Chief Legal Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer with Darley, a Midwest company that provides training and material support to the Department of Defense and first responders. Matt takes us through his career progression from the Navy JAG Corps to working with Customs and Border Protection to Darley. Matt's LinkedIn profile can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-dursa/.

Jennifer Green had plans to become an in-house counsel somewhere until she accidentally sent her resume to a recruiter and what played out is an incredible account of career progression being like the proverbial box of chocolates. Listen closely as Jennifer talks about the clients she gets to represent as a plaintiff's attorney. You can hear the passion she has for her clients in her voice. Jennifer never envisioned herself here, but this is an example of what can happen when you surrender yourself to the process and interview for a job just to get your recruiter off your back. A must listen. Jennifer's LinkedIn profile can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-green-63b124214/.

Matt Bernstein, an Army Veteran and Partner at Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. in Miami, Florida, talks about transitioning to civilian law firms, the challenges of joining a new firm, finding mentors when transitioning to the civilian sector, comparing workload between the army and private practice, the process of becoming a partner at a law firm, and strategies for transitioning military personnel.

This week is my conversation with Jessica Hernandez who, like many of us, made a career change, going from practicing law in New York City to figuring out what to do next when she married a Navy officer and relocated to Washington, DC. After some networking and exploring, Jessica ultimately decided to get into helping others by becoming a certified coach. Jessica has helped executives and lawyers find new work. From these experiences, Jessica has a great seat to share insight into the transition process. If you are in the middle of the transition right now and need a pick me up, then I encourage you to listen to this episode. If you would like to contact Jessica about her services, you can contact her via her web site at Jlhcoachingconsulting.com. Her LinkedIn profile can be found at http://linkedin.com/in/jessicaatkinshernandez.

This week, I talk to Army JAG veteran Chris LaCour whose retirement from the military was a little more abrupt and sooner than he had intended due to medical issues. Stationed in Hawaii at the time, he and his wife executed a plan to relocate to San Antonio, TX, and then find work with Chris attending a Hiring Our Heroes Cohort, through which he landed a non-legal job at USAA before eventually being hired on as a litigation attorney there. Chris's LinkedIn profile is at https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-lacour-b5886510/.