CANA Advisors (CANA) is a Corporate Veteran Initiative (CVI) partner that is veteran-owned and comprised of about 55% military veterans. This virtual logistics analytics company based out of Northern Virginia goes above and beyond to retain and recruit military talent. The America’s Warrior Partnership CVI team works directly with CANA analytics to develop data-driven solutions for veteran advocacy and employee retention strategies. This partnership focuses on improving the quality of life of military veterans and their families across the country. As part of CVI and CANA’s continuous veteran advocacy, we are highlighting an outstanding veteran employee within CANA. Hannah Wallace is a former United States Army officer and a fellow of the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program (CFP), with an infectiously positive personality and a story that serves as an example of resilience and how a veteran can best serve any organization.
Hannah heard the call to serve while living as a full-time nanny in Colorado Springs, Colorado, for a military family. She was inspired and encouraged by the family she worked for to look into the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs and serve as an officer in the Army. Although she did not have anyone in her immediate family connected to the military besides an uncle in the United States Navy, Hannah always felt that serving was honorable. In May of 2017, she was commissioned as a Transportation Officer in the Army, where she served for three years on active duty and is currently serving five years in the Inactive Ready Reserves (IRR). When asked why she chose to accept her commission into the Army, she stated that “When I put my mind to something, I have to go through with it and finish the task at hand, no matter how difficult.” She has always had the desire to serve and be a part of something greater than herself.
When she chose to transition out of the Army, Hannah decided to take advantage of several opportunities and programs to enter the corporate world smoothly. Through these various programs, including Hiring Our Heroes, Hannah recognized her passion was in the project management field. Her tenure as a Maintenance Control Officer focused on logistical support. It provided exposure to leadership and operations excellence, which complimented her interest in project management enabling her to focus on her strengths. The Hiring Our Heroes opportunity helped Hannah network with CANA and other companies that support and hire veterans. However, due to her mother passing from cancer, Hannah was forced to leave the in-person fellowship program early to care for her family at home. Even while suffering immense loss, Hannah completed an internship program with CANA remotely and was eventually offered a position within the company. During this time, her fortitude is truly remarkable as she demonstrated a commitment to excellence even during such a life-changing and challenging event.
CANA enthusiastically welcomes Hannah onboard, and not only will Hannah greatly benefit from the opportunity, but we know Hannah’s skills and experience will benefit CANA as well. When asked how it felt transitioning and working for CANA, Hannah stated, “[i]t was like coming home.” CVI is very proud to be in support and in partnership with CANA. This organization truly cares about the welfare of their employees and helps veterans transition smoothly into their newly found careers.
About the Corporate Veteran Initiative America’s Warrior Partnership’s Corporate Veteran Initiative (CVI) empowers businesses to develop and implement workplace solutions to enable veterans to thrive in their careers and become valuable assets to their employers. The Corporate Veteran Initiative accomplishes this by providing businesses with insights, guidance, and training to improve engagement of veterans in the workplace through a three-phase approach: Assess a company’s current workplace culture; Serve veteran employees through a customized veteran-engagement program; and Retain veteran employees by providing long-term guidance and support for both the company and employees. For more information about CVI contact Josh Wilson, 706-306-1283 or jwilson@americaswarriorpartnership.org.