In a perfect world, every Congressional office.
Senate, and House would have a military connected person on
their staff. Welcome to when see a podcast,
this is Jack. That's the voice of Jodi Harmon
from he'll vets Foundation Jody, and he'll vets.
Help service members and their families gain staff positions on
Capitol Hill. We're bringing them on today
because they currently have a marine, see a reservist in their
fellowship program. So it seemed like a great idea
and a great opportunity to bring Jody and and discuss the
program. This will be a great episode for
people who are interested in policy or veteran advocacy.
We had a lot of fun putting it together, so stay tuned.
You give me your professional summary right now.
How you got to go? That's okay.
I can do that. Sure.
How did you get to help vets? Well, it's an interesting.
It's an interesting story. Much, like many people who end
up in the nonprofit world, you don't grow up as a little kid
going. I want to work in a non-profit
because, you know, you do make any money working in a
non-profit. It's all about the cause many
years ago. I was an elementary school
teacher actually, for about 15 years.
It was a nice portable military spouse career.
Understand. This was the mid to late 90s
into the two thousand. So it's been a minute.
We didn't have at the time, a lot of the cool advantages that
military spouses have. Now things like licensing and
certifying and things like that being reimbursed by the service.
You know, your spouse preferences on jobs that kind of
thing. Yeah, so we footed those bills
and we made do. Luckily, I never had while I was
teaching the on and underemployment issues that
military spouses We all know have the unemployment rate is
among military spouses as well into the 20% and that's
terrible. Yeah, it's terrible.
It's awful. And luckily as a teacher, I
didn't face that and that was understand.
Pre-internet era you were doing everything by phone and snail
mail and you know, so I was lucky because I had a very
portable career. At the time when we went
overseas in 2007, we went to Okinawa we were there for four
years. I had every intention of Still
teaching. When whenever it was we came
back to the States. We thought we were going to be
there. Three years, we ended up being
there for years, but when we came back in 2011, the u.s.
educational system had changed in a way.
I didn't agree with. I don't want to like say it for
the record, but everybody G work in given the timeline.
I'm sure everybody can figure it out.
It just didn't agree with it. And we had gone to a state that
had adopted it. And I was like, no, I know plus
generation of people that I am not part of Started having kids
and they were Elementary School students.
Not like I am not dealing with these parents, not doing it.
I am not dealing with these. So out of the job, I was like,
nope, I'm this is no longer the profession for me while we were
at MacDill Air Force Base. My husband was with Marine
forces Central Command. I went to grad school, I went to
the University of South Florida which was there in Tampa and got
my masters of library and information science.
It had always been kind of my goal.
To be a librarian and we're like a archivist style librarian or
researcher librarian type. They know what archives
actually. That's exactly my passion.
It's interesting that you say that.
Yeah, while I was in grad school, I discovered like
archiving and special Collections and I decided I
wanted to be one of those people, you know, working in a
clean room, with white gloves touching thousand year old
manuscripts, you know, I am fascinated by that.
So, that was my specialization. My husband got orders to the
Pentagon in 2015 and I was So excited.
I was like, woo, Library of Congress, archives Smithsonian.
Let's go. USA Jobs is a soul-sucking
experience. I'm sorry, I'm not even see the
plan color in my eye skin, that's because I've gotten, I've
applied for many jobs. It's pulling the life out of me.
It's like, what the Library of Congress as an example.
There were a library assistant positions.
I have a master's in library science.
The box would come back as oh, you know, sorry you didn't, you
know, you don't qualify for this job and I was like, what are you
talking about? I'm overqualified for this job,
right? It was just trying to get
through the box and I had Taking the KSA classes that MCCS offer.
I mean I done all that, right? And apparently it didn't help
and so I gave up, I didn't have my network which I'll talk about
the importance of networking when we please don't fucking
about the actual Hill that's fellowship and whatnot.
Yeah, I didn't have that Network and I didn't know anybody here.
I was just trying to get through these Bots.
Using all the right keywords but it just wasn't happening and I
gave up and person who's now a dear friend of mine an army.
House and she was in the veteran, nonprofit space in DC
and used to just Rave about everything she was doing and I
was like, wow this is so cool. She moved from one veteran,
nonprofit to a different veteran nonprofit and after being there
are only a couple of months the DC office of that nonprofit was
expanding and I get this text one day, are you still looking
for a job? And I was like well yeah I you
know I absolutely would love to have a job.
I'm not Stay at home, mom, take one person.
And at that point, like my son had graduated from high school.
My kids were now. Technically adults.
No reason for me to be at home all day.
So I said, yeah, sure. They basically had created a
position just for me. Again, the importance of
networking, put it on indeed, as soon as I submitted my resume,
they closed the hijab. Now, don't get me wrong.
They didn't do anything, you know, unethical.
They actually interviewed two other people in the time, it
took me to get my A resume finalized?
Wow. Yes it's not like they, you
know, didn't do things, right? And they actually did interview
to other people, but all of a sudden I'm working for a veteran
nonprofit and I started out doing events, which I'm very
good at, as a military spouse as a teacher plan and Implement a
thing I could do that in my sleep.
Fantastic. Yeah, that's a, that's a, that's
a skill. Yeah.
And so then her husband got orders and they moved and It
just kind of a series of odd events.
All of a sudden I was doing veterans advocacy.
Instead, the gentleman, I worked under, I'm totally going to name
him here because he's amazing, his name's Bob Kerrey.
He's been in the DC veteran space for, I don't know. 35,
something like that years. He is a known entity.
The man is brilliant. And I don't think I could have
had a better Mentor in the DC, veterans face to teach me how
basically I learned, And so much and understand.
I have no background in policy government political science.
Any of that my bachelor's degree is in vocal performance.
I mean really I have no hope other than my lived experience
as a military spouse this was completely brand new to me and I
realized I'd found my cause my calling I was like, you know
what, my husband is an officer. He's getting ready to retire.
We don't have to live on my salary, I can work in a
non-profit. We'll be okay you know forget it
let's go into in the nonprofit life to be rich and so I did
that for three and a half years like I said I learned so much
but dot dot dot the frustration that I as a military spouse felt
when trying to talk to a congressional staffer about
veteran legislation and that staffer had no military
connection whatsoever. There were days I felt like I
was going to pull out my hair and so I knew if I was this
Rated as quote unquote, just a military spouse.
I can't imagine how actual veterans who are in the veteran
advocacy space and let's face it, most of better and advocacy
people are veterans or there may be still reservists and guard.
And you know, whatever I can't imagine how frustrated they were
or can be if I was as frustrated as I was here.
So I had heard of Hill that I knew all about them fellow DC
veteran, nonprofit had been to several of their monthly
networking socials. Then the pandemic hit and of
course, life changed as we all know it.
But when this position came open about just a little over a year
ago, I had no life for different people.
Ping me, like Joe, do you need to apply for this job?
You'd be perfect for this job. This job again, the network, the
network was alerted. You, this is it for you pretty
much and I actually have a decent Network.
And I've probably never even met in person most of these people.
So it just it's an interesting piece of Kind of just how it is
of how important networking truly is.
So, I applied for the position, it took a minute to get through
the application process and the interviewing process and all
that. But I started in January of this
year as director of programs nice.
So since everyone said it was perfect for you.
How you feeling? I love it when when everyone was
like, oh this job just came open and you need to apply for it.
I heard of Hill that's been to a couple of other things but I
looked into it more deeply as Does and he'll Vex Mission at
its core to be a support system for the DC veteran Community,
particularly those in the public policy realm, and to increase
the voice of the military connected community.
In public policy making I was all in that's a big roll.
It it because like I said, the frustration, I felt trying to
talk about veteran legislation with someone who had no idea
what I was talking about is proof positive that we Need more
people who would know what I'm talking about in Capitol Hill,
offices, and so, I am. I'm all-in, I love Hill.
That's his mission. I'm 100% on board with it.
I do truly love our mission and I love the people.
I meet everyone in this space is amazing.
And I love hearing everybody's stories of how how did you get
to DC and become interested in public policy making as a
veteran or as a spouse or as all whatever You know, it's just
it's great and you guys have helped place a number of
veterans and spouses in two positions within the hill or in
policy or into nonprofits in the region to do advocacy for
veterans and others, right? We certainly have so
programmatically. We kind of have three pillars.
Let's say the Hallmark program of Hill, vets is the hill.
That's fellowship. And basically that is a program
in which we act as the scaffolding.
I like to say to support a transitioning service member
veteran guard reservist or gold star family member to help them
find their own Fellowship in a Capitol Hill office.
And when we say Fellowship, we're talking about six ish
months. And we're talking about doing
substantive policy work. Just like a staffer would do.
This is not an internship. Our folks are not making coffee
and copies. These, that would be horrible,
right? And don't get me wrong interns,
there's a role for interns, I'm not being disparate to those
folks, but that's not what our people are.
Our folks have completed, bachelor's degrees at a minimum,
most of them have more than that not to mention whatever
schooling they went through in the military.
So, you know, our folks, the idea Is that they will be
learning. Truly what it is.
To be a staffer. We consider this to be an entry
level type of a thing. You have a great example.
Right now you have a see, a soldier who wants to get a
position on the hill. He is currently a fellow.
So yeah, Jonathan Pierce is actually a Marine Corps
reservist. She's a drilling reservist he
drills once a month. Interesting least has to past
fly. All the way to Oregon to do his
drilling but he makes it work. He is currently an inn.
In house fellow and I'll talk about Hill, that's housed in a
minute, he has a background in civil Affairs.
And I will tell you. He has received his placement
offer and has accepted it, but only verbally hasn't come in
writing yet. So I don't want to say who it
is, he will start in a house office right after the new year.
January, 3rd or 4th or whatever it is.
He applied, he stayed in house. He went through the training,
right? I mean, how did his process work
so well? Process of becoming a Hilbert's
fellow is actually pretty simple.
I think by comparison to a lot of other programs that are out
there and we have basically, two requirements for our applicants.
You have to have a completed bachelor's degree.
And again, transitioning service member veteran Guard, Reserve
Gold Star Family Member. You tick those boxes.
You can apply the application. You send us your resume cover
letter and I do the initial sort of evaluation On that.
And then I contact the applicant and either say no thank you.
It doesn't look like you're going to be the right fit and I
have actually had to do that. Just since January or I ask them
if we can get on a phone call. And so I start with a phone,
call one, because I want it to be a very personal experience
for the applicant and I'm big on expectation management and I
want the applicant to go into the rest of the application
process with eyes wide open, so that there will be no.
Is they can ask me all their questions about the logistics of
the fellowship about compensation and benefits or in
our case, the lack thereof all the things and they can then
decide if this is definitely the fellowship for me and I'm going
to move forward or okay. No thank you but I make it clear
even to those folks if he'll vets can still help you in any
way. If our vast Hill, that's
Community Network, can help you in your goals, please continue
still reach out, still use us. Us as a resource.
So we are a resource for any veteran or military connected
person, not just those whom we deem, you know, worthy of our
programs or who choose to use our programs.
We're still a huge resource. So after that initial phone
call, if the applicant decides Yep this is for me, I'm going to
move forward, we asked for a writing sample, we check
references and we do a one-hour formal interview with myself and
a member of the board of directors.
We Do that by Zoom because obviously our applicants are all
over everywhere. I mean, we have I have an
applicant right now. I believe he's in Bahrain right
now, I don't know. So scheduling a phone call has
been interesting but we you know we've made it work so Then
becomes, then once I say poof, you are a hill vets fellow, yay.
Starts the onboarding process and onboarding is, you know, a
bunch of back-end paperwork and boring stuff like that, but one
of the first things I ask our new fellows to do is to revamp
their resumes. I call it Pilla fiying their
resume. Now, I'm not an HR professional
and I've never worked on the hill so I do as much as I can in
guiding them to he'll, if I their Mm, a.
But that's where our network of a lot of our alums either our
fellowship alums, or even our lead alums Who currently work on
the hill. I then connect our brand-new
fellow with those folks and say here is his or her resume as it
currently stands. Could you take a look, give them
some feedback so that we can move forward.
So we look for, you know, truly anything that we can highlight
and focus on that. Well, Make them super attractive
above and beyond their status as a military connected person to a
congressional office transfer some that's easier than others.
Like I said, this is an entry level program.
A lot of our fellows have never done anything like this kind of
like when Jody joined her first nonprofit and had never done any
advocacy of any kind ever. That is true for our fellows.
These folks do not necessarily have Degrees in Poli SCI public
policy, government relations, whatever.
But they've decided that this is what they think they'd like to
be when they grow up, you prepping before they jump in the
deep end. Exactly, exactly.
So that's why we exist. It is the hill right?
For you. We have had fellows
historically, prior to my tenure, with the organization
who have finished their fellowship and and gone.
Nope, I want no part of this little Hill is not for
everybody. It's just not A lot of times you
look behind the curtain and don't like what you see and
that's okay. That and again that's part of
why we're here with kind of like a try it before you buy it so to
speak. Kind of a thing, the fellowship.
So saves saves those people from committing a lot of time and
money and I've been a horrible place that they're like, I just
can't stay on this. What am I doing here?
Exactly. Exactly.
Because as we all know here in DC, it's about who you know it
really is, it just did whether you agree.
With it or think it's right wrong or otherwise, it just is.
That's how you get a job in this town is you got to know
somebody. And so if these
military-connected folks, without a hill that's
Fellowship, opportunity had just come to d.c. blindly and started
trying to be hired. As a staffer on Capitol Hill,
they would very likely find it. As frustrating as I did going,
trying to get jobs, because they wouldn't know anybody.
And they're just another resume in a pile and It would be very
frustrating for them so what we do to help our brand new fellows
find their optimal placement. I have sort of what I call free
buckets, we have Hill vets fellowship ambassador's and you
can find those on our website. We have a think it's 44 right
now, though, we do have four who did not run for re-election.
They are retiring from politics, so we're going to lose those
folks, but I think we have 44 right now, both Chambers both
sides of the The aisle even fairly extreme sides of the
aisle because he'll vets is 100% nonpartisan.
We are non issue based we do not do any advocacy of our own.
We do not sign on to issue letters or anything like that.
So if a fellow wants to try to get into an AOC office or even a
Marjorie Taylor, green office, we are going to help them do
that regardless of our personal feelings of either of those more
extreme. Either side of the aisle.
So that works well, because most military members been beaten in
our heads to accept that people who are elected or there by the
people, and you support them. So, I'm sure that a lot of the
vets that come in there can digest that better than the
average person, but then they still have their own.
Yeah, they're on tendency. So they're going to go after
them and in find that that position that makes them fit
best or they'll get out. Yeah.
So okay with you that was one program.
Can you talk through the other two?
Programs sure. So the second one is not so much
a program as it is staying true to our Roots about the
importance of networking. I've mentioned it numerous times
already the importance of networking meeting people
connecting with people, this town is about who, you know,
he'll that's was started as a group of veterans who worked on
the hill and got together and drink, not even going to
sugarcoat that that's just how he'll that's got started.
So we stay true to those roots and we offer monthly.
Events that are free and open to the public right now.
They're being held the first Thursday of every month at one
specific place, but into 2023. We're going to mix that up a
little bit. Kind of, make them new and fresh
every month. Those are free and open to the
public. You do not have to be a fellow
or lead, Protege, or even in the hill.
That's community on our radar to attend.
You don't even have to be military-connected.
We put these events out on Facebook, I share them from
there. I share them on LinkedIn.
Tin. So literally anybody who wants
to can come, we even buy the first round of drinks.
Wow, quite a little light food. First round of drinks is on us
but the idea is to meet people to meet people who have similar
interests or possibly art completely different from you.
Because that is a whole that a lot of people fall into when
their networking. Everybody is just like them
because that's comfortable and safe and not that there's
anything wrong with it. But meeting People who do not
have the exact same experiences as a person.
Is it can open far more doors in terms of networking than if
everybody is just like you. So, that's why these are bring
everybody and their brother, as long as they're old enough to
drink. We're good because meeting
people is meeting. People is meeting people,
networking is networking is networking, you never know when
someone you met at XYZ place and talk to about their Their dog,
you know, whatever might come in handy when you are job hunting
because you never know. You don't know what you're going
to do in 10 years. No, I certainly don't know what
I'm going to be doing in 10 years.
That's kind of its not so much a program as it is but action or
practice you guys. It's kind of a practice, that's
a good way of putting it, but it is integral to our program.
And as a matter of fact, our fellows part of their
Fellowship, they have a requirement from us, they Has to
do a certain amount of their own networking.
There is that they actually have a networking tracker, a
spreadsheet, that is a live document that they fill out as
they go. And I can check on my end to
make sure they are not just relying on us to make their own
connections, that they are making their own connections,
that they are having coffees with people that they are
reaching out to strangers on LinkedIn, you know, we could do
a whole podcast on the importance of length we could.
So I attest I tell our fellows, my personal experiences with
LinkedIn and my husband is retiring 1 January.
He was originally going to retire and the pandemic hit.
So he pulled his retirement papers and spent the pandemic
networking on LinkedIn. He is like that working on
LinkedIn, success story. And so, I share that with our
fellows and with other people of don't discount how important
online platforms, can be to network a person can be in your
network. You've never met them in person.
Sure, we're still in your, you know, there's still somebody,
you know, in a professional ish capacity, who could be as use
some day, not of you, someday you might be of use to them.
So we recognize and embrace the validity and value and
importance of networking. Well, Jodi if you don't mind,
I'm gonna plug a friend of mines.
Networking class, it's free. That his name is Jordan
Harbinger and he has a podcast, and he has Free online courses
for people on how to network how to dive into all the contacts,
you have and start building a structure for keeping them in a
warm Network and then how to reach out to new people, how to
reach out to people that you feel are in a senior position
and talking to them, it's a great program.
It's free. He does it because it helps save
him from a miserable job. So Jordan, Harbinger.com check
it out. I will and I will actually ask
you when we're done. I love to, you know, have you
send me information about him? Our awesome friend event.
So that's a good thing in our onboarding, for both our
fellowship and our lead program, giving resources, Professional
Resources, that veterans, and anybody can just kind of have
under their belt. I'm all about having more
resources so I absolutely will will share that opportunity with
our fellows and so that brings me to program number.
Three is our lead program, LED stands for leadership Ethics
advocacy, and dedication can say dedication to self, cause
purpose, whatever just dedication.
We are about to start lead cohort. 8 lead cohort, 8 will
begin at the end of January. Solely date is currently
scheduled to begin Tuesday, January 31st.
Once a week, it's held in the evenings at Hill vets house,
which is on 12th Street Southeast in between
Independence Avenue and Lincoln Park.
We have a whole basement, common area that we use for our Lead
program we bring in expert guest speakers in a range of topic
areas and expertise areas. The lead program is for anyone
who is sort of mid career level in their lives.
So a me, a you major ish level gunny ish level or whatever.
I only know Marine Corps speak. So I'm not trying to exclude
other services and a disclosure. I was a member of lead six.
You were, that's yeah. And I painted.
So that's part of the reason I want to bring on the podcast
because I felt like the connections I made where
tremendous. I mean I met the you know
leaders of Wounded Warrior Project a couple Congressional
members and some former secretaries of defense that was
amazing. Yeah so when now interestingly
when you went through lead lead six it was 12 weeks lead is now
16 weeks and it is only once a year.
It is a leadership development program at it's sort of core.
It does have a military slant to it.
It does have sort of a policy slant to it, but you don't have
to be in either of those areas to go through lead because at
its core. It truly is a leadership
development course. And so, the expert guest
speakers, we bring in every week, our leaders in whatever
their field is. As an example, we have had like,
you said members of congress, former cabinet secretaries, we
have Congressional staffers, as our expert guest speakers, we
have leaders from the vs Oak. We've had VA press secretaries.
We've had Chiefs of staff's from federal agencies during the lead
7 earlier in 2022. We had the former commandant of
the Marine Corps General above nellore.
I mean, you name it. We've had someone in a similar
type of a roll Two Nuts is kind of what I call it right?
And something I would bring up is that it's both on-site and
remote so if you don't live in d.c. you can still participate.
You can still dial in and be in these conversations and
typically from what I remember they would have the person come
in and it would talk a little bit about their experiences and
give some recommendations. And then they go around the
internet in the room and people can ask questions and they can
talk and they can do follow-ups. Usually give a contact to so.
And so it's valuable for anyone who wants to be involved in that
level of discussion and it's wonderful.
I leave 7 earlier this year was obviously my first experience
with it as a staffer though. Kapkan six your cap con.
I did actually attend just as an attendee I had applied for my
job by then. So I was like, let me attend
capcom's, see what it even is so that I can, you know, kind of
eyes wide open go into this position.
If I get it, I did get it. So at least I had Seen a Capcom
from that side. Interestingly cap Khan is now,
two days yours was one day Captain is now two days and
actually for lead eight expanding the fire teams, we're
going to have more fire teams with different topics.
Keeping the original Three of defense and National Security
veterans and military families and media.
And Communications we're expanding, we're going to have
one that's intelligence and cybersecurity one that is D EI
and one that is foreign. Relations or international
relations. I haven't TI diversity equity,
and inclusion, diversity, equity and inclusion.
Okay. My apologies, I should have said
it that way, no problem. And the lead cohort will plan
and Implement a significant portion of the Capcom event.
As you're aware, what? Fire team were you on high
defense, six? Okay.
That's, and I figured, you probably were either defense or
veterans. Just given your background
though. Now, with this.
Podcast you could be considered like a media Communications type
of a person so I was I was competing with Michael Levine
for that one, so I was out. Hi.
So the lead cohort as a full cohort decides on the overall
theme of the Capcom event. For example, lead 7 decided on
the theme of recruit retain reinvent and you know who knows
what Lee date will decide on. But that way cap, Khan is
co-workers and it looks and it's going to be a value to them the
protégées. That's what we call our lead,
participants, it's a value to them, they have ownership of it
because they decided on the theme now under that General
theme each fire team, then plans 100% their own panel for Capcom,
they decide there, Panels titles, they reach out to
speakers that are of interest to them and who can speak to what
their specific fireteam focus is Under the Umbrella of the
greater Capcom theme someone from the fire team is the
moderator of that panel. I mean, when we say they plan
and Implement their panel, we mean by a plan and Implement
their panel now. Obviously, he'll that's does all
the logistical stuff. We get the place in the time and
we pay for things and whatnot. We We also have certain partners
and sponsors of the lead program, who then do their own
panels and have keynote speakers and that kind of thing, but a
vast majority of cap. Khan is cohort lead, sure.
So I think that's amazing. A lot of times you take a
leadership development course and your culminating thing is
you write a paper. Well, who wants to do that
sounds like screaming. Like I wrote enough papers in
grad school. I don't want to write your
papers, you know, and we recognize that we recognize
that, you know, these folks, they all have jobs.
These are mid-career level, folks, many of them are often
active duty. A large portion of lead 7, were
DOD fellows and so this was right up there.
Rally. But everybody has day jobs, we
recognize that and lead. Seven kept Khan seven was
fantastic. Granted it was my only one as on
staff at Hill vets but I thought it was wonderful.
There are generally evening functions that go along with cap
con, like a reception kind of a thing Capcom is completely free
and open to the public in the couple of weeks before.
Cap con, we start sharing the actual panel titles and things
like that. And as As is true with any
conference attendees, come and go.
It's a full two days. Attendees might be interested in
the nine am panel and then the next day's, 1:00 panel, for
example, and so people are going to come and go and do that kind
of thing. And that's that's good.
Plus, we live stream it as well. You know, one thing I noticed is
that whether I was in a good mood, I'd had a great day or I'd
had a horrible day and I was going to loan or a terrible.
There everyone was sympathetic and they were always open and
welcoming, and I never felt like, I was battling a click or
that I didn't fit. And I think that anyone who's
not comfortable jumping into a new environment that this one is
very welcoming and that the people work hard to be open and
friendly and interesting. So, it helps you to grow in your
own development. I love hearing that, you know, I
think you're actually the first person who's ever articulated
that to me, obviously, I've Only been staff for one cohort but I
love hearing that I am going to use your story.
I'm just going to tell you right now.
I'm going to use your story going forward about no.
Another advantage of the lead program.
I'm absolutely. I'm totally going to Pirate your
words. So if you want to talk a little
bit about he'll bet house. Yeah, he'll that house.
When we were originally founded in 2013, I believe the first
Hill vets fellow was placed in a congressional office. 2014,
there was no housing associated with the hill.
That's Fellowship. The first Hill, vets house was
actually a three bedroom apartment in Crystal City that
far predates my association with the organization.
In July of 2019, we cut the ribbon on he'll bets house.
And like I said, earlier Hill that's house is on 12th Street
in between Independence, Avenue and Lincoln Park.
So it is walkable to Capitol Hill.
Matter of fact, the fellows who choose to live in Hill, that's
house. During their Fellowship.
We actually don't have a way to support them bringing their
vehicle. We're in a residential area, you
need a DC parking permit. We can't provide those and we
tell fellows. This is a walkable area Eastern
Market and Eastern Market Metro is around the corner, turns of
shops and restaurants. There's lots of lots of walkable
stuff in the Metro right there. And and again, I being from the
general DC area, I grew up writing our Metro System, I
think our Metro system is fantastic.
I've Then on a ton of Metro's Subways around the world, but I
think our Metro system is perfectly adequate for what DC
is and we have a metro station, that's like a 10 or 12 minute
walk. And you can then go anywhere
100% walkable to Capitol Hill, which is kind of the point
because that's where our fellows are going to be working.
So basically Hill that's house. We can house up to eight fellows
at any given time and male, female Democrat Republican all
the Has all the ranks. Matter of fact, I don't even
think I know what most of our fellows ranks are because we as
Hill, that's we don't care. They aren't wearing that rank
anymore. So that doesn't matter to us and
a matter of fact, we'd we'd love to get more enlisted as fellows.
So we have four double bedrooms so it's it's not the Taj Mahal
but it is functional and furnished and safe and free.
Time to heal vets live free. Well, you're a little bit,
you're here in d.c. How much would rent be in East
Capitol Hill? Three thousand dollars?
Yeah, our fellows can live in Hill, vets house for free in
East Hill for however, long from the time that I say poof, you
are a hill vets fellow, they can move in immediately, they don't
have to wait until they've received their placement for
gentlemen. I was speaking of earlier
Jonathan who has a civil Affairs background He's lived in Hill
vets house now for six weeks, but won't start his placement
until January, right? So what does he have to move
out? Once he gets his job and his
first paycheck kind of thing? Or how's that work?
Our agreement within house, fellows.
They have 30 days after the last day of their Fellowship to
remain in the house. The idea being they've got a job
and hopefully a paycheck under their belt.
Now, right. That said, We're not going to
kick him to the curb as long as we are not full and and don't
have, you know, people waiting to get into the house.
They were again, we're not going to kick them out that were not
about that. We're not, you know, we're here
to support the veteran Community, not make them
homeless, so grab them off a cliff, got it exactly.
It just depends on their particular Fellowship because
the length of their Fellowship is between the oh, and the
Congressional host office, he'll vets does not dictate your
fellowship, starts X and ends X. We don't get involved in that.
We suggest that it be about six months, because that's truly how
long it takes for someone to really learn how a hill office
works, right? Some offices might want a fellow
for less time. Some offices might want fellows
for longer. Now, you'll notice that I said,
a lot of times our in-house fellows are in House fellows.
We have fellows who do not live in Hill.
Taos, you do not have to live in hell.
That's house to be a Hilbert spello.
We cannot support families or pets because we are technically
a private residence that we rent from someone else.
We have to abide by our lease as well.
And so if people have pets if people, you know, married with
families, then they have their own accommodations.
So our major benefit to being a hill vets, fellow, not only the
help getting you into To Capitol Hill.
But our major benefit is that free housing during the
fellowship. Many congressional host offices
will choose to offer a fellow compensation at some level.
Now, I say it that way because again, he'll vets 100% does not
get involved in that, that is between the fellow and the
Congressional host office, sometimes fellows.
Really need an office to offer them compensation.
And so if they Siva placement offer from an office that cannot
compensate them. They'll turn it down because
they need one that can compensate them and actually on
our end. We don't even track that because
we know Congress is a living breathing changing entity just
because Congressman Chaka tele gave, you know, fellow XYZ a
stipend a year ago does not mean that that Congressman can give
fellow ABC a stipend this time, their budget may have changed
their Staffing, may have I've changed, we don't know that kind
of information, and therefore, we don't get involved.
But again, remember I was talking about that initial phone
call with a brand new applicants, this is explained to
them in intricate detail. I mean, I truly go over all the,
you know, the what ifs and maybes and the whatnot.
Because like I said, I do want applicants to know these kinds
of things Eyes Wide Open, so that if their dream office
offers them a placement, but Compensate them.
They knew that going in that that was a possibility that they
would not get compensated. And they're not like, oh I can't
do this because I can't be compensated and they're possibly
giving up. What could be the greatest
Fellowship experience they could ever have in their dream office,
simply because that office can't compensate them.
So great. Do like I said, expectation
management. I'm very big on that.
And our applicants do go in, knowing that that is the the
financial situation. Therefore, our fellowship is Not
for everyone. And we know that I've had
applicants just this year, since I came on, in January, we have
this conversation and they're like, oh yeah, I can't be
without income for that long and, you know, we go our
separate ways. I asked them to still consider
he'll vets as a resource in their professional lives.
I encourage them if they're local, you know, still come to
our Network important. Yeah.
Still take advantage of us. Our fellowship isn't right for
you but maybe lead would be right.
You, you know, that kind of thing.
So, it's I just love us, just love it.
Well Jodi, we've had an hour or so, let's find your clothes.
What would you like to say? Last pitch anything?
Which you got in a perfect world every Congressional office.
Senate and House would have a military connected person on
their staff. The veteran Community, the
military connected Community, as a Subset of the US population is
one of the most diverse educated subsets that there is we are all
genders, all Races, all nationalities, all levels of
Education. Even if you never have a college
degree, education is still education.
Military folks are resilient. Motivated.
Honest, and loyal. They're they're committed Marine
Corps, you know, honor, courage, and commitment.
I mean, you know, that doesn't go away our folks just because
of their military connectedness have incredibly high integrity.
And so I do, you think that that honesty and integrity and
mindset that hard work mindset, that the military and Views, it
is soldiers. As these people go into working
in advocacy or Congressional positions helps bring that to
our government as well. Oh, 100% 100%.
Okay, and then he'll fetch is the bridge for people to get
there. We certainly want it to be that.
That is our goal is, is to be that support system for the
veteran community in the DC area, primarily in the public
policy. Realm of the world in whatever
way we can be. Whether it be that Fellowship
help education through the lead program, the sense of community
through our networking events and obviously housing for our
fellows who choose to take it, you know, utilize the advantage
of living in Hill that's house. So I just can't say enough good
things about Hilda. I mean, I really didn't have to
because I'm kind, I'm cutting you off.
But let me say Jodi and the That's Foundation.
Thank you for coming on. When see a podcast.
I think this has been great. You're very, welcome, Jack.
I relish this opportunity and I'm so, so thankful that you
asked me and he'll vets to join you today.
I hope that even if one listener benefits from hearing about Hill
vets, I've utilized my time to the best of my ability.
So, you know, hopefully there's one person out there going.
Yes, this is for me, and they go to our website.
Dot org and they look at us and see what we're all about and
decide that this is a resource they'd like to take advantage of
and we will welcome them with open arms.
Okay, thank you, absolutely thanks for tuning into one.
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