Tommy Rieman is the Director of Philanthropy for Veterans Bridge Home, where he is responsible for development and donor cultivation. He believes veterans face many inaccurate stigmas to overcome. And with the right structure and support, they quickly become empowered to the point where they are able to take over companies.

Tommy served 15 years in the US Army as an infantryman and was deployed three times. His favorite job in the Army was his time on a LRS (Long Range Surveillance) Team. Tommy is a Silver Star & Purple Heart recipient. He was featured as a guest in President George Bush’s 2007 State of the Union Address.

Fun facts: There is a video game character and an action figure modeled after Tommy, and he’s a key cast member in the movie “Halfway Home” with Martin Sheen.

Organized by America’s Warrior Partnership, the Warrior Community Integration Symposium is an opportunity to share best practices, find innovative solutions, and form new collaborative partnerships to better help the veterans in their communities address the work challenges they sometimes encounter when making the transition to civilian life. 

WorkingNation set up its cameras at the Symposium and interviewed the speakers and attendees about the important issue of helping veterans deal with workforce challenges. You can follow the conversation on our social media under the hashtag #WorkingNationOverheard.

Read more about the event here.