Syracuse University’s Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation, Mike Haynie, and IVMF Advisory Board members Rich Jones ’09, G’95, L’95 and Ken Fisher were recognized last week by the Nation’s Finest Foundation as members of the Nation’s Finest 50 for their exceptional advocacy work in supporting service members, veterans, and military families. The recognition is part of the Foundation’s 50-year anniversary celebration. Others recognized at the awards gala include renowned figures who have dedicated themselves to advocating for veterans, managing non-profit organizations focused on supporting veterans, or leveraging their celebrity status to assist veterans. Notable recipients include former Senator Elizabeth Dole, award-winning actor Tom Hanks, former Daily Show host and veteran advocate Jon Stewart, and veteran and former daytime talk-show host Montel Williams among others.
Rich Jones, U.S. Army veteran, is executive vice president tax counsel and chief veteran officer at Paramount Global overseeing all veteran-related initiatives for the multinational media company. Jones is also the board chair for Syracuse University’s Office of Veteran and Military Affairs. And Ken Fisher is managing partner of Fisher Brothers, one of the country’s most successful family-owned real estate development companies and chairman and CEO of Fisher House Foundation, carrying on the legacy of his great uncle, Zachary Fisher, overseeing a network of houses that serve as a home away from home for the families of service members and veterans being treated for illness or injury.
Reflecting on the recognition, Dr. Haynie acknowledged working alongside the dedicated team at the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families over the past 15 years. When starting as a professor at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, Haynie created the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities program in 2007. He later established other training programs and subsequently founded the D’Aniello Institute which now operates 14 national programs serving 20,000 military-connected people each year and providing research and analytics for governmental entities, veteran non-profits and large employers as well as driving policy work in Washington, D.C.
“I’m honored and truly humbled to be recognized by the Nation’s Finest Foundation, and to be included among such distinguished company. Over the past 15 years, I’ve been privileged by the opportunity to work with tremendous teammates at the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families,” said Haynie, who served in the U.S. Air Force for fourteen years prior to joining the University.
“This award says more about that team than it does about me, and is a means to celebrate their talents, their passion, and their commitment to the work we do together on behalf of our nation’s veterans and their families,” Haynie said.
The Nation’s Finest Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting America’s military veterans and their families, takes a comprehensive approach to housing, health, and employment, helping them achieve self-sufficiency and reach their full potential. To ensure a fair selection process, the foundation assembled a blue-ribbon panel to review nominations from across the nation and ultimately chose the fifty recipients who would be honored as one of the Nation’s Finest 50.