As vice president of Military Affairs at Microsoft, Chris Cortez leads the company’s engagement with veterans and military families as part of its focus on inspiring and developing former service members for roles in the IT industry. Chris’ responsibilities touch STEM education, veteran community engagement, high-tech training and employment of veterans. His team’s mission is to lead and challenge the technology industry to fill the IT pipeline with former service members. Chris is an advocate for Microsoft employees who have served in the military and is executive sponsor of the Military Veterans at Microsoft Employee Resource Group. He has worked at Microsoft since 2006.

Chris served for more than 33 years in the U.S. Marine Corps. When he retired in 2004 as a major general, Chris had been leading the Marine Corps Recruiting Command in Quantico, Va., recruiting more than 75,000 men and women. Before that, he was director of operations for the U.S. Pacific Command — overseeing operations for 300,000 military personnel — and he previously commanded Marines at the platoon, company, battalion and regimental levels, including during Operation Desert Storm. Chris not only advocates for education, he also mentors others. It’s something he did in the Marine Corps and has continued to do at Microsoft.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Marietta College in Ohio and a master’s degree in business management from Azusa Pacific University.

Jacqueline graduated from The United States Military Academy at West Point and served in the Army as an Intelligence Officer. Some of her notable assignments include leading an intelligence platoon on a real-world collection mission in the Korean Demilitarized Zone and tours in Kuwait and Jordan. Upon separation from the Army, Jacqueline joined Stryker and has held roles in various departments. She currently leads the national military recruiting program. Jacqueline earned her Master’s in Teaching from the University of Southern California and is a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach. Her hobbies include traveling, mentoring, and playing/ watching sports.

Chuck Kluball joined The Home Depot in 2016 and is currently the leader of the Home Depot’s Military Relations Team which supports military programming and strategies for the company, from internal associate supporting policies and hiring, to external advocacy and partnerships.  Prior to this role, Chuck held roles of increasing responsibility in Supply Chain and US Retail Operations.  He has been an active participant and leader in THD’s Military Associate Resource Group.  Prior to THD, Chuck was a Captain in the US Army and currently acts as a mentor for transitioning veterans through different non-profit organizations.  Chuck holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina and a BA in Political Science from Valdosta State University.

Tom Downs is the Senior Associate, Diversity and Military Talent Acquisition Lead at Booz Allen Hamilton.

Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza is a freelance journalist and From Day One contributing editor who writes about work, the job market, and women’s experiences in the workplace. Her work has appeared in the BBC, The Washington Post, Quartz at Work, Fast Company, and Digiday’s Worklife.