Shelby Mounts on Building a Career After the Military—and Helping Others Do the Same with NextOp Veterans

ChangeMakers

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Shelby Mounts, who reflects on his 25 years of service with the US Navy and highlights the leadership lessons learned and his journey to becoming Executive Director of NextOp Veterans, a nonprofit organization focused on connecting veterans and military members to career opportunities. NextOp recruits, develops, and places military members and veterans into industry careers. The organization works one-on-one with enlisted service members and veterans to help translate military training and experiences into valued qualifications in the business community, and the organization works with and supports companies to develop and execute their veteran hiring and retention strategies.

During the interview, Shelby talks about growing up in a US Navy household and how stories of service inspired him in childhood. He shares how his family’s move from Texas to California and then changing schools in San Diego were challenging at the time, but shaped his future and his ability to adapt, learn and grow, and make friends quickly. Shelby talks about some of the childhood lessons he carries with him today, and then discusses his transition into the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. He shares how he was encouraged and selected to attend US Navy Flight School, something he had always dreamed of, and how he progressed as a pilot and officer to lead a helicopter squadron. He talks about some of training and missions, and lessons learned while deployed, and how those experiences have shaped his ability to support and empower his team.

Shelby then talks about his process of transitioning out of the military, which started when he was on a special assignment as a Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellow at Shell Oil in New Orleans, LA, and then on tours at the Pentagon, which allowed him to build and leverage his network of personal relationships that opened a door for a new corporate opportunity. He then talks about the important work that NextOp Veterans is doing to help military members and veterans, like himself, with that same transition into industry careers and opportunities. He shares some of this history and growth for the nonprofit organization, talks about some of their key strategies and recent successes, and how they are partnering with other organizations to create a system that benefits the veterans and military members, education institutions and training programs, companies, and our communities. He wraps up with how the community can help support their efforts, the power of hiring veterans and words of encouragement for companies looking to gain a competitive advantage with veterans on their team.

Visit https://nextopvets.org to learn more about NextOp Veterans.

About Shelby Mounts:
Shelby Mounts brings more than 30 years of experience in Defense and Industry leadership roles to NextOp Veterans.

His private industry roles include CEO of Riverside Consulting Services, LLC, a small, independent Government Consulting services company, Chief Commercial Officer and EVP of Sales for Vita Inclinata Technologies, and Director of Defense Aerospace and Maritime Business Development at Allegheny Technologies Inc (ATI). In each case, the focus was development of relationships, positive outcomes and growth.

Shelby’s Government experience included service in the US Navy for 25 years, where he retired as a Captain. After graduating from Annapolis with a Bachelor of Science degree, Shelby served four years as a Surface Warfare Officer, including deployed time in South America, the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East, then was selected to attend US Navy Flight School.

After earning his wings as a helicopter pilot, Shelby progressed as a pilot and officer, accumulating 2500 flight hours as an operator and two time instructor. This period included numerous deployments to the Middle East and Western Pacific Ocean supporting Navy and Marine Corps operations from San Diego,CA, Guam, and Japan, and a tour leading a helicopter squadron with 500 people and 19 helicopters in Norfolk, VA.

His staff assignments included a joint assignment at US Special Operations Command in Tampa, FL, two tours at the Pentagon in a variety of Navy Staff resourcing and operations positions, and a special assignment as a Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellow at Shell Oil in New Orleans, LA. Shelby also completed a Master of Science through the University of San Diego Business School.

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