Military Life Cycle and Transition Summit 2025

Clyde J. “Butch” Tate retired as a Major General from the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps in 2014. He last served as the Deputy Judge Advocate General, one of the top two military attorneys in the Army. He is now the chief counsel of All Rise and an advisor and advocate for national, state, and local initiatives addressing the legal needs of military personnel, veterans, and families.  General Tate’s Army career included service as liaison to Congress, ethics official, nearly a decade as legal advisor to special operations and airborne units, senior legal advisor for the Multinational Corps in Iraq, commandant of the army judge advocate general’s legal center and school, and chief judge of the Army’s Court of Criminal Appeals. In 2013, General Tate was awarded the prestigious Hispanic National Bar Association’s Presidential Award for leadership, advocacy, and service.

LaKendric Williams is a Senior Community Investor for the Boeing Global Engagement Great Lakes team. He has been employed with the Boeing Company for 5 years. LaKendric has worked within the Aerospace/Defense industry for 9 years; previously employed with the Northrop Grumman Corporation in Rolling Meadows, IL. He and his wife, Michel, have a home in the South suburbs. 

LaKendric holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a minor in Business Administration from Rust College located in Holly Springs, Mississippi. 

In addition, he graduated with an MBA from Claflin University, an HBCU located near Charleston, South Carolina. He was awarded the United States Department of Transportation Dwight D. Eisenhower Fellowship for two consecutive years and studied in the United Kingdom. 

Greg Sanchez is a U.S. Navy veteran specializing in creating impactful programs for military-affiliated students and veterans writ large. 

Currently serving as the Assistant Director for the Office for Military-Affiliated Communities at the University of Chicago, Greg leads comprehensive initiatives to empower underserved populations. He is the lead for UChicago's Veterans Restorative Justice Project, collaborating with the Circuit Court of Cook County, community organizations, and UChicago’s professional schools to provide rehabilitation and support for veterans involved in the justice system.

Dr. Erin K. McFee is the Founder and President of the Corioli Institute, a global “think and do tank” focused on the reintegration of formerly armed actors (FAAs) and the promotion of security, resilience, and social cohesion in violence-affected communities. A political anthropologist by training, Dr. McFee has conducted extensive fieldwork in over a dozen countries since 2010—working with military veterans, ex-guerrillas, former insurgents, and reintegrating gang members across Latin America, Africa, the Arab region, and Eurasia. Her work spans from the frontlines of conflict to regional policy dialogues, supporting initiatives on the nexus of climate, human, and hard security.

Dr. McFee is also a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council and a recognized expert in Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR), serving on the International Organization for Migration’s roster of specialists. Her research has informed international and national strategies on veteran reintegration in Ukraine, security sector reform in the Horn of Africa, and stabilization programs in the Middle East and North Africa. A UKRI Future Leaders Fellow and Fulbright-Hays awardee, she holds a PhD and MA from the University of Chicago, an MBA from Simmons University, and executive certificates from the Harvard Kennedy School and the Geneva Graduate Institute.

James Allbright is veteran currently working as a commercial banker with J.P. Morgan in Chicago, IL. He retired from the Army in March 2024 as a Chief Warrant Officer 4 after 21 years of service. James was a career intelligence professional, enlisting in the Army as an interrogator in 2002 after September 11th, and later transitioning to be an area intelligence officer. He served overseas for 33 months during two combat deployments to Afghanistan and one to Iraq. James joined J.P. Morgan through their Military Pathways Development Program in 2024, and he now works in their Multinational Corporations banking team. He participated in the Commit Foundation and the Honor Foundation transition programs. James graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Economics and the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California with a Master of Science in Security Studies. James is married to the former Andrea Marie Kenny of Madison, WI. They have a daughter, Madison, a junior at the University of South Carolina, majoring in biological sciences.

Kwame K. Crawford is the Chairman of Windsor, Banahene, Consilium & Holdings Co., a boutique government consulting and management firm, and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Chicago Black Policy Review at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy. He most recently served as the third Deputy Director of the Cook County Department of Veterans Affairs.

Kwame’s decade-long public service career spans the federal, state, and local levels—reflecting a deep and enduring commitment to advancing good governance and equitable access to public institutions. His service began in Washington, D.C., as a Non-Commissioned Petty Officer in the United States Navy, where he provided operational support to commands both afloat and ashore, domestically and abroad. He later managed key defense programs, including the U.S. Army’s Safe Helpline Program at the Pentagon.

Upon transitioning to civilian service, Kwame served as Defense and Veterans Outreach Manager for U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois. He then developed and led a volunteer corps of veterans who provided peer support to justice-involved veterans in the Veterans Treatment Courts of the Illinois Circuit Court of Cook County, under the Office of the Chief Judge.

Guided by principles of cultural intelligence, innovation, and servant leadership, Kwame embraces a people-first approach. His unwavering dedication to veterans, civilians, and service members reflects his broader mission: to help build more inclusive, accessible, and responsive government institutions.

A leading advocate for veterans charting new chapters of service, Jonathan “JD” Due currently serves as the Executive Director of the Center of Military Transition at the Mason School of Business at William & Mary. A 20-year veteran of the US Army, JD has served extensively in the non-profit space in both volunteer & advisory positions as well as the Director of Programs & Scholarships at the Pat Tillman Foundation.

In 2024, JD was named as one of 10 Veteran Fellows currently serving at Stanford University's Hoover Institute, where he researches and develops solutions to empower veterans and transitioning service members in their search for productivity, fulfillment, and resilience as they enter the civilian workforce.

Mario Ferenczak is a United States Marine Corps Veteran and Rising Second Year at the University of Chicago. Born and raised in Illinois, Mario spent much of his life in and around Chicago. He enlisted in the Marine Corps during his senior year of high school and went to boot camp shortly after graduating in May of 2019. During his service, he traveled to northern Europe while deployed with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit. After completing his active duty contract in 2023, Mario returned home to Illinois, where he prepared to utilize his education benefits to go to school. He applied and got accepted to the University of Chicago, where he is currently planning to study Public Policy, with an interest in government affairs. Mario enjoys history, traveling, politics, and meeting new people.

Manuel Gomez is the founder of Vet Phoenix, a pioneering nonprofit led by formerly incarcerated veterans who are also scholars and social workers. A U.S. Navy veteran who spent five years incarcerated in the California Department of Corrections, Gomez has transformed his lived expertise into a national platform for systemic reform. He has secured tens of millions of dollars to design and scale diversion systems, build barrier-free housing, and implement support structures grounded in evidence-based practices and research frameworks. 

Gomez has received national awards, multiple congressional recognitions, and was recently recommended for a gubernatorial pardon by the California Board of Parole. His unique power comes from combining his military service, carceral background, and academic training to craft solutions that no single lens could create. As an Associate Clinical Social Worker and Certified Peer Specialist, he embodies the “wounded healer” ethic, proving that those closest to the problem are also closest to the solution. 

A proud father of five, Gomez grounds his vision in family and community, while showing that leadership from the margins can redefine entire systems and reimagine what justice can look like in America. 

Corrine E. Hinton, PhD, is a veteran studies scholar, qualitative researcher, and President of the Veterans Studies Association (2025–2027). She serves as the Dean of Humanities, Arts, Communication, and English at Lincoln Land Community College (Springfield, Illinois). In the field of veteran studies, her areas of expertise include teaching, learning, and writing about the transitional experiences of student veterans in higher education, as well as the experiences of military caregivers. Her research has been published in Generation Vet: Composition, Student-Veterans, and the Post-9/11 University, The Journal of Veterans Studies, and Composition Forum.

Dr. Hinton is an Alumni Fellow with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation for military caregivers (2017–2019) and serves on the Executive Board of the SALUTE Veterans National Honor Society. She is also a military caregiver to her husband, Tyron, a retired infantry Marine who served multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan during his nearly 20-year career. Additionally, she is the daughter of two retired Air Force veterans and an exhausted mom-in-academia to a rambunctious 11-year-old.

Ricky Holder was born and raised in abject poverty in the city of San Bernardino, California. At age nine, he was placed in the foster care system. He spent ten years in foster care and moved over half a dozen times. Upon emancipating from the system, he enlisted in the United States Navy as an Information Systems Technician. He served in the Navy for six years and was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, and Yokosuka, Japan, the latter of which was aboard the USS Chancellorsville (now the USS Robert Smalls). 

After separating from active duty in 2017, he enrolled at Foothill College, where he studied Economics. While at Foothill, he was involved in a range of activities. He founded the Student Veterans of Foothill College and served as its first president. He served as the school's representative in the Student Senate of California Community Colleges. He helped organize the Summit on Student Homelessness. He worked with various partners on campus to launch a statewide advocacy campaign to expand the California Chafee Grant, a key financial aid tool for current and former foster youth. 

He transferred to the University of Chicago in 2019 and studied Public Policy, specifically focusing on Inequality. During his four years at UChicago, he was highly involved in the school's Institute of Politics (IOP). His engagement at the IOP was marked by a number of formative experiences, including moderating a conversation with former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, discussing child welfare policy and public service with former Congressman Beto O’Rourke, and serving as Co-Chair of the Institute’s Student Advisory Board. He also organized the IOP’s first-ever panel on the child welfare system, visited the 2020 Iowa Caucuses, interned with the Office of Illinois Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, and took part in numerous other initiatives that deepened his commitment to public service and policy. 

He graduated from UChicago in 2023 as the inaugural recipient of the Hugo F. Sonnenschein Medal of Excellence, the university’s highest undergraduate honor. As one of the Class Speakers, he addressed his peers and their families during Class Day, where he reflected on the importance of public service and the enduring responsibility of UChicago graduates to serve as engines of human enrichment. Having earned the Marshall Scholarship in 2023, he earned an MPhil in Comparative Social Policy at the University of Oxford in June 2025, where he studied how advanced countries prevent families from being dismantled. 

Now, he’s a Senior Program Associate, KIN Accelerator with Think of Us, where he’s working to develop kin-first policies in his beloved home estate of California 

He intends on dedicating his life to eradicating child poverty, reforming the child welfare system, and strengthening working families. His biggest accomplishment is marrying his high school sweetheart, Leslie. 

Brenden Jones served in the U.S. Army as an Infantryman and later as a Team Leader at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, where he trained and mentored soldiers and represented the Army in multinational exercises with Indian forces. After completing his service, he brought the same discipline and leadership to the University of Chicago, where he is pursuing a degree in Economics.

At UChicago, Brenden was elected President of the Veteran Scholar Association, where he has worked to rebuild the community of veteran students. Under his leadership, the organization has expanded programming, fostered stronger connections across class years, and partnered with university offices to strengthen resources for veterans on campus.

Nick Macius is a US Marine veteran and spent four years as an infantry officer. Beyond service, he’s a Chicago native and alumnus of the University of Chicago (BA '18, MA '25). This summer, after finishing graduate school he started a writing program for incarcerated veterans at the Cook County Jail. He teaches creative writing, every week in the Jail, in all genres: poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. As a class, they workshop each other’s creative pieces, learn about craft, and discuss readings from a wide range of authors.

Outside of his work with OMAC and in the Jail, he’s working on his own creative projects in fiction, exploring coffee roasters throughout the city, and walking around the South Side with his German Shepherd, Rosa.  

Luke Magyar served in the U.S. Marine Corps for five years from 2017-2022. During his time in active service, he deployed three times before choosing to pursue higher education. Luke applied and was accepted to the University of Chicago in 2021 and is currently in his fourth year, simultaneously earning a BA in Political Science and an MA in International Relations. Luke is also a recipient of the 2025 Truman Scholarship and plans to pursue an additional graduate degree after a few years back in the workforce. For the past three years, Luke has worked with the Corioli Institute, a think-and-do-tank focused on veteran reintegration, as a researcher, writer, and as their Director of Advocacy and Outreach. Additionally, Luke started the Corioli Institute’s Summer Fellows Program and has been the director of the program for the past two years. After graduating in the summer of 2026, Luke plans to pursue a public service career focused on political strategy and policy advocacy. In his free time, Luke enjoys spending time with friends and family and his partner, another graduate of the University of Chicago veteran-scholar program who earned her MA in 2025, as well as taking up new hobbies like fly-fishing and ultrarunning that take him to interesting outdoor places.

Quinton McNair, a retired U.S. Army Master Helicopter Mechanic, turned his personal journey of healing into a mission to uplift others through Strugglebeard Bakery. After serving 24 years in the military, Quinton faced the difficult transition back to civilian life, carrying the invisible weight of PTSD, depression, and the search for purpose. 

The name Strugglebeard itself is a reflection of this journey. It represents not only his battle with mental health but also the challenges of adjusting to life after the military — from struggling to grow a beard as a visible symbol of change, to grappling with 

the early trials of baking itself. What started as a coping mechanism in his kitchen during the pandemic quickly evolved into a therapeutic practice, giving Quinton a new way to channel his energy, discipline, and creativity. Baking became a lifeline. The precision and focus it demanded echoed the meticulous work he once performed maintaining military helicopters. But beyond technique, it offered something deeper: a way to find peace, purpose, and connection in every batch. Each cookie at Strugglebeard Bakery is not just a treat, but a testament to resilience — proof that from struggle comes strength. Today, Strugglebeard Bakery is more than a bakery. It is a safe, welcoming space where mental health is acknowledged and celebrated. Through his work, Quinton uses baking to break down stigma, spark conversations about healing, and create community. The bakery regularly supports local initiatives, offers student and veteran discounts, and is developing mentorship programs that combine baking with life skills and emotional wellness. From life came the struggle. From the struggle came hope and the Strugglebeard Bakery motto, "Life is a struggle but You make it better".

Jon Murphy is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, board certified in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology. He currently serves as the manager of virtual accelerated treatment programs at the Road Home Program.

Jon completed his doctoral training at Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, IL in 2018. As a doctoral student, he was awarded a scholarship through the U.S. Navy’s Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP), which paved a pathway for him to serve as an active-duty clinician. He completed his clinical internship and post-doctoral training at Navy Medical Center Portsmouth in Virginia. As a Navy psychologist, he delivered psychological services for active-duty service members from all branches in a variety of clinical settings, including traditional outpatient clinics and a partial hospitalization program. In 2022, Jon separated from active-duty and joined the Road Home Program.

Jon’s military service began in the U.S. Air Force as a Personnel Officer after he completed the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Detachment 380, Michigan State University in 2007. In the Air Force, he served on active duty from 2007 to 2012 and in the reserves from 2012 to 2014. In 2014, he completed an interservice transfer to the Navy as part of the HPSP. Currently, he serves in the Illinois Army National Guard as a Behavioral Health Officer assigned to the 404th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade at the Normal Readiness Center, Normal IL.

Ryan Pavel serves as Warrior-Scholar Project’s chief executive officer, channeling a deeplyheld conviction that enlisted veterans have unlimited potential to leverage military service into enormous impact in higher education and beyond.

At the age of 17, Ryan enlisted in the Marine Corps, culminating in two non-combat deployments to Iraq. Ryan then earned his B.A. from the University of Michigan and J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. His teaching experience includes working as a Teach For America corps member at an inner-city Detroit high school and as an adjunct instructor at Virginia Military Institute. Ryan has also worked for a variety of legal institutions, including legal aid organizations and a large national law firm.

Ryan is committed to bridging divides through action-oriented civic engagement. He currently serves on the Board of the Union League Club of Chicago, an institution committed to community and country. He has previously served as a fellow in the Obama Foundation Leaders USA program and a working group lead of the George W. Bush Institute’s Veteran Higher Education Task Force.

Ryan loves spending time with his beautiful family, escaping to the outdoors to conquer swing sets or climb mountains.

Adam Peters is a veteran, entrepreneur, and builder whose work spans technology, transformation, and truth. He is the founder of The Strategic Veteran, a podcast and platform dedicated to helping veterans navigate the hardest parts of transition and reinvention. With over 150 conversations recorded, the show has become a trusted resource for veterans and their families, surfacing the raw realities of leaving the military and the strategies for building a meaningful life beyond it. 

As Co-Founder and Chief AI Officer of Alset Technologies, Adam leads the company’s mission to bring organizations into an AI-first future. His work focuses on designing automation systems that help entrepreneurs and businesses reclaim time, optimize workflows, and scale with intention. Alset is building the infrastructure for companies to not just adopt AI, but to embed it into the core of their operations for long-term advantage. 

Adam is also a partner at Amakaya, a plant medicine retreat in the Peruvian Amazon serving veterans, first responders, and their families. Working alongside Shipibo healers, he helps bridge traditional wisdom with modern struggles, offering participants a path of deep healing, clarity, and renewal. 

Across all of his ventures, Adam’s mission is clear: to help people reclaim their time, identity, and freedom in the face of systems that often fail them. His approach is direct, no-nonsense, and grounded in lived experience. Whether speaking to veterans, entrepreneurs, or disruptors, Adam challenges audiences to confront hard truths, reject mediocrity, and design a life that is both sovereign and intentional. 

Kevin Shupe is a U.S. Navy veteran and a 30-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, where he dedicated his career to public safety, leadership, and community service. Throughout his time with LASD, he developed a strong commitment to supporting those who have served in the Armed Forces, recognizing both the strengths and challenges veterans face when transitioning back into civilian life.

He is the co-founder of the Justice Involved Veteran Initiative, created alongside Commander John Gannon (Ret.), which is dedicated to helping veterans navigate the intersection of military service, community reintegration, and the justice system. Through this work, Kevin has been instrumental in building programs that address the unique needs of justice-involved veterans, with a focus on mentorship, opportunity, and second chances.

Kevin continues to advocate for innovative approaches that honor veterans’ service while ensuring they receive the resources, respect, and opportunities they deserve.

Eric M. Sowers, MSW, is a PhD candidate at The Ohio State University College of Social Work, a 2024 Tillman Scholar, and a decorated Army combat veteran. He is the founder and principal consultant of Coyote Consulting, a firm focused on structural coordination, reintegration strategy, and veteran-centered program evaluation. Sowers brings over a decade of lived and applied experience to his work, including grassroots community organizing, peer mentorship for returning veterans, and cross-sector collaboration with public and nonprofit institutions. His research critically examines criminogenic and carceral veterans through the lens of Veteran Critical Theory, with particular attention to the structural functions and limitations of Veterans Treatment Courts. His work interrogates how militarism, trauma, and institutional abandonment shape the criminalization of veterans. He contributed significantly to the development of the STRONG Veterans Act of 2022, co-authoring provisions that expanded the Veterans Justice Outreach Program and enhanced legal and support services for veterans who have been impacted by the justice system.

His dissertation, a pioneering study, explores the lived experiences of veterans currently incarcerated in Los Angeles County, focusing on their navigation of Veterans Treatment Courts and the structural barriers to reintegration and recognition. In partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, he serves as a consultant and investigator on a countywide systems evaluation of veteran justice services, helping to generate trauma-informed, community-driven policy recommendations that are shaping the future of veteran justice services.

He has presented nationally on criminogenic and carceral veterans, including at the Student Veterans of America National Conference and the Pat Tillman Foundation’s Leadership Summit. His research has been featured in Stillman Magazine, Ohio State News, The Columbus Dispatch, and various broadcast media. He is currently co-authoring a book chapter on Veteran Critical Theory that advances structural critiques and community-informed reform strategies. Sowers has also received numerous academic leadership accolades, including the 2025 Outstanding Veteran Student Award, the 2025 Outstanding Graduate and Professional Student Award, and the 2024 Graduate Associate Leadership Award. He has independently taught both undergraduate and graduate courses on social welfare policy, macro practice, and social justice. He is well-prepared to teach across qualitative methods, community organizing, and structural policy reform. He is expected to graduate in Spring 2026.

Danny Wilson is a 26-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, where he has dedicated his career to serving the community with integrity and compassion. The son of an Army veteran and proud father of an Army Reservist and a Navy veteran, Danny’s life has been shaped by a deep connection to military service and the values it instills.

As a key member of the Justice Involved Veteran Initiative, Danny brings both his extensive law enforcement experience and his unwavering passion for supporting veterans to the forefront. He is committed to ensuring that those who have served our nation receive the understanding, resources, and opportunities they deserve when facing challenges within the justice system. Through his work, Danny has become a strong advocate for creating pathways that honor the service of veterans while helping them successfully navigate transitions and overcome obstacles.

His dedication to bridging the gap between law enforcement and the veteran community reflects not only his professional expertise but also his personal mission: to stand by veterans with the same loyalty and respect with which they have served.

Jill Hinton Wolfe is the author of Mission, Tribe & Grace: How Veterans Can Act to Lead Change and founder of Outdoor Book Club, a community that helps women rediscover courage through nature and storytelling. A legally blind Army veteran, Jill blends personal narrative with leadership insight to help veterans navigate transition with clarity, connection, and grace. Her work explores how veterans can lead change in their communities—not despite their lived experiences, but because of them.