Volcker Alliance Launches “Service to Service,” A New Initiative To Connect Veterans and Military Families to Meaningful Careers in Public Service

New York, NY – Today the Volcker Alliance launched the Service to Service initiative, a partnership with We the Veterans to help schools of public service connect veterans and military families with public service education pathways and propel them into stable and impactful careers in public leadership.

The veteran community, estimated to include over 17 million Americans, is an intuitive and promising demographic to more intentionally channel into public service careers. In constructing a military-to-civilian service pipeline, governments and schools of public service stand to attract a socio-economically and racially diverse group of leaders. What is more, veterans and military families are a well-networked, easily mobilized, and service-oriented group of Americans. The veteran community also holds incredibly high levels of public trust—approximately 70% of Americans have confidence in veterans to “do what’s right” for America. By connecting veterans and military family members to opportunities to serve again through public service, we can leverage the widespread public trust of the veteran community to shore up confidence in government and democratic institutions.

“Public trust in veterans is universal and unwavering across America. Importantly, that trust extends to military family members who share a strong commitment and sense of duty to this country,” said Ellen Gustafson, co-founder and executive director of We the Veterans. “As Service to Service Fellows, veterans and military families will embark on postgraduate studies that build on their leadership skills, tap into their patriotism, and position them to bring that trust to influential civic roles.”

The initiative includes 12 schools of public service that are members of the Deans Summit, a collaborative network of schools that confer degrees in public policy, public administration, public affairs, and related fields. Service to Service schools will recruit veterans and military family members into master’s degree programs at schools of public service, provide them with a meaningful cross-campus fellowship experience that encourages network building and professional development, and facilitate placement in state and local government jobs upon graduation. Participating schools include:

• Arizona State University
• Cornell University
• Pepperdine University
• Syracuse University
• The Ohio State University
• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• University of Arkansas
• University of California, Berkeley
• University of Central Florida
• University of Kentucky
• University of Michigan
• University of Missouri

“Trust in government is at an all-time low and state and local governments are struggling to recruit talent with the skills needed for effective service delivery,” said Sara Mogulescu, president of the Volcker Alliance. “The veteran community is a diverse, highly trusted, and service-oriented group of leaders that, with more intentional engagement, is uniquely positioned to fill leadership positions in state and local government.”

Participating schools plan to enroll veterans and military-connected students as Service to Service Fellows for Fall 2025.

“Service to Service is one of the clearest demonstrations of the value of the Deans Summit,” said David Van Slyke, dean of the Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs at Syracuse University and chair of the Deans Summit Steering Committee. “Convening deans who have a shared priority of improving the field of public service and diversifying the voices within it.”

Visit the Service to Service webpage to learn more.

###

Media Inquiries, please contact: Idalis Foster | ifoster@volckeralliance.org