Get to know:
Ryan Lonergan
Owner of Wisconsin Veteran LLC and host of the Fragout Podcast
Wisconsin Army National Guard veteran Ryan Lonergan says the secret to his success is simple.
“I’m obsessed with what I do,” says the veteran community consultant and advocate. “And I believe obsession will beat talent any day of the week.”
The obsession has indeed paid off. Lonergan was named the Fox Cities Chamber’s 2022 Young Professional of the Year, which is one of many accolades he has received for his work helping companies recruit, hire and retain talent from the military veteran community.
“Companies want to hire veterans, but they don’t know the proper path,” Lonergan says. “They can say they are veteran friendly, but are they veteran ready?”
Lonergan launched Wisconsin Veteran LLC in Appleton in 2019 to help companies answer “yes” to that question. He had spent the previous decade working with veterans transitioning to the civilian workforce — a population that faces unique challenges.
“The military does a really good job of teaching us how to be on a team, but when you get a service member in a job interview, they have a really hard time talking about themselves,” Lonergan says. “They don’t know how to sell themselves.”
Lonergan has worked with more than 3,000 active military members, veterans and their families in securing employment. He has also worked with over 400 businesses and community stakeholders in creating internal cultures that support a veteran workforce — something that can provide big advantages to employers.
“Veterans are dedicated to a cause, and if we are appreciated and morale is high, then we will stick around for five, 10, 20-plus years,” Lonergan says.
As part of his mission, Lonergan also hosts the Fragout Podcast to share information, stories and transitioning advice about the veteran community.
While employment isn’t always the end-all solution for veterans, Lonergan says it can be part of a support network as they navigate reentry into civilian life.
“I don’t think veterans are broken; they come home to a broken system,” he says. “But so many veteran advocates like me are trying to fix that.”
“Made in USA” matters
In 2018, Appleton glassware company BenShot filed suit against a company making false claims that their similar glassware products were “Made in the USA.” On Oct. 17, a jury in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Wisconsin in Green Bay found that Lucky Shot USA and its parent company, 2 Monkey, had falsely advertised the geographic origin of their products and awarded BenShot more than $3.15 million in damages. “For generations our parents and grandparents were proud of the things they made here in the USA,” BenShot co-founder Ben Wolfgram wrote in a statement posted to the company’s website. “We at BenShot will continue that tradition by making our goods here.”
Leading literature
Long-time collaborators Bob DeKoch and Phil Clampitt on Nov. 1 debuted a new book, “Leading with Care in a Tough World: Beyond Servant Leadership,” published by Rodin Books. Clampitt is the Blair Endowed Chair of Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. DeKoch is currently the founder of the leadership consulting firm Limitless, as well as past president of The Boldt Company. Together they draw on their decades of experience and research to outline how caring leadership enriches people and transforms organizations in challenging times. The book is available for order on Amazon. Read an excerpt at leadingwithcare.net.
Moving up
Valley Transit, the public transportation service in the Fox Cities, showcased its proposed plan for a new downtown Appleton transit center during a public feedback event Nov. 15. The input gathered during the session will be used in making decisions for the next phase of the project. Valley Transit and the City of Appleton are conducting a planning study that is exploring the redevelopment of the downtown transit center. “The current transit center serves as a central hub for fixed-route transit service in the Fox Cities, including Valley Transit and intercity buses that provide daily regional service,” Valley Transit General Manager Ron McDonald said. “With these enhanced services, it is important to upgrade the facility to keep up with the needs of our community.”
