VETERANS FORWARD - Key Persons
Bridget Altenburg joined National Able Network in September 2013 as Chief Operating Officer and was appointed President & CEO in April 2018. Her career includes experience in the non-profit and for-profit sectors as well as military service in the U.S. Army. Bridget came to National Able Network from Chicago Cares, where she served as the Executive Director for almost three years. Prior to her work with Chicago Cares, she directed the development, marketing, and communications for the Academy for Urban School Leadership. She also served as an Army Engineer officer for five years, deploying three times. Bridget earned a BS in Russian and French from the United States Military Academy at West Point and an MBA from Columbia Business School in New York. She was appointed by President Obama to serve on the Board of Visitors at West Point.
Kevin Averyhart is a veteran of the U.S. Army National Guard. He connects businesses and employers with highly skilled veterans to create a strong, successful workforce community.
Kevin kicked off his career at National Able Network as a Case Manager where he facilitated client care through evaluation, planning, and teamwork. His success in this role led to multiple promotions including Workforce Services Coordinator and Specialist. His experiences in these roles included interpretation of data to formulate staffing plan modifications and future planning, as well as developing a collaborative environment across all departments to achieve overall agency success and growth.
Currently in his role as Account Manager, Kevin operates as the lead point of contact for all matters specific to business accounts. He focuses on building and maintaining strong, long-lasting employer relationships to form mutually beneficial partnerships.
Kevin earned his master's degree in Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Administration, and he is actively pursuing his doctorate of Science in Public Safety with a concentration in Homeland Security.
Job Titles:
- Workforce Services Coordinator
Loretta B. Coleman is a veteran of both the Illinois Army Reserve and the U.S. Air Force. She has over 15 years of experience and is a passionate advocate for veterans.
Loretta has traveled and lived in an array of places from South Carolina, United States to Okinawa, Japan. Her career journey is just as richly diverse, which has continuously added to her skillset. Loretta has wide-ranging knowledge in the non-profit, government and higher education arenas. From administrative roles to associate positions, and just about everything in between - Loretta has a proven record of organizational success. Most recently, her career aspirations included providing guidance and assistance to veterans, and she's achieved that dream by becoming a career coach on National Able Network's Veterans Forward team.
Loretta's ability to successfully collaborate and cooperate to find creative solutions is what makes her an excellent Workforce Services Coordinator.
Michelle Malone is a veteran of the U.S. Navy. Her 20-year career includes experience in medical settings, non-profit community centers, and substance abuse facilities.
Michelle began her career as a Technical Librarian in the U.S. Navy where she served aboard a supply tender. During her time in the Navy, she made a deployment through the Western Pacific and participated in humanitarian missions. After returning home to Chicago, she earned a BA in Psychology from Chicago State University and passed the Illinois Basic Skills test for Educators.
In August 2012, Michelle joined National Able Network's Veterans Forward team as a Career Coach. In this role she was responsible for assisting veterans with finding and maintaining employment, researching and referring clients to relevant service providers, assisting with one-on-one vocational counseling, as well as providing clients with supportive services as needed. Most recently, Michelle was promoted to Program Manager of Veterans Forward.
Michelle is the proud recipient of the 2019 Military Scholarship provided by the National Board of Certified Counselors Foundation and is currently completing her M.A. degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
Tammi Smith is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and has a master's degree in art with a concentration in history and culture. She was presented military awards for her diligence and military campaign efforts. Tammi's civilian career spans multiple industries including hospital recruitment and university admissions advising.
In particular, her experiences as a Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) Section 8 housing case manager and military classroom instructor (where she trained navigators and international students on aircraft survival) have all added to her successful ability in reintegrating veterans to the civilian workforce.
Tammi's exposure to numerous countries and cultures have led her to develop the skills needed to forge positive relationships and trust with her current clients. Her belief is that each individual has a specific purpose and passion that can be matched through identifying a career choice. She is passionate about creating unique, specialized plans for each veteran client to assess their individual needs both professionally and personally. Tammi has been a valuable member of the Veterans Forward team at National Able Network for four years and continues to positively guide her clients collaboratively toward success time and time again.
Wendy Harris has 20+ years of experience in customer service, administration, and working closely with clients to assure that they are getting the services needed.
She was introduced to National Able Network through the Senior Community Service Program (SCSEP), in May 2014 in the role of Call Center Specialist. Since then, Wendy has flourished. Her dedication and passion for knowledge has led to her successfully completing college-level Business Management courses and added to her career growth. She has worked as a Program Aide, Senior Ambassador for computer skills, and even an Illinois Title V Program Aide.
In May 2018, she joined the Veterans Forward team as a Workforce Services Coordinator. Wendy organized and facilitated numerous projects for the Veterans Forward team. Her experiences working with veterans and her proven record of success led to her promotion to Career Coach in April 2021.