News & Events

In the News: ’96 Represents in Coronavirus-Related Roundup

Posted: 4/30/2020

As April draws to a close (along with week 6 of teleworking), I find myself reflecting on the great work our classmates are doing from sea to shining sea (and around the world). We, collectively, are no stranger to success; lately, however, I find myself gravitating toward positive, impactful, or motivating stories – and many of us are making those stories become headlines. Here’s a collection of recent publications or news appearances by ’96ers that I chanced to see over the last few weeks (and there are probably more that I missed). I wanted to share these with all of you –  while these stories represents a mere smattering of what we are doing around the world, the words (written and spoken) are resounding. Stay strong, ’96!

On the Air: Prohibition Distillery Pivots from Spirits to Sanitizer

Brian Facquet, Founder and Head Distiller at Prohibition Distillery in Roscoe, NY, recently spoke with Yahoo Finance about the company’s shift from making spirits to making hand sanitizer amid the coronavirus pandemic. Check out his interview here, which aired April 20th!

Check out Prohibition Distillery online to see their current catalog, which includes both small and large shipments. Whether you need 2 or 6 bottles, or a case of 25 – Brian’s got you covered! They even make 5-gallon buckets with pump dispensers.

 

Report: The Analysis and Policy Implications of the Crisis

Harrison Schramm, Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic & Budgetary Assessments (CSBA), was recently interviewed for an episode of Government Matters, which aired April 15th. During the interview, Harrison discussed his new report about coronavirus, the impact of the pandemic on policy and operations, and what we are learning from it. Watch live here!

 

Article: On Economic Resiliency, Self-Growth, Organization Culture, and Being Purpose Driven

Brian Grana, Consultant/Philanthropist/Veteran Advocate/Non-Profit Advisor/Venture Capitalist/Marine (whew!) recently published an article entitled “Redux: ‘That which you measure gets better*’ – Assessing My Value Propositions during the COVID-19 Pandemic,” which I discovered on LinkedIn. In this article, Brian shares some of his experiences and discusses his four Value Propositions.  Brian’s advice to us all: “Especially during challenging times… never miss a chance to make yourself better. I hope you find this article useful and please share with Veterans in transition!”  Thanks for your wisdom and continued patriotism, Brian.

 

YouTube: Keeping Sailors Informed During Challenging Times

Capt. Tim Kinsella’s initial COVID-19 address to NAS Pensacola (broadcast via Youtube and posted on Facebook and Twitter on 25 Mar – follow NAS Pensacola on either channel) appeared in my social media feed a few weeks ago, so I watched it. I started to think about how many classmates we have who are currently serving as COs – some ashore, some afloat, some domestic, some overseas. And I realized that they are truly being challenged in ways that I could not have possibly imagined when I was still active duty. BZ to all of you who are in command, leading the sailors who stand watch for this great nation.

Catch Tim’s op-ed, entitled “‘We are in a fight.’ But it’s one we will win,” published 10 April in the Pensacola News Journal. Sage words, and well worth the read, regardless of where you live.

 

Perspective: Focus on What Matters and Build Emotional Resilience

Dennis Volpe, a Leadership and Organizational Consultant, Veteran Mentor, and Strategic Advisor, is focused on developing others to perform at higher levels and improve their overall effectiveness. His recent article, published 27 April on LinkedIn, caught my eye with an opening Abraham Lincoln quote: “The best way to predict your future is to create it,” which is a favorite of mine. He explains what Emotional Intelligence is, discusses opportunities our current reality creates, and challenges us all to observe ourselves (and others), learn from our recent experiences, and use cognizance and clarity in building a new reality that emphasizes emotional resilience. One of the simplest, yet most thought-provoking and positive reflections I’ve read since the start of the pandemic. 

You can find one of Dennis’ earlier articles, entitled “Rugby, Resilience, and COVID-19: #WITH YOU” (04 April 2020), here.

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