Regan Jones, the University of Notre Dame’s director of the Office of Military and Veterans Affairs, has been selected as one of 43 national scholars for the George W. Bush Institute’s 2019 Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program, an initiative for individuals serving veterans who are motivated to broaden their skillsets, knowledge and influence.
Participants were selected after an application and review process. They join a network of 33 scholars from the 2018 inaugural class who are rising leaders — both veterans and non-veterans — from a wide range of sectors who are working to improve post-9/11 veteran outcomes. The scholars hold a variety of roles including business and community leaders, members of veteran-serving nonprofits and leaders in government, academia and active military service members.
“It’s an honor to have been selected for this program,” Jones said. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to learn from nationally recognized leaders and a cohort of world-class participants. This program will give me the chance to explore ways that institutions of higher learning can ensure access to high-quality education for post-9/11 service members who remain a small minority on the nation’s top college campuses.
“This experience and the outcome of my work during this program will guarantee that those who have bravely served our nation in uniform will have a more robust off-ramp when they transition from the battlefield to the classroom. This will also help position Notre Dame as a leader and locus for collaboration focused on bridging the civilian-military divide.”
At Notre Dame, Jones was chosen to lead the University’s Office of Military and Veterans Affairs in 2017. In this capacity, he provides strategic direction on behalf of the provost for the University’s veteran and military-related programs. This includes working closely with faculty, administrators and staff to create, manage and coordinate initiatives in support of military-connected students and their families.
He came to the University in 2014, when he joined the ROTC department as an assistant professor of naval science with a secondary appointment in the First Year of Studies.
As a member of the United States Marine Corps, Jones completed combat deployments to Iraq and non-combat deployments to the Pacific theater of operations (Japan, Thailand and the Philippines). When not deployed overseas, he was involved in all aspects of Marine Corps training and education, including the development and execution of both tactical and technical curricula.
Jones received numerous awards and honors for his military service, most notably the Purple Heart Medal, the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal and the Lt. Gen. John A. Lejeune Award for Inspirational Leadership.
Notre Dame has a long history of support for the United States military, and continues to be a training ground for the next generation of military leaders. After the U.S. military academies, Notre Dame’s ROTC program is among the national leaders in graduating commissioned officers. Overall, more than 15,000 Notre Dame alumni have joined U.S. military ranks during the past 75 years.
The 2019 Stand-To Veteran Leadership class will gather for an opening session at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas beginning June 18. They will hear from President George W. Bush; Gen. Peter Pace, 16th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; former U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Bob McDonald; and former U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, among others.
Throughout the five-month program, participants will meet with a variety of nationally known and distinguished professionals, educators and experts in post-9/11 veteran transition issues and leadership development. The program will conclude with a final session and closing ceremony at the Bush Center in October.
The program is part of the Bush Institute’s commitment to developing and supporting effective leaders. It builds on the Bush Institute’s extensive work on veteran transition issues.
Learn more about the Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program at bushcenter.org/veteranleadership.
Originally published by at news.nd.edu on June 13, 2019.