The DRI Foundation’s Veterans Outreach Program (VOP) Co-Chair was recently selected to receive the State of Texas Congressional Veteran Commendation Award, bestowed on him Nov. 9 by United States Congressman John Carter, Congressional District 31 of Texas.
This commendation is a nomination-based program designed to recognize both the military service and community service of veterans living in the 31st Congressional District of Texas. Honorees are exceptional Americans who served as former members of the United States Armed Forces.
We spoke with Chris about the nature of the award, and his experience working with veterans as they transition to new careers in business continuity.
DRI: Congratulations on this award, how did it come about?
Chris Bygum: I received the Congressional Veterans Commendation award for my years of military service and my community service. I was nominated by fellow personnel in the area and thought that was amazing. I didn’t think I was going to get this award, but surprisingly, I was one out of 11 people who received it this year.
DRI: And what does that entail, what are the criteria?
CB: The nomination is for your community service – the things you do beyond your military service. And that reflects upon you. In my case, I give free lectures and mentor veterans. From the DRI Foundation’s [Veterans Outreach Program] perspective, I’ve been working with Texas State Office of Risk Management, where I’m a co-chair on the Business Continuity Council I also belong to my local parish St John Vianney Knights of Columbus to help promote this from a business continuity perspective to help promote this from a business continuity perspective.
I think the Lieutenant General who was in the in one of these meetings summed it up really simply: “It’s not luck, how we get to meet certain people in our lives.” And that’s true – I have a passion for meeting people and talking with people, because I have a passion for business continuity. In the military, we are trained for it, but we never know at the time that we’re getting certified in it and learning emergency management from another perspective. It’s a very unique position that I’ve been in.
So, I’ve had a chance to meet people from the Pentagon to the White House, all the way down to the parish council, who are all leaders in their own right.
DRI: What kind of community services would you recommend for our veterans, beyond the DRI Foundation?
There are many programs out there. Some vet resource centers are starting to advertise specifically for training skills – how to become a mechanic, or if you want to learn government operations, or if you want to learn physical therapy. They offer these training programs for you to get certified in those career fields.
The DRI Foundation VOP has been a springboard as well. In my military career, I did all these other things – emergency management, business continuity, first aid and medical training – but didn’t know that there were certifications available. The vet resource centers are great now for that specifically. And when it comes to the DRI Foundation’s Veterans Outreach Program, I think it’s a very linear process for someone that is in the military with all the processes and tasks there, to go into emergency management, disaster recovery, resilience, and business continuity.
DRIF: Can you explain what you’ve personally seen working with the veterans, what it’s helped them accomplish?
CB: Military personnel are set in a way that most people don’t understand, because they’re already trained from day one in boot camp to the day when they retire or separate, that it’s not about the individual, it’s about the whole unit, and it’s about their service to this country.
So, I look at it from that perspective, for them to translate their experience to the private sector company and teams as their unit, their country. They understand how to work through and maneuver through these programs. That’s why military personnel are so keen and special, they’ve been trained in it every day. So, they can give back in this way, because I can guide them through this process.
We’ve had several people that have had great careers getting out of the military, getting not just managerial level positions, but director and senior vice president positions. They actually get to move forward and go do things. We’ve got guys that work for Los Angeles County now in emergency management, and they’re doing the business continuity aspect of that. They understand that this is what we’re all about. I think it’s a fantastic program.
DRI: How has the VOP impacted your career?
I truly believe that I wouldn’t be where I am today without the Foundation. It has set me on a path for success, and I’ve achieved a lot because of that. I’ve had great mentors – Al Berman, Alan Lake, Larry Chase, Jerry Vevon, to name a few. These are people who gave me ideas and understanding, because these people have had true to life corporate knowledge as well as military experience.
And getting this award, I’m very humbled by it, because not only is this an award that recognizes my military service, but they’re recognizing my service afterwards, giving back to the community. It’s going to be on the congressional record. My name is going to be in the Library of Congress. I didn’t even know that, so that was just beyond compare.
Representative John Carter – a very humble man, very, very Texan – gave me some words of wisdom. He said, for people who have given up their lives to protect the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic, to do what they can for the service of this nation, the people of the United States need to give a little bit back to our military personnel. Whatever way they do that, it’s up to them. But when a service member continues to do something outside of the military and gives back to the community, we as a nation need to recognize those people.
And this is how they do it, by recognizing us through this commendation award. I’m very honored and humbled by it.