Student Veterans of America is featuring several prominent speakers as part of its National Convention.
Below are brief biographies of the speakers, provided to Military Times by SVA.
See all our coverage of NatCon2018 here, and learn more through SVA.
Gen. George W. Casey (ret.), former Army chief of staff
Retired Gen. George W. Casey Jr. served 41 years as an American soldier following his commission as a second lieutenant of infantry from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in 1970. He is an accomplished leader and an authority on strategic leadership.
As the 36th chief of staff of the U.S. Army from April 2007 to 2011, Gen. Casey led what is arguably the world’s largest and most complex organization — 1.1 million people strong, with a $200+ billion annual budget — during one of the most extraordinary periods in military and global political history. He is widely credited with restoring balance to the war-weary U.S. Army, leading the transformation to keep the Army relevant in the 21st Century, and ensuring the force deployed in the war on terror was the best this country ever fielded. On the homefront, Gen. Casey took on the tough issues of suicide, combat stress and reducing the stigma attached to mental health care. He was also a stalwart advocate for military families, wounded soldiers, and survivors of the fallen.
Jamie Gray Hyder, actress
You can look for Jamie this season on The Last Ship and Chicago Med. In Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Jamie plays Lt. Nora Salter, starring next to David Harewood of “Supergirl” and “Homeland” fame. She has had guest star roles on “Criminal Minds,” “Marvel InHumans,” “Rizzoli and Isles,” and “NCIS,” and she was also featured in season three of “Graceland.” She has appeared in videos from David Guetta and John Mayer and frequently works on commercial television and print campaigns. Jamie first starred alongside Harewood in Killzone Shadowfall, which was released with the new PS4 console, as well as the recently released Killzone Shadowfall: Intercept. Jamie was on two seasons of the HBO hit “True Blood.” As Danielle, she was a werewolf and member of Alcide’s pack, making a lasting impression on audiences with her steamy love scene with Joe Manganiello and Kelly Overton, as well as her knockdown, drag-out fight with Nelsan Ellis. Hailing from Washington, D.C. and studying acting at the University of Georgia, Athens, she dedicates her time off-screen to helping veterans.
Jared Lyon, president and CEO of Student Veterans of America
Jared Lyon was appointed president and CEO of SVA on January 4, 2016. Before joining SVA, Lyon was the national program manager at the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University for its Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) and EBV-Families, providing small-business management and entrepreneurship instruction free-of-charge, in workshops held at eight universities annually.
A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Lyon served as a submariner and diver, taking part in multiple deployments around the world in support of the Global War on Terror. Lyon then returned to higher education, earning a Bachelor of Science from Florida State University in December 2011. He was inducted into FSU’s first class of “Thirty Under 30” at its young alumni awards reception in 2012.
Lyon holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. He is an adjunct professor at Syracuse’s Whitman School of Management. Lyon serves as a member of the American Council on Education Commission for Education Attainment and Innovation and is a board member of the FSU Student Veterans Film Festival and Veterans Center Advisory Board.
Diana Rau, co-founder of Veterati
Diana Rau is a born-and-raised midwestern gal from Ohio, an alumni of the Georgetown School of Foreign Service, and a tech and impact entrepreneur solving social challenges since 2006 with creativity, grit, and optimism. She co-founded Veterati with two amazing Marines, Daniel Rau (COO) and Thy Tang (CTO). She was recognized as one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs in 2018 and was also a finalist for the Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Veteran Employment Award. A proud veteran spouse, Rau serves as an advisor to startups and nonprofits, as well as a mentor to veterans, military spouses, entrepreneurs, and good people.
Daniel Savage, LinkedIn veterans program leader
Dan Savage serves as the head of LinkedIn’s veterans program, responsible for identifying and leveraging opportunities to use LinkedIn’s platform and resources to advance the employment situation of America’s veterans. Prior to joining LinkedIn, Dan spent four years at the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University, serving in numerous roles: managing day-to-day operations as its first chief of staff, leading a national study of veteran-serving nonprofit organizations with the George W. Bush Institute, and launching its Onward to Opportunity program nationwide alongside the Department of Defense and the Schultz Family Foundation. Dan is a former infantry officer of the U.S. Army’s 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, a veteran of the war in Iraq and a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, as well as the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
