Introducing PDA’s New Veterans and Public Service Leadership Course
Supporting an overlooked source of boardroom diversity of thought
Strong governance relies on a wide range of perspectives shaped by different leadership experiences. Yet one group with valuable insights is often not fully understood during the Board selection process. Veterans, first responders, and civil service leaders bring perspectives shaped by experiences most civilians never encounter. These backgrounds can be powerful assets in the boardroom, but they are not always communicated in ways that resonate with nominating committees, nor are these strengths always recognized in private sector Board searches
For these reasons, the Private Directors Association (PDA) has created a study curriculum for veterans of military, civil service, and first-response organizations. This program is designed to help participants present their experience in a board-relevant way and strengthen their ability to compete for open positions.
The story behind the course and why it matters
The course was written and edited by a dedicated group of PDA members, who spent a significant amount of time and effort in its development: Leslie Alexandre, Will Clarke, Joe Farach, Jacqueline Fiore, Nick Florio, Karen Henneberger, Ed Horton, Sharon Hrynkow, Tara Leweling, Patrick McGuinness, Jeff Sauntry, Ian Schneller, Bret Tecklenburg , and Tony Urbanovich. The group was led byTate Pursell, Air Force veteran and Chair of the Certificate in Board Governance for Veterans & Public Servants Task Force, and Bryan Stewart, PDA national Board Member, Marine veteran, and Past Chair of the Task Force.
The inspiration for the course began at a Tampa Chapter meeting where several PDA members discussed how to better support veterans within the association. As Pursell recalls, “We realized that we should be doing more to help our veteran members compete more effectively for open Board opportunities.”
Pursell explains that veterans bring “a distinctly different and highly advantageous set of understandings, attitudes, and experiences that many non-veterans simply have not had the opportunity to develop.”
His personal experience as an Air Force veteran further shaped the program’s development. He has encountered negative assumptions from some senior members of governance and nominating committees. “Seeing that bias up close has made me even more committed to helping veterans demonstrate the value they bring to board service.”
Course structure and eligibility
Enrollment requires completing PDA’s Certificate in Private Company Governance course. Eligible participants must have served in the U.S. military, civil service, or a first responder force.
The course includes a six-hour, self-paced learning module and a virtual oral examination based on case studies reviewed with course mentors. Participants will receive free access to the recently published book Government vs. Private Sector Financial Management: A Primer For Financial Managers Transitioning Between Sectors.
Graduates will be better prepared to compete for Board openings and communicate the relevance of their service with clarity.
How PDA members can help
While the course is intended for those with service backgrounds, PDA members who are not eligible can still support the program by sharing the opportunity with peers and colleagues in their network who have served.
Pursell hopes graduates carry a clear sense of their strengths into every boardroom they enter. As he puts it, “We want graduates of this course to understand that value clearly and to be able to communicate it confidently in Board settings.”