“We all have choices” stated KCBQ’s Barry Waxler. “A choice to hire Service Disabled Vets is a great choice. Why not give them some of these credits and incentives back.”

This past month, our Vice President of Business Development, Eve Nasby, appeared on Close Up On San Diego Business for live streaming interviews on AM 1170 to talk about how Amerit Consulting can assist in efforts to hire some of our nation’s most treasured assets – Veterans.

“There’s a lot of: what’s in it for me to hire a Disabled Vet Owned Business?” said Eve Nasby. “The Utilities General Order 156, that was passed many years ago, states that each utility has to spend a certain percentage with a Disabled Veteran Owned Business. There are a lot of companies out there now that know it’s just the right thing to do and they want to support Veteran Owned Businesses.”

Formed in 2001 by Gary Herbold, who was twice awarded the Purple Heart for his bravery in Vietnam, Amerit Consulting “offers anything from soup to nuts,” Eve said with a chuckle. “Anything you could possibly need including IT Engineering, Accounting, Finance, Administration, and Human Resources – Everything a typical staffing firm provides. We also do Payrolling, IC Compliance, and some PEO work as well to help identify top tier talent anywhere in the United States and we are also in 7 countries.”

Hiring Veterans help meet Diversity Spend Goals within organizations and if you work for the government, there is a specific requirement for a certain percentage of Veterans to be employed within that company.

To listen to the full interviews on the Close Up Channel, click on the links below and find out more about how you can help support the efforts of our local business community and the power that our business owners bring.

March 9, 2015 Interview

March 17, 2015 Interview

San Diego, Calif. – Amerit Consulting, one of the country’s leading Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises, and its latest service offering, BRAVE, Business Recruiting Allies for Veteran Employment, are excited to announce its participation in San Diego’s annual Veterans Day Parade on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 in downtown San Diego.

“We’re honored to be a part of the parade and salute our nation’s heroes,” said Michael Larkins, President of Amerit Consulting. “We have a military heritage in our corporate DNA and couldn’t be more proud to participate. This is just one small way we can all reach out to the Veteran community. Today and each day, we thank the service men and women who have made the greatest sacrifices in protecting our country.”

The Parade will commence at 11 a.m. along Harbor Drive from the Fountain Plaza in front of the County Administration Building, ending at Seaport Village around 1 p.m.

Members of the Amerit Consulting and BRAVE parade troop include Amerit CEO and founder, twice-awarded Purple Heart recipient Gary Herbold; BRAVE Project Manager and retired USMC Mustang Major John Engstrom; President of Amerit, Michael Larkins; Vice President of Business Development of Amerit, Eve Nasby; and several Amerit employees and their families.

Since its establishment in 2001, Amerit has been dedicated to supporting Veterans in their transition to civilian life. Amerit built its latest service offering, BRAVE, Business Recruiting Allies for Veteran Employment, to act as a conduit, connecting leading, progressive businesses with outstanding Veteran candidates.

As a leading staffing agency Amerit and BRAVE are focused on servicing all direct hire, temp-to-hire and temporary staffing needs with top tier Veteran talent.

All of us at Amerit Consulting and BRAVE were deeply saddened last week to learn of the passing of one of our nation’s legendary servicemen- Tuskegee Airman George Mitchell. We came to know George through the Tuskegee Airmen’s various Veteran programs and fundraising efforts and were always impressed by the wonderful warmth and humility from such a historic person.

As an airman, Mr. Mitchell taught radio code to the pioneering black aviators. He spent three years teaching at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama before becoming a civil engineer for the US Navy. He traveled widely before retiring in San Diego.

Following his military service, Mr. Mitchell spent time working for the Scripps Institution of Oceanography as a radio operator on research ships and participating as an active member of the Tuskegee Airmen Foundation, San Diego Chapter.

Our VP of Sales, Eve Nasby remembers George and his wife fondly and how great it was to be in his presence. She said:

Meeting George and his wife at an event in LA honoring the Tuskegee Airmen was an honor. His quiet manner and humility spoke volumes for his character as an American hero. His winning smile created instant connections with people and his stories were compelling. He was a contributor to our community here in San Diego as a civic leader and lecturer. We will miss him greatly and will remember him as one, who despite adversity, succeeded, helping to make America what it is today.

He was a kind man and a true patriot, fond of telling stories and taking photographs. It was an honor to have met him and know him for a short time. The impact of his service will live on in the analogs of the great history of our armed forces.

Kicking off the annual Build for the Brave Day, the energetic employees of Amerit Consulting, and their sister companies Suna Solutions, IC Advisor, Zempleo, and Amerit Fleet Solutions, were honored to support Habitat for Humanity in providing two veterans and their families with new homes.

On April 17^th and 18^th, a total of 30 employees joined team leaders from Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley as they began demolition on one house and applied the finishing touches to another.

In 80 plus degree weather, teams of 15 people each day, began the strenuous task of total demolition on House #1. Strength in numbers paid out as together, they completely overhauled the backyard, kitchen, closets, and bathrooms. By the end of Day 2, the house was left only with its walls and two dumpsters filled over the brim, ready for the next stage of development.

“It was awesome just to be able to give back to our nation’s heroes,” said Charlie, an Amerit Consulting employee. “Giving one or two days to help make their dream home a reality is the least we can do.

House #1 has approximately six more weeks until its completion.

Not far from House #1 was House #2, a beautiful cottage-style with a huge backyard and finished front yard. Having the major demolition and rebuilding already completed, the house had a lingering smell of sawdust and fresh paint.

Applying new coats of paint to walls, finishing and painting doors, caulking windows and trims, cutting and setting base boards, and cleaning up were just some of the projects the team completed for House #2.  With just a few weeks until its completion, landscaping and furnishing are the only tasks left to turn this house into a home.

“Having the opportunity to provide someone with a new home is very special and extremely rewarding thing,” said Alison, another Amerit employee. “Being able to come together as a team to meet the goal is the icing.”

Support of veteran and community charities and philanthropic efforts is part of the fabric of the corporate culture at Amerit Consulting. This commitment flows through our CEO, Gary Herbold a twice-awarded Purple Heart recipient. Leading by example, Gary possesses a captivating compassion and drive to support our military heroes, inspiring a culture of caring, commitment and integrity amongst every employee.

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Established as a consulting firm in 2002, Amerit Consulting has been in business for over 11 years, and operates as one of five sister companies under the successful parent brand, Evergent Group. At Amerit, we know that bringing the right people together is always the key to achieving great results. Amerit provides world class Human Capital Outsourcing services including Professional Payrolling Services, Independent Contractor Compliance Services, Staffing and Consulting. Amerit is a California-certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise.  

Amerit Consulting was proud to sponsor and participate in a leadership panel discussing the benefits of hiring veterans on December 10 in San Diego, Calif. Co-sponsored by CareFusion, SDGE, Qualcomm, Life Technologies, and SDHR Forum, Amerit’s President Michael Larkins was one of four executives speaking to his organization’s support of veterans in their transition to civilian life.

Panelists were asked several questions around how to successfully start a Hiring Veterans Program. For Amerit,  the key is to get your entire team on board and focus on the metrics.

Is a pilot program always easier to sell than a full scale project? 
Yes absolutely!  A pilot also allows you to make changes to the program to ensure a more effective roll out across the organization.  Minimizes change management and creates internal champions to support the program. 

What metrics would be most useful to present as part of the ongoing measurement of the success of the program?
Retention rate for veterans.  Unless your company has sophisticated metrics, a very easy quality measurement is looking at the turnover/retention rate for veterans you bring into the organization.  Is this better than your civilian population?

What type of program has the best chance for success at your organization? Formal? Informal? Ask for forgiveness, not permission?  
Formal. For the program to be successful it has to have not only quantifiable metrics to validate, but also buy in from senior leadership.  A formalized program provides a  consistency to normalize metrics generally needed to evaluate the success of such programs. 

We are often asked to implement programs with little or no additional resources to start: what kind of advice would you give to your HR/Talent Management team to overcome this apparent obstacle?
Identify readily available resources to educate your team.  Translation tools that convert a soldier  from military roles, to similar functions in the civilian world.  There are several sites that have this available at no cost.  Also, identifying internal veterans on your team who can assist with resumé writing to help your HR group.  Local veterans groups that are focused on the placement of transitioning veterans not only provide a funnel of talent, but education to the situation.  Another huge opportunity is to have your HR team volunteer at these groups to assist transitioning veterans in preparing their resumés for civilian hiring companies; and doing mock interviews to prep the candidates.  This not only provides tremendous value to the veteran, but through exposure and osmosis, the HR recruiters are compiling IP to help your company identify top talent.   

Attendees were able to receive 3.5 PHR credits. Don’t miss an opportunity to attend one of our events for your PHR credits! Check our blog regularly for upcoming event postings.

Marlene Welsh is a Business Recruiter for Amerit Consulting. On Friday, September 20 – Sunday September 22, she participated in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk. We are extremely proud of her commitment and devotion to the cause. This posting is a reflection on her experience. Thank you Marlene and to all of those who have participated and will  participate across the country. We salute you all. 

I made it!!  It is now Monday and I have finally slept in my own bed and have had a hot shower. I almost feel back to normal except for sore leg muscles and blisters on my feet.  What an amazing three days I have had.

The ceremony yesterday was the final step of the Susan G. Komen 3-day Walk and was an incredible experience.  The adrenaline was still going and emotions were at an all-time high.  People were laughing and crying all at the same time.  I was excited to see the support of my family in the stands that had come out to share this experience with me. Pictures kept running through my mind capturing moments of time of the tremendous three-day experience.  Here’s what stood out in my mind:

First day highlight was a tradition called “the last walker in”.  This is when all walkers and crew go out to clap and cheer in the last walker with loud inspirational music playing in the background. Typically, the last walker has a reason for being late, a physical reason.  For instance, it could be a walker in the fight for her life as she is battling this horrible disease. Such was the case when the last walker in was a member of my team who is suffering from stage 4 breast cancer that has spread throughout her body. She walked every mile that day.  Before she finished the tradition of raising the 3-day flag, she said to everyone,  “The doctors say I’m terminal, but I’m not going to claim that.  I’m going to live my life to the fullest every day. However, if I lose this battle, I’m not afraid of dying because I know that my last breath on earth will be followed by my first breath in heaven.”  I was completely blown away by her strength and perseverance.

Second day highlight for me was realizing the level of support from the crew and the community.  There were hundreds of people donating their time and efforts, which included some very creative and colorful outfits.  Their support literally keeps giving you the strength to press on and they give the same level of enthusiasm to each and every walker

Third day highlight was the level of determination in the walking-wounded.  Many walkers were limping their way to finish line.  My teammate for instance, had 13 blisters on her feet. Nurses encouraged her to take a van to the finish line and wait for the closing ceremony.  However, my teammate was very determined and after getting bandaged up as best they could do, we headed out for the last four miles to the finish line.  We crossed the finish line together and you could tell that she felt she had conquered the world! She refused to give up! I was so proud of her.  60 miles!!

There is more than one story like that.  Every walker across the finish line has a “walking-wounded” story of herself or someone else.  But we made it and at the closing ceremony we celebrated all that was accomplished, including how Seattle walkers raised 3 million dollars in donations.  What a great feeling to have been a part of that!

At the end of the closing ceremony, we honored our walking Breast Cancer Survivors, raised the 3-Day Flag one last time and danced to “We Are Family” before we all hugged and said goodbye.

Amazing 3-Day experience!  Can’t wait to do it again next year!

Thank you everyone for your support!  I would have never been able to have this incredible experience if it hadn’t been for all your generous donations and support.  TOGETHER we did it…WE made a difference.

The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily represent the views of Amerit Consulting.

Wounded Warrior Battalion West and Rear Admiral Patrick Brady, Commander of Space and Naval Warfare Systems, recently sponsored an event for San Diego veterans who are transitioning from active service.  The event, held on August 30th, featured a panel of local experts and networking opportunities with local San Diego businesses.  Amerit’s very own VP of Business Development, Eve Nasby, was honored to be featured as a panel guest, alongside representatives from SPAWAR, the US Navy, SDG&E, Qualcomm, LA Film School and LA Recording School.

During the panel discussion, facilitated by Captain Byrd, Eve provided an outline for networking schedules and fielded sample interview questions for the veteran attendees. “I emphasized the need to follow-up in their job search. Being politely persistent is such a key aspect of making that outstanding impression with the employer,” said Eve.

Among mock-interview scenarios and time-management groundwork, Eve also encouraged the implementation of a robust LinkedIn profile. “Having a stellar presence on LinkedIn shows your experience,  demonstrates that you’ve invested time in your professional image, and adds credibility. LinkedIn is a seamless way to make yourself searchable to employers and recruiters, and furthermore ensures that they can easily contact you,” she said.

Eve and the other panel guests also shared the types of skills and personalities that local companies seek, and discussed the initiatives behind the employment of wounded, ill, and injured service members.

“I was so proud to represent Amerit at this event alongside such impressive employers,” said Eve.  “We are thrilled to be featured as a career-building expert within our veteran community, and are always eager to help our vets navigate their professional transition back home.”

To learn more about Wounded Warrior Battalion West and their programs, click here.

WALNUT CREEK, CALIF.  – Amerit Consulting, one of California’s leading staffing and business processing companies, is proud to announce the unveiling of three new services. In addition to payrolling and staffing compliance, Amerit Consulting now provides customized Vendor Management, Purchasing Management and Administrative Services.

“As the economy starts to emerge from several years of malaise, we are seeing a dramatic increase in contracting opportunities with government entities and subcontractors,” says Michael Larkins, President of Amerit Consulting.

“This has resulted in a demand in the marketplace for more progressive outsourced solutions beyond our traditional staffing services. Amerit is now in a position to provide consulting services and outsourced solutions on a larger scale for organizations that value working with a highly-qualified service disabled veteran business.”

The Vendor Management service with Amerit Consulting offers a new streamlined option for companies that utilize multiple vendors. For a negotiated contract rate, Amerit Consulting will act as a dedicated resource for processing all vendor invoices and translating them to one time-savings with headache-free invoice reports for clients.

For a flat monthly fee, a Vendor Management service from Amerit Consulting can help to circumnavigate the hassle of dealing with several vendors in multiple locations. This service will be especially beneficial for project-related companies with multiple points of contact.

As California’s largest certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise, Amerit’s Purchasing Management is an innovative service that offers a comprehensive way for clients to meet their diversity spend.

This service allocates the clients’ procurement and purchasing responsibilities to the experts at Amerit Consulting. While applicable to several industries, companies that are in the business of buying, selling and transferring products will find this service particularly favorable.

Much like a payrolling service, Amerit Consulting’s Administrative Services will help clients track and manage internal processes and provide appropriate consulting. With this service, Amerit will leverage time and expense captures; background checks; drug screens; on-boarding; off-boarding; workers comp, and other HR services.

In addition to each new service, Amerit Consulting will continue to provide its existing staffing, recruiting and business process outsourcing services to clients around the United States.

For more information about Amerit Consulting please visit ameritconsulting.com/.

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At Amerit, we’ve built our service offerings around helping you manage the delicate balance between cost containment and sustainable growth. Each of our service delivery models is built around helping you solve specific workforce challenges.

Amerit Consulting is proud to be a certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) and a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE). Amerit Consulting celebrates diversity and supports our military heroes and their families.

Media contact:

Karen Vinton, Director of Marketing, Amerit Consulting

kvinton@ameritconsulting.com | O: 925.482.3147 | C: 415.755.3302