Erica’s leadership journey: Supporting veterans at J&J

West Point grad. Aviation Officer in the U.S. Army. White House Fellow with the Obama administration. Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs. When Erica says, “Supporting veterans is part of my DNA,” clearly, she means it.

Learn what brought her to J&J, where she's Enterprise Co-Chair of the Veterans Leadership Council (VLC), our award-winning Employee Business Resource Group (EBRG) for a broadly inclusive community of veterans, current service members, military families and spouses, veteran caregivers and allies.

Reuniting with the military-connected community

Here's how Erica, a former Blackhawk helicopter pilot, remembers learning about. J&J: “I was totally sold on the organization from the moment I learned about Our Credo”—the values guiding everything we do—"and from there, it was the mission, the people, the reach.”

The opportunity to be a part of the VLC didn’t hurt, either.

“I loved my time in the Army, and when I got out, I still wanted to stay connected to that community, so I joined the VLC almost as soon as I came to this company," Erica said. "At first, I was put in charge of ‘Special Projects’—bringing in audio equipment for meetings, helping to plan our annual summit, that kind of thing."

As you might imagine, taking on a leadership role—given that origin story—has been an especially meaningful and rewarding experience for Erica.

"We're striving to strengthen our employee community by empowering veterans, service members and military families," she said. "We're helping them reach their full potential while addressing the unique health and wellness needs of the veteran community."

Finding inclusive and empowering resources

The VLC is one of J&J's 14 enterprise-wide EBRGs: deeply inclusive, voluntary, employee-led groups.

“If I could pound the table about anything, it’s that allies—people outside of the military-connected community—are incredibly important,” Erica said. “You shouldn’t hesitate to join the African Ancestry Leadership Council because you aren’t Black, for example, or the Women’s Leadership & Inclusion EBRG because you aren’t a woman, right? So it should be the same with the VLC, and I want people to know that. This is a community for everyone. It’s a place to champion, celebrate and educate all who are interested in the military-connected community.”

Still, she recognizes that members of the military-connected community do get something special out of it.

“When you’re working at an organization that’s as large as Johnson & Johnson, EBRGs like the VLC can take things down to a micro level. They give you a chance to meet people all across the enterprise and see different parts of the business in an especially comfortable, supportive environment, since you’re all working collaboratively on things that you care about. It’s a way to connect with colleagues, develop professionally, and get to know peers and senior leaders across the enterprise.”

The sheer breadth of the VLC itself may also be a surprise for newcomers. There’s one chapter of the group specifically for members of the U.S. National Guard and Reserve, for example, and another for military spouses. There is even a chapter in the United Kingdom, which underscores the special relationship between and among service members in allied nations, as well their communities of supporters.

Our Credo is literally etched in stone, and it serves as a constant reminder of the values we live and breathe every day.

Joining forces with Johnson & Johnson

Want to see for yourself what our support for the military-connected community looks like in practice? Or why the VLC itself has been named a “Best in Class” EBRG? Check out all of the job opportunities we’re hiring for right now.

In the interim, be sure to join our global talent community as well. It’s an easy way to stay in touch, learn more about life at Johnson & Johnson and even get updates about jobs that might interest you in the future.