As an Army spouse, Methella Green is specially equipped to help her company recognize transferrable skills in the military community.

Methella Green is an Army spouse and military program manager at Cox Enterprises. For over a decade, she has been attending DAV job fairs to make personal connections with job seekers that would be a fit at her company.

“I like coming to the job fairs because they bring the community together,” Green said. “You meet veterans, you talk to spouses and get to engage the military community as a whole.”

One thing Green knows from her own military background is that these job seekers might not follow a linear career path.

“Just because they have a certain occupation in the military, it doesn’t mean they want to stay in that same field afterwards,” she said.

Green has learned that attending job fairs allows for open conversations that can answer more questions for both parties. She also finds the laid-back environment to be ideal for meeting impressive candidates.

“When you talk to a veteran, you can see their strength,” Green said. “Veterans are eager to work. They have technical skills and they have mechanical skills.”

She said being open-minded is key for both the job seeker and the employer.

“You might meet someone who was in the infantry, but have soft skills that will change your company with the right opportunity,” Green said. “If you don’t take the time to make that connection, you might miss it. These job fairs allow me to bridge that gap.”

Her enthusiastic approach to translating military skills and making genuine connections is an example of how employers should approach veteran hiring.

At DAV, we believe that all companies can benefit from military hires. To empower businesses as they employ veterans and spouses, we offer opportunities through our job fairs across the nation, resources like The Veteran Advantage: DAV’s Hiring Guide for Employers of the Military Community and recognition through our Patriot Employer Program.

Every year, DAV’s Patriot Employer Program presents an award to one small, one mid-size and one large company that exemplifies strong veteran recruiting and hiring efforts; retention and career-building efforts; policies supporting active-duty, disabled and veteran employees; and community outreach initiatives to support all veterans in communities where the business operates.

Luke Sturges is an Army veteran and the CEO of Artemis ARC, DAV’s 2025 Small Patriot Employer of the Year. Sturges believes that supporting veterans in the workplace starts with those who have served.

“When veterans speak up, advocate for change and recognize employers who truly support them, they help create workplaces where service, leadership and resilience are valued every day,” he said.

Sturges added that nominating a company for the Patriot Employer Award is a way to honor what’s working, share success stories and inspire more organizations to build environments where veterans can continue to grow and thrive.

While there are three Patriot Employer award winners every year all nominated employers who meet the eligibility requirements will be recognized as DAV Patriot Employers and receive a digital badge to display on their website.

That’s the impact DAV works toward every day—connecting service to success and ensuring the military community continues to thrive in the civilian workforce. That success depends on strong partnerships between veterans, spouses and the employers willing to invest in them.

Together, we can continue building workplaces where those who served can keep making a difference.