June 2017 Veteran of the Month: Reflection of the Navy’s Core Values

Quentin Moon in the Navy

Quentin in the Navy.

Our featured veteran for June is Quentin Moon!

Originally from Lexington, Ga, Quentin is a Sourcing Specialist at the Retail Support Center in Duluth, Ga.

In this role, he recruits candidates from a variety of avenues – from social media, search engines, and niche regional and national job boards. He also partners with the Talent Acquisition Team, Digital Marketing and Communications Departments, and Human Resources to effectively market and advertise current and future job openings. Quentin has been part of the National Vision family for five months now.

Quentin also served our country in the U.S Navy for a little over five years. His military career was filled with “underways” (the Navy’s way of saying a deployment) and routine patrols across the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

Tell us about your time in the Navy.  What inspired you to enlist?

“I was stationed in Little Creek, Virginia and served aboard the USS Ashland – an Amphibious Assault Ship designed to transport Marines and their support assault landing craft and helicopters against hostile shores. I enlisted in the rate (the Navy’s way of saying ‘job’) of an Engineman (EN) and quickly rose to Engineman Petty Officer Second Class (EN2) assuming much more responsibility than just my rate required. That included progressing into the role of Engineering Department Training & Development Petty Officer where I was responsible for the on-boarding, training, and certifying of all engineering department personnel (457 sailors).

Quentin Moon in the Navy

Quentin with his grandfather, a Vietnam veteran.

The reason I served was that growing up, I always admired my granddad and his stories about the Vietnam War. I felt privileged to hear them because he would not talk to everyone about his time in war. After two years in college, I was undecided about my direction so I decided to enlist into the Navy. It was a great decision and I maintain the Navy’s Core Values of honor, courage and commitment. These values have helped shape me into who I am today.”

What did you do after your time in the Navy?

“After leaving the Navy, I worked as a wind turbine technician for Siemens Energy for a year, and during that time I finished my degree in Human Resources Management. I then transitioned into a recruiting position for a field marketing organization, and then into retail recruiting with National Vision.”

How has your military career helped you in your professional civilian career?

Quentin Moon in the Navy

Quentin after earning an advancement.

“My military experience helped me gain focus. As I mentioned, I had no direction when I first entered college. Kudos to those who do, but I was not able to focus on just one thing during that time. The U.S. Navy, like any other branch in the military, brings out the strengths and weaknesses in us all, and I learned more about myself.

I enjoyed my day-to-day training and development activities. Eventually that’s all I was tasked to do because of the impact the program was having on new and involved sailors.”

What are your thoughts on National Vision’s Veteran Inclusion and Partnership Program?

“I think it’s important for NVI to continue to hire veterans, not because of the cliché attributes that I think many of us have like leadership, teamwork, diversity and inclusion, or respect for procedures, but because I know that our triumph over adversity is what sets us apart. Veterans have proven their resilience in mission-critical situations that demand flexibility, stamina and endurance, in more than the physical sense. We have overcome personal disabilities through strength and determination.”

Last year National Vision made a commitment to hire a minimum of 500 veterans and/or veteran spouses over the next five years across all of our retail brands. Within those 500 positions, we have committed to hiring a minimum of 100 military veterans and/or veteran spouses in technology-focused positions as part of the Joining Forces initiative. We are proud to announce that we now have 382 self-identified veterans as part of our NVI family.

Thank you Quentin for your service to our country. It is an honor to have you as part of our National Vision family!

Jessica Altamirano

Jessica Altamirano

Communications Specialist at National Vision
Jessica Altamirano is a proud Veteran spouse who has worked for NVI since 2014. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from George Mason University. Jessica is passionate about corporate-nonprofit partnerships, philanthropic efforts in developing countries, Veteran recruitment, and creating a culture of health and wellness in the workplace.
Jessica Altamirano