September 2017 Veteran of the Month: From Air Force to Optics
Our featured veteran for September is Steve Martino!
Steve recently joined the American’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses team as a District Manager for our stores in the San Antonio and El Paso, Texas area.
Originally from Connecticut (but a Texan by choice for the past 30+ years), Steve has been married for over 32 years and has three beautiful daughters. He is especially fond of spending time with his new grandson and fishing in his spare time.
Steve is also a veteran of the U.S. Air Force where he served for 5 years and was honorably discharged as a Sergeant and an honor graduate of the NCO (Noncommissioned Officer) Academy.
We recently sat down with Steve to learn more about his time in the Air Force and how it has helped him in his civilian career.
Tell us more about your time in the military. Why did you decide to join and what did you do during your time in the service?
“Several of my family members also served in the military, something that was a huge influence on me. So, I joined the Air Force right out of high school. During this time I was stationed at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio and RAF Greenham Commom, U.K. where I serviced and maintained communications equipment.”
As a veteran, how has your military experience helped you in your career as a civilian?
“I learned discipline – showing up to work, living by a code of values, never quitting and focusing on getting the job done. Most veterans that I meet have a servant leadership attitude which fits in with our culture at National Vision.”
What have you done professionally since being discharged from the Air Force?
“I owned and operated a family pizzeria for a few years before getting into sales. I then worked my way up into multi-unit team leadership in the jewelry and optical business. I’m currently ABO (American Board of Opticianry) Certified and have been in optics for over 12 years!
Although I’m new to National Vision, I love the culture of the organization so far. Everyone I come into contact with speaks highly of the company and is passionate about the customer experience.”
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 432 self-identified veterans as part of our NVI family.
Thank you Steve for your service to our country. It is an honor to have you as part of our National Vision and America’s Best family!
Jessica Altamirano
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