Middle East Speech
- Briefing Room
-
Issues
- Ethics
- Family
- Fiscal Responsibility
- Foreign Policy
- Health Care
- Homeland Security
- Immigration
- Poverty
- Rural
Explore the interactive map
How your tax dollars are spent
-
The Administration
See the 2010 award winners
- President Barack Obama
- Vice President Joe Biden
- First Lady Michelle Obama
- Dr. Jill Biden
- The Cabinet
- About the White House
The best ideas come from the American people. Everyone has a story to tell, everyone has a part to play. Together as Americans, we do big things.
All across the country, ordinary Americans are doing extraordinary things in their communities to out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world. Every week we will invite these Champions of Change to the White House to share their ideas to win the future.
Week 12: Veterans
Our nation’s veterans offer us all an example of what it means to truly serve. Making extraordinary sacrifices, they have dedicated themselves to protecting our country, our freedoms, and our way of life. As we work to win the future, our veterans will be among our greatest assets. The men and women highlighted this week show us why: though they may have hung up their uniforms, they continue to work to improve their communities and build a better future for all of us.
Chandra Banks
Chandra Banks is Research Coordinator with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), where she conducts research and analysis on veterans issues with a particular focus on women warriors.
James H. Binns, Jr.
James, a 66 year-old Vietnam veteran, is an entrepreneur/executive, who has built two high-tech manufacturing companies from start-up to merger with major corporations.
Justin Constantine
Justin works with the FBI on a counterterrorism team and also serves on the Board of Directors of Cause. He also works closely with the Wounded Warrior Project, participating in the creation of Wounded Warrior Project Restore and the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund.
James P. Crosby
As the Director of Outreach for the Massachusetts Department of Veterans’ Services, James is primarily tasked with finding and assisting the commonwealth’s returning veterans with claims and readjustment issues, and with welcoming them home.
Jeremy W. Feldbusch
Jeremy decided to pursue his lifelong dream of joining the military, and became an Army Ranger with the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment in Iraq. While serving at the Haditha Dam, a piece of shrapnel destroyed Jeremy’s right eye, damaged the optic nerve behind his left eye, and embedded in the left frontal lobe of his brain.
Wayne M. Gatewood, Jr.
Wayne, a Marine Corps veteran, established Quality Support, Inc., a technical, management, and administrative support services firm. Quality Support has since grown into a competitive and very reputable firm with more than 100 employees.
Champions Blog Posts
- July 8, 2011 at 6:12 PM EDT
Laying the Foundation for Economic Success, Brick by Brick
For years, Frank Cordie led a complex financing process to bring brick manufacturing back to Mexico, MO. His efforts have paid off, as Mid America Brick, the only brick manufacturer in central Missouri, has united community members and helped to revitalize the region's economy.
- July 7, 2011 at 4:06 PM EDT
Honoring and Empowering Wounded Warriors
Jeremy Feldbusch, an Army Ranger veteran, speaks about the non-profit work that addresses challenges injured veterans and their families face everyday.
- July 7, 2011 at 3:16 PM EDT
Entrepreneur Advances Technology and Job Creation Across America
In 1966, Kevin Didden seized an opportunity to improve technology in the world's oil fields, and started CiDRA, which specializes in the installation of sensors in active oil wells. Since that time, he has started three more successful companies in various technical areas, creating jobs and driving innovation wherever he goes.
- July 6, 2011 at 7:32 PM EDT
Woman Business Owner Creates Clean Energy Jobs By Being Bold
Wendy Jameson, CEO of the "greentech" company Colnatec, epitomizes the entrepreneurial spirit that can drive the American economy forward. Her woman-owned company has received an award from the Department of Energy, in addition to a grant from the Arizona Innovation Challenge that has allowed Colnatec to grow and market itself globally.
