Dave Byrne – a graduate of West Point Military Academy, who served in both Kuwait and Iraq – has spent the last five years establishing his solar energy business, Renua Energy… And he feels he has a responsibility to advocate for fellow veterans; specifically, the designation of being a disabled veteran, and the effect that could have on veterans living their fullest lives.

Today, Dave Byrne is the president and founder of Renua Energy, a state and federally certified service-disabled veteran owned small business (SDVOSB) located in South Glens Falls. Renua Energy provides consulting and development services for community solar projects, and provides electric charging solutions for local businesses… Dave has been in the field of solar energy for fifteen years. He began his career in solar energy as a residential solar installer, and worked in various roles in the industry prior to starting his own company five years ago.

 As a first-generation American, Dave was influenced by his parents’ experiences as immigrants… Due to his family’s struggles, he knew that it would take hard work to accomplish his goals. Dave’s life experiences from a humble childhood to his experiences overseas have shaped how he sees his country, fellow veterans, and his business practices… And Dave’s heart is heavy with the notion that too much of the national conversation surrounding veteran’s issues is focused on the disabilities of veterans. He is interested in showcasing an alternative narrative highlighting the training, experiences, and values that he and his fellow veterans have gained through their service.

Dave is deeply appreciative of the sacrifices that veterans make, and keenly aware of the effects that can be carried with them for the remainder of their lives… However, he believes that it is also important to highlight the importance of the resilience of the military community, and the life lessons and strong values that time in the military has imparted upon him and so many other veterans.

Dave is aware that the veterans needs the support of the medical community, and encourages fellow combat veterans to do the hard work to heal: “I think that as a veteran community, we have to be careful on an individual level of being labeled as ‘disadvantaged’ because of our service.  A lot of us saw a lot of terrible things that most people will never see in their lives… I share this because my greatest hope is that fellow veterans will realize that if they are struggling spiritually, emotionally, mentally, or physically, that they shouldn’t just look at their time in combat, but be willing to look at other potential sources of pain from their lives to empower themselves to get better,” he said.

Dave believes that there are dangers in and accepting a “disabled” or “disadvantaged” label without doing the difficult work of investigating if there are other factors at work… With the help of the medical community and an open and honest understanding of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), it may be valuable to explore additional underlying causes of the stress. Identifying all aspects of PTSD may give veterans an opportunity to live a broader and more fulfilling life.

Due to his tours in Iraq and Kuwait, Dave became aware of the need to diversify the energy needs of the United States… He developed a passion for renewable energy, and is dedicated to serving his customers and his communities. Dave has taken the core values that he learned in the military, and applied them to building his business. Many of the skills that he gained have become pillars in the work that he does every day – good core values, work ethic, and perseverance are the intangibles that have helped Dave to build both his life, and his business.

To pursue his goal of attending West Point, Dave needed a Congressional nomination… He choose to seek the nomination of Congressman Gerald Solomon. Solomon had a solid reputation for vetting and recommending the top candidates through his nomination committee’s diligent interview process: “The candidates were listed from 1 to 10, and the number-one candidate would receive an automatic acceptance into the Academy… And the committee already had the number one spot filled,” Dave said. However, that didn’t stop him! He made an effort to visit each of the committee members in person prior to his interview before the committee: “I believe I visited 18 of the committee members prior to the interview. That extra effort secured me the top slot from the other candidate,” he said. 

Shortly after graduation from West Point, the events of 9/11 dictated Dave’s service – he was deployed to Kuwait, and then to Iraq. During his time there, his unit oversaw three free elections… They also were responsible for intercepting the makings of bombs that were intended to stop the elections.

Although he was a graduate of West Point and a former Army Captain, his experience in the solar industry was non-existent, so he began as an installer – carrying solar panels up ladders and installing them on rooftops. This experience gave him an appreciation for the work in the trades… Although he was in good physical shape from the military, installing solar panels in the summer was exceptionally difficult, and demanding both physically and mentally. This work set him on the path of creating his own company. 

As Dave looks back to his personal experiences and his military service, he would like to highlight the benefits that he has gained from his service, and cautiously and thoughtfully infuse a concept that labeling veterans as disabled may pigeon-hole both how they see themselves and how their community and society view them.

“Being away from my wife and son for over two and a half years in combat or field training was not easy, but I have also come to realize that I was privileged to have had the opportunity to serve my country in a meaningful way and to become a member of the largest cohesive network in the world – the US military veteran community,” Byrne said.

For more information, please visit Renuaenergy.com

Entrepreneur Christopher J. Thomas – a retired U.S. Marine Corps. Sergeant Major – is the founder and owner of Elite 9 Veteran Talent Acquisition Services, an employment placement and business management consulting firm that focuses on connecting Veterans to hiring professionals. As a company, they highlight resume writing/editing, talent management, requisitioning, and interviewing techniques.  Elite 9 works with front line leaders, mid-level supervisors, and senior executives across all industries.

Christopher started Elite 9 because he saw the needs of Veterans returning home and re-entering the workforce… He would talk to service members about their plans after the military, and he found that the transition for service members into the workforce was challenging: “I really do have a passion for entrepreneurship and a passion for helping veterans and military spouses. I knew I could help people,” Christopher said. 

As Christopher was building and shaping his busines,s he relied on the help of mentors, and through them, Christopher gained perspective and insight that helped him create his business. He believes that applicants that come out of the military have what he calls soft skills, that are intangible but valuable to an employer: “Hard skills are skills that can be taught on the job. Soft skills are what an individual brings to the table, personality traits. Do you have the passion to see a project through to the end? Do you know how to work with people to get the job done? These are traits that are hard to teach, but valuable to an employer and a company,” Christopher said. 

Elite 9 works with Veterans and their spouses to make sure that their resume reflects the skill that they possess for the job that they are pursuing. Most companies use an Application Tracking System (ATS) that screens resumes before they are viewed by Human Resources… This means if your resume doesn’t have key words from the job description, you likely will not get a response, even if you are qualified for the job! Elite 9 teaches these skills so that resumes that are submitted are less likely to be overlooked.

Due to his experience in the Military, Christopher is aware of a program which benefits both the employers and the departing service members – The Department of Defense’s SkillBridge Program. This program is available to active service members who are within 180 days of their release date, and helps the service member plan for life after the military. The SkillBridge Program connects the service member with an industry partner, and the service member continues to receive their military compensation while working and learning skills with an industry partner, even though the new employer does not pay the service member during the course of the program… This helps to create a lasting relationship between the service member and the employer where each benefits.

Elite 9 has partnered with Paula Traina of Traina Insurance & Financial Services Inc. to build that program… Now, Paula can hire from a pool of 200,000 service members who are exiting military service and re-entering the civilian workforce. During the 180-day period, Paula reduces labor costs and builds a relationship with the new employees.

For more information about Elite 9 Veteran’s Talent Acquisition Services LLC and the work that Christopher is doing, please visit elite9vtas.net

Kristopher Brunelle is a Navy Veteran turned entrepreneur, and in October of 2022, Kristopher started his own company – White Glove Janitorial Service! His motivation for opening his own business was that he knew that he could do better for himself, and teach others to do better for themselves as well.

Kristopher Brunelle and his team serve medium to large offices, medical practices, new & used car dealerships, and daycare centers. White Glove Janitorial provides office cleaning, carpet cleaning, interior window-washing, restroom cleaning, sanitation & re-stocking, floor stripping, waxing & buffing, and specialized disinfection services. 

White Glove Janitorial uses proven techniques, proper tools and equipment, in-depth training, intensive focus on team mentality, and quality control to ensure that their clients are pleased with their clean work environment. 

As owner of White Glove Janitorial, Kristopher draws his professional expectations from his time in the military; he enlisted in the Navy for job security during the uncertain economic times of 2008 and the Great Recession… His goal when entering the military was to have a stable job, where he could learn skills that he would carry with him past his military career. During his time in service, he was a E-5 builder in the Construction Battalion (known as the Seabee’s), and as a result, he spent a lot of time cleaning, which he found cathartic – having both his equipment and spaces in a ready state was comforting in a world of chaos. When he joined the Seabee’s, he found out that he was joining a battalion that “built where others couldn’t”. This concept of pushing forward and succeeding where other people couldn’t has stayed with Kristopher, and been a factor in his success building his own business… The military taught him the importance of getting a job done, even if it seems impossible.

As Kristopher grows his business he often revisits the lessons that he learned in the military; for instance, how as a unit, it was necessary for each individual to work as a team: “There wasn’t the option to fire someone if they weren’t doing a good job. So, I learned to find a way to motivate that person so that the unit could get the best results. As an employer, I find myself using the same tools. I want to motivate the people who work for me to learn and grow. I have gained the skills to assess people and offer positions that they may have been overlooked for… Everybody brings strengths and attributes and as an employer I try to find what a person can bring to the table,” Kristopher said.

As an entrepreneur and father, it has also been important to Kristopher to teach his little girl Lindsey life lessons. Kristopher and his wife Kealy are raising Lindsey to be an independent thinker when it comes to business – Lindsey gets to see her mom go off to work as a teacher every day, and that sets structure in her young life. When she is home with her dad, he is often working out of his home office and she gets to see that you don’t have to work a “nine-to-five” job, and it’s okay to follow your own path.

As Kristopher sets goals for his business and watches his daughter grow, he is thankful for the community that came from his military career, including the Veterans Business Network, The Adirondack Chamber of Commerce, and military friends and mentors Juan and Amy Gonzales, who give so much help and support to Veterans.

For more information, please visit 518whitegloveservice.com