IAC's 1st Veterans and Families Event to Join Task Force Movement. Trucking and Logistics Companies, Brokers, Warehousing, and other Supply Chain Experts from North, South, East, and West, joined together with Cyber, GIS, Workforce and Career Placement Professionals Joined The Movement!

Patrick is committed to being an ambassador for veterans. In 2007, Patrick became the nation’s first Iraq War Veteran elected to Congress, representing Pennsylvania’s 1st congressional district. He authored several groundbreaking pieces of legislation into law including the 21st Century GI Bill, the Repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and the raising of the federal minimum wage. Continuing public service today, he was appointed to the National US Cyberspace Solarium Commission, as well as Distinguished Chair of Innovation at West Point, and supports fellow veterans entering political public service through Kennedy Democrats and Taking the Hill. Patrick led the U.S. Army – a Fortune 2-sized workforce of 1.3 million, with a $148 billion budget, and the nation’s largest employer of millennials. He led the expansion of the Soldier for Life initiative, was instrumental in achieving recruitment goals for the first time in five years, and generated over $250 million in public-private partnerships. He initiated opening up over 2,500 AAFES retail stores for the first-ever, tax-free online shopping which has increased annual sales to over $6.7 billion.
Patrick was born into a family of veterans. His father Jack served in the Navy, his uncles Joe and Bill served in Vietnam, and his brother J.J. served in the Air Force, with two post-9/11 overseas deployments. 

Patrick continued this tradition, enlisting in the United States Army ROTC program at age 19. He would serve two deployments following September 11th—the first to Bosnia in 2002 and the second to Iraq from 2003 through 2004 as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division. He received a Bronze Star for his service in Iraq, which included leading a Brigade Operational Law Team and successfully prosecuting two high-level terrorists in the Supreme Court of Iraq. 

Dan Kunze is a leading voice in developing enterprise strategy and policy, enterprise technology, talent management, and policy efforts that support our future workforce and warfighting demands. He currently works in support of the Department of Defense involving Enterprise Software and Digital Transformation driving enterprise modernization. His prior experience includes working with Fortune 500 organizations across industries, enabling them to drive and deliver outcomes in enterprise technology, Pivotal Software working with Defense Agencies to deliver modern software practices, and has worked closely with Federal and State policy makers to shape policy related to modern enterprise technology and talent management demands. Kunze serves on the Board of USO Pennsylvania and New Jersey, is a member of the Association of the US Army Board Philadelphia and is a Board Member of Big Brothers Big Sisters in both Middle Tennessee and Philadelphia’s Independence Region.

He currently serves as an Officer in the United States Army Reserve. As a Soldier, Kunze’s work has focused on workforce and talent management innovation. Dan graduated from Montgomery County Community College, Temple University, Widener University – Delaware Law School. He has also earned a certificate at MIT’s Sloan School of Management for Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business course. Dan is married to his high school sweetheart, Kerrin, and they have 3 kids under 5.

Elizabeth Murray-Belcaster is the President of EMB Consultants, Inc. Leading initiatives for Veterans’ and military families, Belcaster is an expert in strategic development of training to placement efforts across the country and an advisor for leadership and coalition building. She is responsible for networking with employers, military partners, and legislators,  as well as building independent partnerships with labor affiliates and with veteran’s service organizations across the country. She served as Task Force Committee member and lead panelist for the American Legion National Licensing and Credentialing Summits and continues to drive industry stakeholders, governing agencies, labor unions and military affiliations in collective spaces to further advance programming and policy for service members across the globe. Belcaster specializes in development of Military Training to Placement efforts with military leadership, industry, labor, academia and regulatory agencies and stakeholders across the country. 

She’s had concurrent experience directing political campaign initiatives for the offices of Governor, State and National Congress, Senate, Aldermanic, and regional judicial positions. She has presented at the Clinton Global Initiative and has served as a board member on the Women For Wounded Warriors Foundation since 2016, and is a past recipient of United States Field Artillery Associations, The Order of Saint Barbara award.

Cassie Gabelt Byard is the past Executive Director of Task Force Movement, a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, a US Navy veteran, Ohio Supreme Court trained mediator, IBM Certified Analyst, Selective Service Board Member, and professor of Political Science. She previously served as Recording Secretary and Senior Advisor of Strategic Development and Operations for Task Force Movement in support of the White House Trucking Action Plan.

She holds an M.P.S. from The George Washington University, provides Government Relations representation for Minority Veterans of America, and is a special advisor to AVOW Magazine. Cassie has and continues to provide high-level input to entities of the federal government to improve the availability and accessibility of Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense initiatives for veterans and active duty service members. She has also served as a Stark County Honor Court Mentor (Ohio).

Senior Advisor of Strategic Development and Planning

Dean Thomas is a Managing Director at Ankura, based in Washington, DC. He brings trusted expertise to the corporate world and all levels of government with over 15 years of experience in both the public and private sector, as well as nearly a decade on Wall Street. Thomas has an unparalleled track record of delivering results in his current position as well as past positions including Director of Government Relations at FisherBroyles, SVP of Government Affairs and Business Development responsible for strategy, sales, and revenue for both the corporate and government business lines at the Bank of London (TBOL), Managing Director at leading institutional securities firm JNK Securities, Director of Congressional Affairs for the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA), and Political Director and Senior Appropriations Assistant for Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan. Thomas holds an M.S. from George Mason University and is a member of the Board of Trustees with The Bronx Charter School for Better Learning in New York City.