Why STAR?

Because military transitioning into the civilian world can be extremely stressful and challenging.

Our Mission

To provide mentorship assistance during the tough transitioning period after leaving service. We start by listening to needs, assisting on how and where to begin the transition process, translating their military experience into skills and values, developing a personalized transition plan to track progress, guiding them on challenging careers that best leverage their capabilities and passion and helping them network with the right business leaders to seize career opportunities.

Our Vision

To assist members of the special operations community with access to Tampa Bay opportunities by connecting with business and community leaders.

STAR is designed to provide the connective tissue between special operations military and civilian leaders in the Tampa Bay area. We provide support and resources across a wide array of industry and transition assistance programs.

Our Program

There are 5 components to the program: STAR Dinners, Transition Speaker Series, Job Shadow, LinkedIn (Nancy Laine) and TampaBay-Job-Links (Sheila Solomon Rudd). Each program targets a different area of development needed for entering the civilian sector. Participants must be willing to play full-out and push yourself outside of your comfort zone.

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Our Leadership Team

Anthony Weiss

Co-Founder

Mark Rosenthal

Co-Founder

Joe F. Lurz

Co-Chair

Troy M. Daland

Chair

Cynthia Rogers

Strategic Advisor

“I can't say enough about what the STAR program is doing for transitioning senior leaders in the Special Operations community or what it has done for me in the process.”
Shawnretired Colonel, Army Ranger

“I'm a recently retired Green Beret Colonel with nearly 3 decades of experience in global special operations and commanding bases overseas. The dedicated mentors at STAR opened doors to opportunities I wouldn't have had access to. Transition was challenging, but through STAR I found a VP role shaping the operations and strategy of a Tampa Bay Times Top 20 Workplace.”
Edretired Colonel, Army Special Forces

“I'm a retiring SEAL Captain with a 29-year military background that has included various leadership roles throughout the SEAL Teams. My next chapter is the result of working with STAR, which helped me focus on “what’s next” by introducing me to key community members in several industries.   As a result, I have taken a path I would never have considered before STAR.”
Johnretired Captain, SEAL

“I am a retired Army Special Operations Aviation Colonel with a diverse background in operations, resourcing, and acquisition. Through STAR I discovered how to market my passion for leader development, resulting in multiple academic and commercial business opportunities.  Ultimately, I found a role working with high net worth individuals to develop strategies to achieve personal and financial goals for a leading financial group based in Tampa.”
Joelretired Colonel, 160th SOAR (Night Stalker)

Operators

Get started as an Operator transitioning from military service into the business environment.

Business Partners

STAR ALUMNI

Former STAR Operators who have graduated from the program and want to stay connected.