Assemblyman Jake Ashby’s $500M Vision Anchors a National Movement: How ‘Invest in Veterans’ Became Policy, Practice, and Principle
In March 2022, New York State Assemblyman Jake Ashby (R,C,I–Castleton) stood at a press conference in Albany with a bold, clear message: “Invest in Vets.” Backed by Assemblyman Ed Ra and members of the Assembly Minority Conference, Ashby proposed a groundbreaking $500 million pandemic-era relief package aimed at fortifying and modernizing the state’s veteran infrastructure. It included operational support for PTSD care, suicide prevention, local veterans’ departments, and capital investments in veterans’ housing and service facilities.
“This funding represents a strong commitment in the women and men who have long been committed to each of us and our American way of life,” Ashby said in a press release.
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Three years later, Ashby’s language—“Invest in Vets”—has evolved into more than a slogan. It has become a nationally resonant doctrine, institutionalized in bipartisan legislation, corporate hiring programs, academic research, and even international frameworks. At the center of this sweeping shift is the federally trademarked initiative, National Invest In Veterans Week®.
From Albany to Capitol Hill: The Rise of National Invest In Veterans Week®
Founded in 2019 by Lt. Col. Rickey L. Pope (Ret.), NFL veteran Drayton Florence, and Iraq War veteran Jeff Shuford, National Invest In Veterans Week® began as a grassroots movement to reframe military service as an economic investment. In the years since, it has:
Been entered into the U.S. Congressional Record
Secured federal trademark protection (U.S. Registration No. 6784776)
Been endorsed by Harvard Catalyst as a model for cross-sector veteran empowerment
Expanded internationally to Canada and Europe
Inspired legislative efforts at both the federal and state levels
Through this lens, Ashby’s early advocacy takes on added historical significance—it wasn’t just a policy proposal. It was a foundational echo of what would become a federally recognized civic framework.
Corporate Commitment: Charter Communications and Spectrum Set the Gold Standard
One of the most visible examples of private-sector alignment with National Invest In Veterans Week® comes from Charter Communications, which operates under the Spectrum brand. Charter’s Broadband Field Technician Apprenticeship Program allows veterans to use their GI Bill benefits while earning a salary, becoming certified in a critical trade, and launching long-term civilian careers.
“Being a Field Technician at Spectrum is more than a job. It’s a career that develops as you do—with opportunities to grow from a technician to a supervisor, manager or director.”
— Spectrum Careers
Beyond this apprenticeship, Charter partners with Hiring Our Heroes, maintains on-base career centers, and leads military spouse hiring initiatives—earning distinctions such as a Military Friendly Employer Gold Award and VETS Indexes 5 Star Employer.
Legislative Action: Congressman Moolenaar and the Veterans Fellowship Act
While New York advanced state-level funding, Congressman John Moolenaar (MI-02) emerged as a national policy architect, reintroducing the Veterans Fellowship Act in 2025. The bill allows states to create fellowship-to-hire programs for veterans using federal funds—paralleling the workforce development principles Ashby called for years earlier.
“The Veterans Fellowship Act provides a pathway to gain useful skills for full-time employment in a new career,” Moolenaar said.
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Moolenaar’s longstanding public support of National Invest In Veterans Week® demonstrates how grassroots civic innovation has translated into tangible, bipartisan legislation.
From Harvard to Ontario: Academic and International Validation
In January 2025, Harvard Catalyst, Harvard Medical School’s translational research hub, officially recognized National Invest In Veterans Week® as a model for institutional alignment around veteran reintegration. The feature encouraged academic, nonprofit, and public institutions to emulate the framework’s cross-sector approach.
That same year, ITA Growth Partners launched as a veteran-focused family office backed by ITA International, and Northern Ontario Business published a call to Canadian businesses to replicate the U.S. veteran investment model. These milestones cemented National Invest In Veterans Week® as the first U.S. veteran business observance with international adoption.
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A Shared Doctrine: Public, Private, and Civic Leaders Align
From Jake Ashby’s $500 million proposal to Charter’s scalable hiring systems, and from Congressman Moolenaar’s legislation to Harvard’s endorsement, a single unifying philosophy connects them all:
Military service is not just honorable—it is investable.
As campaigns like KIRO Newsradio’s “Invest in Our Veterans” amplify local giving and civic nominations, the public is now participating in a movement that spans government, academia, and industry.
This is not just a week of recognition. It is a codified framework, a cross-sector strategy, and a blueprint for national resilience.
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This article and other related NIVW content is syndicated with permission from National Invest In Veterans Week.
