Volunteer Spotlight: Mark


As a Navy veteran, Mark Minutello experienced the uncertainty firsthand that comes with leaving the military for a civilian career. It’s one of the reasons he loves connecting with veterans and military spouses to share tips he learned on his journey into working in senior management at an insurance and IT conglomerate. Mark was gracious enough to answer several questions about volunteering with Hire Heroes USA.

Question: How did you learn about Hire Heroes USA and what made you want to volunteer?

Mark: In the summer of 2019, the president of our company’s Veterans service group shared his very positive experience as a volunteer, which encouraged me to sign-up and proceed with the onboarding process.  It is amazing how one voice can so highly motivate an audience to take action!” 

Question: What has been the most rewarding part of being a volunteer with Hire Heroes USA?

Mark: “The most rewarding part as a volunteer is to see the confidence in a colleague (client) over the course of a mock interview, in that they know they have valuable skills to which they can tell their stories and absolutely be an immediate contributor to any company.” 

Question: How do you apply your own professional experience to your interactions with clients?

Mark: “As an operations manager with a technology company, I attempt to apply my technical background in balance with my people leader experience, especially tailored to the needs of a colleague (client) during mock interviews.  Even if a colleague is from a completely different background and would like to be hired at a company completely different than my company, I know there is common ground in shared values and in our DNA to have served our nation.”

Question: Is there one particular client interaction that sticks with you?

Hire Heroes USA Volunteer Mark Minutello and his family.

Mark: ”I had a mock interview late last year with a spouse of a military member, who was in the healthcare field.  I was thankful to have met her and learned her story, and her motivations to apply to a local health care clinic.  It really hit home for me that she is on the front lines of the pandemic response, placing herself in harm’s way in service to our nation.” 

Question: What else would you like to share about your volunteer experience with Hire Heroes USA?

Mark: “It is very rewarding and humbling to give back to a community from where I came from, as it allows me to remember my roots in my first career after school in military service.  This has shaped me to achieve success so far in my second career in the civilian workplace, not just by myself, but alongside and with support of other professionals, veterans, and family members.”


Over the past year, 1,469 active volunteers invested 7,207 hours to help military families build bright futures. If you would like to make a difference in the lives of veterans and military spouses too, please click here to learn more about volunteering with Hire Heroes USA.