CAEL MilCoP Adds Regional Chapters, Becomes CAEL’s Largest Community of Practice

In April, CAEL’s Military Community of Practice (MilCoP) gathered for the second of five virtual convenings scheduled for 2025. Members heard several updates highlighting the growth of the MilCoP, including details about the Illinois regional chapter, which launched in March. Mia Garcia-Hills, director of student veterans affairs at the University of Illinois Chicago, leads the chapter along with Sheri Gross, director of veterans services at College of DuPage. During the gathering, she noted that the Illinois chapter was assisting other members of the MilCoP to start their own regional chapters.

It didn’t take long for that support to have an impact. In May, inspired by their Illinois colleagues, Dr. Monteigne Long, veteran and military services director at The Texas A&M University System, and Diana Nores, director, testing, at University of Houston Clear Lake, cofounded the MilCoP’s Texas chapter. Like the Illinois chapter, the Texas chapter is dedicated to serving veterans, active-duty service members, reservists, National Guard members, ROTC cadets, and their families and caregivers by facilitating access to higher education and workforce development opportunities.

“We’re excited about the regional opportunities our chapter will have to complement CAEL’s work to empower military-connected individuals through educational support, career guidance, and professional networking to enhance their success in civilian life,” said Long.

For more information, please reach out to Texas chapter co-chairs Diana Nores or Monteigne Long.

The regional chapters are helping to fuel the rapid growth of the Military Community of Practice, which was formally introduced at CAEL’s annual conference in November 2024. In another sign of the community’s expansion, Carolyn Swabek, senior director of community engagement for CAEL, announced during the April gathering that the MilCoP had become CAEL’s largest community of practice, with nearly 250 members. The growth has enriched the networking, sharing of best practices, and partnership opportunities available through the community of practice, which regularly interacts through dedicated channels at CAEL’s Member Hub.

The next virtual convening of CAEL’s Military Community of Practice will be held July 30, 2025, from 1-2 p.m. ET. It will feature guest speaker Kayla LaFond, Virginia military spouse liaison for the Virginia Department of Veterans Services. Any CAEL member is eligible to join the Military Community of Practice and can sign up to do so at cael.org.