Complimentary 'Veterans Institute' Workshop Encourages Hundreds of Companies to Hire Military Veterans

On November 14, Disney Chairman and CEO Robert A. Iger, First Lady Michelle Obama and ABC News Anchor Bob Woodruff gave keynote addresses at Disney's first-ever Veterans Institute workshop at Walt Disney World Resort. Building on its successful Heroes Work Here initiative to hire, train and support military veterans, Disney hosted the free Veterans Institute workshop to inspire other companies to employ servicemen and women transitioning to the private sector.

The First Lady has made supporting military families and U.S. troops a top priority. In 2011 Mrs. Obama and Dr. Jill Biden launched Joining Forces, an initiative dedicated to connecting servicemen and women, veterans, and military spouses with the resources they need to find jobs at home. Through this initiative, Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden have met with military families, learned about their successes and challenges, and have connected them with businesses and non-profit organizations as they look for work in the private sector. Joining Forces highlights the workforce potential of veterans and military spouses, expands employment and career development opportunities for veterans and military spouses, and helps employers create military family-friendly workplaces.

On January 29, 2006, while reporting on U.S. and Iraqi security forces, Woodruff was seriously injured by a roadside bomb that struck his vehicle near Taji, Iraq. In February 2007, just 13 months after being wounded in Iraq, Woodruff returned to ABC News with his first on-air report, "To Iraq and Back: Bob Woodruff Reports." The hour-long, primetime documentary chronicled his traumatic brain injury (TBI), his painstaking recovery and the plight of thousands of service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with similar injuries. Woodruff continues to cover traumatic brain injuries for all ABC News broadcasts and platforms and was honored with a Peabody Award in 2008 for his reporting on the subject.

In February 2007, Woodruff and his wife, Lee, co-wrote a bestselling memoir, In an Instant, chronicling his injuries in Iraq and how their family persevered through a time of intense trauma and uncertainty. The Woodruff family established the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) to raise money to assist injured service members, veterans and their families.

About Disney Institute

Disney Institute is the professional development arm of The Walt Disney Company [NYSE: DIS]. Since its founding in 1986, Disney Institute has shared the company's time-tested best practices in leadership, management, creativity/innovation, brand loyalty and customer service with millions of professionals around the world.

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