NSI Spotlight on Volunteering: Jacob Shepard, Project Manager

Jacob Shepard, NSI Project Manager volunteers his free time to mentor Army ROTC Cadets in the “Golden Buffalo Battalion” consisting of ROTC cadets from CU Boulder, Colorado School of Mines, and Metropolitan State University of Denver. He intends to mentor cadets to become knowledgeable about programs offered by the Army and the DoD which significantly improve quality of life for our servicemembers and their families. Some programs include: the Thrift Savings Program—which is the military equivalent of a 401(k), Tuition Assistance programs—which allow Soldiers and Officers to pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees while on active duty, Certification Assistance Programs—which allow Soldiers and Officers to pursue professional certifications ranging from cybersecurity to project management to physical fitness, and MyCAA—which allows military spouses up to $4000 towards a professional certification of their choice ranging from Nurse Practitioner to Microsoft Azure Developer to Registered Yoga Teacher. His hope is that these future Army Officers are better able to meet the needs of their Soldiers by providing them the coaching, accountability, and knowledge to meet their needs during their military career and beyond.

Jake Shepherd is a Project Manager for the Center for National Security Initiatives (NSI) at the University of Colorado Boulder. Prior to joining NSI, Jake served in the United States Army as an infantry officer and military advisor where he led cross-functional teams to enhance security cooperation and interoperability in the northern Pacific and eastern European regions. Jake is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York where he earned a B.S. in Engineering Management. He holds certifications in Project Management and Lean Six Sigma. Jake is currently an MBA candidate at University of Colorado Boulder Leeds School of Business.