Eli Williamson is director of the veterans program for the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. He is a former staff sergeant with the U.S. Army and co-founder of Leave No Veteran Behind, an Illinois-based nonprofit focused on employment opportunities for veterans. While executive director at Leave No Veteran Behind, he implemented debt relief and transitional employment programs, workforce skills training and community-service opportunities for veterans making the transition from military to civilian life. Earlier, Williamson served in both Iraq and Afghanistan as a member of psychological operations teams and as an Arabic linguist, working on outreach to civilian communities. He is the recipient of numerous awards and medals, including the Bronze Star, two Army Achievement Medals, an Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, and Iraq and Afghanistan Campaign Medals. He is on the board of advisors for the Truman National Security Project. He received his B.A. from Luther College and is completing his M.A. from DePaul University.