U.S. Army Veteran, Policy Expert and Entrepreneur Assumes Leadership Role
Bill Rausch
Washington, D.C. (December 17, 2015) – Got Your 6, the national campaign that works to bridge the civilian-military divide, has named Bill Rausch as the organization’s executive director, strengthening the campaign’s mission to empower veterans and military families upon their return to civilian life.
Rausch is an Army veteran and West Point graduate with deep experience in nonprofit leadership, entrepreneurship and business management roles. Rausch brings with him extensive experience in the veteran service organization space, having most recently served as the political director for the Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA).
“It’s an honor to join the Got Your 6 team, as the work of our organization and coalition is needed now more than ever,” said Bill Rausch, executive director, Got Your 6. “Our veterans are leaders, team builders, and problem solvers who possess the unique ability to strengthen their communities across the country. Using a one team-one fight approach, Got Your 6 will continue to integrate these narratives into popular culture while empowering our veterans to step up and lead in their cities and towns, truly reviving the American community as we know it.”
As executive director, Rausch will lead the Got Your 6 team and work with nonprofit, corporate, entertainment industry, and government partners to execute and grow Got Your 6 initiatives such as 6 Certified, a program launched to recognize film and television content that normalizes the depiction of veterans; Got Your 6 Storytellers, an annual program that celebrates the unique stories of veterans utilizing their military experience to strengthen their communities; and Got Your 6’s policy and research projects, such as the Veterans Civic Health Index. He will also manage and work to expand and deepen the impact of Got Your 6’s veterans coalition of nonprofits, and will oversee the campaign’s fundraising efforts.
“Bill Rausch is an exceptional choice to lead Got Your 6 into its next phase: he’s a leader, a coalition builder, a business-minded thinker, and a former Army Major who served 17 months in Iraq under both Generals Casey and Petraeus,” said Rob Gordon, President of Be The Change, the parent organization of Got Your 6. “The work of Got Your 6 is critical as the veteran empowerment movement works to reintegrate veterans and their families, and gives them opportunities to continue their service at home to strengthen our communities.”
The hiring of Rausch caps a productive year for the Got Your 6 campaign, having recently announced a second round of “6 Certified” programs, including “Jurassic World,” “Gotham,” and “BoJack Horseman” among many others; the successful presentation of bicoastal Got Your 6 Storytellers events in New York and Los Angeles; and the release of several research studies, including the Veterans Civic Health Index.
About Got Your 6
Got Your 6 is a campaign that unites veteran-focused nonprofit, corporate, Hollywood, and government partners. Got Your 6 believes that veterans are leaders, team builders, and problem solvers who have the unique potential to strengthen communities across the country. As a coalition, Got Your 6 works to integrate these perspectives into popular culture, engage veterans and civilians together to foster understanding, and empower veterans to lead in their communities. Since 2013, Got Your 6 has distributed grants totaling more than $4 million to a dozen veteran-focused non-profit partners. For more information visit www.gotyour6.org. Be the Change, Inc., an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, is the organizing body and fiscal sponsor of Got Your 6.
