School & Military Training
Jay graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science and was commissioned as an Infantry Officer. After graduating Ranger School and serving at the 101st Airborne Division in several small unit leadership positions, Jay attended Special Forces Assessment and Selection followed by the Special Forces Qualification Course and Arabic Language School.
These rigorous programs seek out and develop individuals able to work in teams, solve complex problems, and communicate cross culturally – all while maintaining resiliency under extreme stress.
Military Career
As a Special Forces officer, Jay spent most of his time assigned to 5th Special Forces Group which is focused on working with international partners in the Middle East. There he served in every echelon of leadership from commanding a 12-Soldier “A” Detachment, to a 450 Soldier battalion, and eventually commanding the entire 2,500 Soldier group. Throughout his career, Jay deployed to the Middle East ten times, including nine combat rotations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.
Each Deployment Required Jay To:
- Develop strategy
- Build a cohesive team
- Sell his plan to superiors
- Guide the development of subordinate plans
- Supervise implementation
- Coordinate with stakeholders
- Manage risk
- Rapidly adjust to change in high-risk environments
Between deployments, Jay led the development and execution of training plans and coached subordinate leaders to prepare them for future deployments. He implemented processes to encourage innovation, resulting in increased efficiency and the acquisition of new technological advancements.
Post Military Career
Jay now lives in Tampa, Florida, where he teaches leadership in the University of South Florida Office of Corporate Education, serves as a volunteer coach for the University of Tampa business school, and is the head coach for the Plant High School Wrestling Team.
