Still Serving Veterans (SSV) works to make a lasting impact on veterans and their families by providing professional support services that empower and equip them for a secure future.

“Still Serving Veterans is a place where veterans, no matter if they are transitioning out now, in two years or have been out for 10 – they come here and they feel respected, heard and ultimately secure as they may have in the service,” said Chief Programs Officer Jim King.

SSV was established in 2006 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization to help severely wounded Veterans with the transition to civilian life and help them secure VA benefits. Soon it was apparent that many non-wounded veterans were also having difficulty finding and securing employment so SSV began supporting all Veterans and members of the National Guard or Reserve who were seeking civilian careers and who needed support during the transition process.

King said SSV has three main programs to help veterans; Career Transition Services,VA Benefit Support and Veteran Resource Connection.

“With career transition services we will help them develop a resume. We’ll help them do mock interviews, we help them show them how to do job searches, we show them how to network and how to utilize LinkedIn and ultimately find meaningful employment,” said King.

In 2024, SSV assisted 1,234 veterans with career and transition services resulting in an average salary of more than $75,000.

The North Alabama-based non profit also offers veterans claims assistance through their Veteran Service Officers who help local/Northern Alabama veterans and their families understand the VA benefits they have earned and complete the VA’s claim forms needed to access them.

“We assist veterans in achieving or gaining their disability claims, filing their disability plan,” he said. “So we are an accredited VSO veteran service officer or veteran service office, and we have accredited veteran service officers that work.”

The Veteran Resource Connections program steps in when a veteran is facing a crisis or insecurity.

“We help veterans that are in a situational crisis, they’ve lost their job and they’re, they’re facing eviction or they have food insecurities or they’re having a difficult time paying a bill, a utility bill,” King said. “And we will help, we or one of our partners will find a way to help them.”

All SSV services are provided at no charge to veterans or employers.

“The end goal is a veteran has a solid, family supporting job and if they are local, the benefits they served for. If a veteran leaves SSV with benefits & a meaningful job, they are going to live a healthy, productive life out of the service.”

Still Serving Veterans’ programs are fully funded by donors, including grantors, corporations and individuals, and funds raised through events hosted by SSV and others.

“No Veteran or family member is ever charged for the services we provide, thanks to the generosity of our donors,” said Debbie Joyner, SSV Chief Development Officer.

SSV was named a Primary Grantee of the Call of Duty Endowment in 2014; a distinction they have earned every year since.

“SSV is honored to be one of only 10 primary grantees of the Call of Duty Endowment, SSV’s largest donor. CODE provides grants to the best performing charities that prepare Veterans to compete for high-quality jobs,” said Joyner.

Joyner said there are numerous ways to support veterans and the SSV mission.

“We are currently working to engage more individuals as monthly donors, and we would appreciate your support,” she said. “Many people making a simple monthly donation can have a huge impact.”

Please visit the Still Serving Veterans’ “How to Help” page to learn more.

Cepeda Systems & Software Analysis, Inc., provides warfighters innovative software engineering, systems engineering, and performance improvement systems services. Cepeda also holds an impressive CMMI 3 certification, and their experienced coaches offer consulting services for other companies. Cepeda’s dynamic team works tirelessly to contribute to our country’s safety by supporting Space and Defense.

Alice Lessmann is the CEO and has dedicated her career to protecting our nation and supporting her local community. She served in the Army National Guard for 21 years, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. Later, she worked at Huntsville Hospital as a neurosurgical nurse practitioner.

An industry pioneer in its own right, Cepeda and its mission go hand in hand with 256 Today’s Innovator Awards, which recognizes exceptional North Alabama individuals whose work in safety and defense protects our nation. “But it’s more than a mission to us,” says Lessmann of Cepeda’s sponsorship. “We’re a military family.” Lessmann met husband and Cepeda president Steve Lessmann while both were serving in the Army National Guard; both of their fathers served in the military; and the Lessmanns’s daughter is currently a student at the Air Force Academy. Retirement from the National Guard led the couple to protect and serve in a new way — through software engineering — and their determination is resolute. “Both veterans, Steve and I feel deeply connected to this industry, because we know the importance of keeping our keeping our country safe,” says Lessmann.

Not only is Cepeda committed to this country, but it’s also invested in the local community. Lessmann is a lifelong resident of Huntsville and a graduate of the University of Alabama in Huntsville. “Our motto is ‘people, customers, community.’ We take care of our employees, who in turn take care of our customers, who in turn help our company to grow, and we can better take care of our community,” says Lessmann. Cepeda offers a people-focused culture, supporting the wellbeing of their tight-knit team of around 70 employees. By fostering a community within the community, Cepeda empowers everyone to succeed.

Cepeda is also a HUBZone-certified small business. This government-awarded program fuels small business in historically underutilized business zones, like Cepeda’s headquarters. “We’re exposing our city’s underserved areas to our industry and educating our younger generations in STEM so we can continue to make an impact in our community,” says Lessmann.

As a woman-owned, veteran-owned, and minority-owned, Cepeda seeks to inspire a diversity of individuals to pursue careers in defense contracting. “Our industry is for anyone,” says Lessmann. “We want to continue to be the most trusted, responsible, and innovative service provider that inspires and empowers our people, customers and community,” she says.