President/Co-founderLeave No Veteran Behind
Eli Williamson, Director of the Veterans Program for the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, is a former staff sergeant with the U. S. Army and co-founder of Leave No Veteran Behind, an Illinois-based non-profit focused on employment opportunities for veterans. While serving as Executive Director at Leave No Veteran Behind, Eli implemented debt relief and transitional employment programs, workforce skills training, and community service opportunities for veterans making the transition from military to civilian life.
Prior to 2009, Eli served in both Iraq and Afghanistan as a member of “psychological operations” teams and as an Arabic linguist, working on outreach to civilian communities and supporting special operations forces. He also served as a wildland firefighter in Montana.