Support for Military Spouses, Vets, and Capital One

Life as a military spouse often entails facing the reality of your partner’s deployment or new assignment and the series of life changes that can come with it. Merideth has been at Capital One for eight years, working with their Support Innovation Technology team — a group that drives the modernization of Capital One’s compliance systems and provides the essential resources associates need to work securely. She simultaneously juggles her career, being a mother, fulfilling her role as a military spouse, and, at times, raising her three kids alone while her husband is on deployments. 

Beyond propelling organization-wide technological transformations, Merideth has made the journey from member to leader within Salute, a business resource group (BRG) at Capital One, serving their community of military veterans, reservists, spouses, family members, and allies. Over her tenure with Salute, Merideth and the leadership team evolved the organization from a support system for its members into a rapidly growing community that enables its members to thrive inside and outside of work.

“We try to send care packages to people's families and do whatever we can to help lessen the blow and the change in their family dynamic when a family member is deployed. We also have a military spouse support group, or we call it a chapter, made up of associates who are advocating for enhanced benefits for military spouses. It’s a great community for military families and veterans to talk about whatever’s going on in their lives and connect with others who might be going through the same situations.”

Her success hasn’t come without challenges along the way, and Merideth has felt the backing of her team and community at Capital One during the moments that mattered. She describes the lead-up to her husband’s recent year-long deployment as one of the most impactful times her team and the Salute community she’s grown to rely on had shown up for her. Merideth reached out to her team and explained her home situation while sharing her concerns about how such a change might affect her performance at work. After receiving support from her team, leadership, and Salute colleagues, Merideth was confident she had made the right decision to share her concerns and seek support. She received encouragement to adapt to her family’s new normal; sometimes, that looked like running out early to take her kids to the doctor; other times, it looked like signing on to complete a project during off-hours.

“The support I’ve received from my team and community here at Capital One has helped me feel comfortable, giving me a space where I feel seen, have a community of people to go to, and allows me to focus on ensuring that I can be at my best for both my team and my family. Knowing that I've been able to help other associates feel the same makes me proud.”

Merideth began her journey with Salute as a member, looking for a community of people to relate and turn to. It quickly became a community that she flourished in, and she found her journey from member to leader within the BRG to be a natural one. She uses her leadership role with Salute to give back, help the organization grow, and pay forward the support she receives to others.

Merideth. Photo courtesy of Capital One.

 

Merideth is always looking for new ways to connect the military community and allies with other associates at Capital One and external organizations. She most recently worked with Capital One to help set up and host the first-ever Capital One Military Ball and has also worked with Patriot Paws, a non-profit that provides service dogs to disabled veterans, which has been instrumental in matching a number of trained dogs with their new loving homes. Merideth is proud to be part of a company that is military friendly, which has allowed her to bring her best self to work and has invested in her growth into the leader she’s always wanted to be. 

“The most important thing I want people to know is that you can find your community here at Capital One, no matter your situation or background. It’s a place that sees associates as humans first, and they will not only provide support during difficult times but also allow you to do it in your own way, no matter what that might look like.”

Patriot Paws. Photo Courtesy of Capital One. 

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