2023 Clambake & Soldier-Citizen Award Ceremony and Leadership Symposium

“Admiral Mike Mullen truly exemplifies the values of a soldier and a citizen. As a soldier, he has given over 40 years of military service to our nation at the highest levels of leadership. As a citizen, he has done significant work in the financial services industry, held numerous board positions with both for-profit and nonprofit organizations, taught national security decision making policy as well as ethics and leadership, and has received a long list of distinguished awards. Much of his work with non-profit organizations is related to assisting military veterans and their families. It was an honor to nominate Admiral Mullen for this award in recognition of his sacrifice, success, and service.” 

~John Howard, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of The American College of Financial Services

Hosted by the American College Center for Military and Veterans Affairs, the Clambake is our premier fundraiser and networking event that garners generous support for assisting service members, veterans, and families in transition. 

• Grow through connection with colleagues and friends in support of those who serve. 
• Celebrate the sacrifice, service, and selflessness demonstrated by Admiral Michael G. Mullen, USN (Ret.), in a patriotic award ceremony and salute. 
• Uplift through a community dedicated to empowering those who serve with full scholarships to designation and degree programs offered by The College in addition to career services for those who are in transition. 

This year’s Clambake will be emceed by Tracey C. Jones, PhD, author, speaker, veteran, publisher, podcaster, and international leadership expert, who currently serves as president of Tremendous Leadership and T3 Solutions. 

And benefit from more know-how when you attend our leadership symposium the following morning!

2023 Soldier-Citizen Award Recipient: Admiral Michael G. Mullen, USN (Ret.), Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Admiral Mike Mullen, USN (Ret.), is president of MGM Consulting, which provides counsel to global clients on issues related to geo-political developments, national security interests, and strategic leadership. He served as the 28th Chief of Naval Operations from 2005–2007 and as the 17th Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff for Presidents Bush and Obama from 2007 to 2011. He led the military during a critical time of change and transition. 

Admiral Mullen advanced the rapid fielding of innovative technologies, championed emerging and enduring global partnerships, and promoted new methods for countering terrorism. He spearheaded the elimination of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, ushering for the first time in U.S. military history the open service of gay and lesbian men and women. 

Admiral Mullen is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a distinguished graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School, a distinguished alumnus of Harvard Business School, a member of the National Academy of Engineering and served as a trustee at Caltech. 

After his retirement from the United States Navy in November 2011 after 43 years of honorable service, Admiral Mullen joined the corporate boards of General Motors from 2013–2018 and Sprint from 2013–2019. He continues to serve on numerous boards, including Bloomberg Philanthropies, Naval Academy Foundation, Naval Postgraduate School Foundation, Harvard Business School, and a wide array of nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving the growth, development, recovery, and transition of military veterans and their families. Additionally, he taught National Security Decision-Making and Policy at the Woodrow Wilson School of International and Public Affairs at Princeton University from 2012– 2018 and continues to teach advanced ethics and leadership at the U.S. Naval Academy.

Event Emcee: Tracy Jones, PhD, Advisory Council Chair of the American College of Financial Services Center for Military and Veterans Affairs

Dr. Tracey C. Jones is an author, speaker, veteran, publisher, podcaster, and international leadership expert currently serving as president of Tremendous Leadership and T3 Solutions. In 2008, she picked up the reins from her father, Charlie “Tremendous” Jones, who was recognized as a legend in the insurance and motivational arenas. Jones is a passionate, lifelong learner whose career spans top positions in industries from the military to high-tech, defense contracting, and publishing. 

A United States Air Force Academy graduate, Jones is a decorated veteran who served in the First Gulf War and Bosnian War. She also earned an MBA in Global Management and a PhD in Leadership Studies through Lancaster Bible College. 

Jones is a faculty member of the prestigious Institute for Organization Management (IOM) and was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters (honorary PhD) from Central Penn College in 2017. She is the author of 11 titles, five of which are children’s books that use rescue pets to teach character development to our next generation of emerging leaders. Her latest book, SPARK: 5 Essentials to Ignite the Greatness Within, was an Amazon #1 new release. 

The book contains her research on the energy between leaders and followers and the power of resiliency and intrinsic motivation. In serving on numerous non-profit boards, Jones uses her resources to spark greatness in others. She travels the world to speak to groups from women’s ministries in Africa to teaching middle schoolers in Europe while interviewing world leaders for her Leaders on Leadership podcast. 

Jones lives in Enola, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Mike, and enjoys the outdoors, biking, traveling, writing, publishing, spending time with her pack of rescue pets, and giving others the tools to live a tremendous life.