Power of Women NY Honoree: Nancy Dubuc

When veterans return home from overseas deployment, one of the best things many of them can do to help ease in the transition to civilian life is to find new ways to use their skills. Team Rubicon and the Mission Continues give vets the opportunity to channel their energy, talents and skills either into local communities or globally as disaster responders.

So it makes sense that A+E Networks, which includes the History channel, would take Rubicon and Mission under its wing. But this is no branding play, says Nancy Dubuc, president and CEO of A+E Networks; History may often feature programming about or for the military, but doesn’t make a fuss about being a sponsor.

“We’ve never tied it to any of our shows or our marketing; we let it stand on its own,” she says. “Skeptics should be heartened by our long-term commitment to it. This is not a one-term endeavor where we’re in and out. We’ve been at this for years.”

Dubuc herself knows what it’s like to have veterans in the family: Both her grandfathers served in the Pacific in WWII. Under her aegis, A+E has focused on the two charities as part of its overall Veterans Outreach program, which includes sponsoring Take a Veteran to School events and taking select vets to the Super Bowl.

“Veterans issues have always spoken to me,” she says. “These organizations are not just honoring the past, but continuing in the future — really celebrating the service of these men and women. I wanted to do something that was more than just a call to action, or putting our name on a plaque in a museum. These men and women have served our country, and this is a way to honor their legacy and hopefully inspire others to do so as well.”

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