The PenFed Foundation, a national 501(c)3 founded by PenFed Credit Union, announced today that it is providing NextOp, a non-profit organization engineered to meet the unprecedented employment challenges and opportunities facing military members and veterans today, with a grant to expand its veteran employment program.

The PenFed Foundation is a national nonprofit that exists to empower veterans as they transition from military service to success in civilian life. It was created in 2001 and, since then, has provided more than $55 million in financial support to veterans, active-duty service members, families, and caregivers.

"The PenFed Foundation is proud to partner with NextOp and we support their proven hands-on approach to secure high-quality careers, promote high retention rates, and enable veterans to support their families and give back to their communities," said PenFed Foundation President Andrea McCarren.

NextOp works one-on-one with enlisted service members and veterans to help translate military training and experiences into valued qualifications in the business community. The veteran employment program efficiently connects candidates to high-quality positions with employers that need their talent. NextOp has developed a North Texas expansion plan centered around the Dallas-Fort metropolitan area. The region has a large military and veteran population and many open positions in growing industries. The grant will be used to hire local staff to provide industry outreach, community relationship building, one-on-one candidate development and formalize partnerships with employers and stakeholders in North Texas.

"We are honored to receive this PenFed Foundation grant," said NextOp Executive Director, Shelby Mounts. "Our North Texas expansion is a major step for NextOp as we look to extend our service area, and engage the high-density, high-quality employers in the Greater Dallas-Fort Worth area. This funding was the final element to enable us to hire a Regional Manager and initiate boots on the ground activities."