The Veterans Leadership Network (VLN)
Mission: The DU Veterans Leadership Network strengthens veteran connectedness by building a trusted community of veteran and military-affiliated alumni, expanding mentorship and professional networks, and connecting members to career resources and employers that lead to meaningful employment.
Vision: A lifelong DU community where every veteran and military-affiliated alumnus feels connected, supported, and positioned to thrive; consistently securing employment and advancing as leaders in every sector and phase of life.
Featured Volunteer Leaders
Meet Brett Barkey
Hello DU friends, I am Brett! I server 25 years as a U.S. Marine, including three tours in Iraq. After retiring from the Marines, I served as a prosecutor in Northwest Colorado, including two terms as an elected District Attorney. I have, also, served in the District Attorney’s Office for El Paso County, Colorado and the General Counsel’s Office at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Presently, I give back to the community as a Pro Bono Veterans Attorney. I volunteer with the Rocky Mountain Veterans Advocacy Project (at DU Sturm College of Law), the Retiree Activities Office at Buckley Space Force Base, and Team Rubicon (a veteran-led disaster response organization). When not dedicating my time to community, I enjoy traveling the world with my wife Jenni.
I graduated from the DU with a BA in 1983. While here, I competed on the DU Soccer Team and was a two time Academic All-American. I later received an MA from DU in 2022, and my law degree is from the Georgetown University Law Center.
Connect with Brett
Meet Rene Simard
Hello! I received my MS in Organization Leadership from DU in 2013. I retired from the U.S. Air Force after more than 28-years of service in 2006. In my final assignment, I was the Command Chief Master Sergeant for the 460th Space Wing at Buckley Air Force Base, Aurora, Colorado, where I advised the base commander on matters influencing the health, welfare, morale, effective utilization, and quality of life for more than 3,000 enlisted personnel assigned to the base’s area of responsibility. Currently, I am the Chief Operating Officer for the Aurora Colorado Chamber of Commerce, and the Director of the Aurora Chamber’s flagship Leadership Aurora program and the Emerging Leaders program.
Meet Eric Miller
Hi, I am currently retired and built my 30-year career at State Farm Insurance as a claim manager and process improvement consultant. As a leader, I have developed many future leaders, mentored associates at all levels of experience, and continually created opportunities for associates to excel and find their niche in business and in life.
I earned by Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Political Science at Illinois State University. His earned his International Master of Business Administration from the DU in 2002. I currently live in Denver with my wife Chona; we love to travel and to volunteer our time to various organizations in the Denver Metro area.
Meet Sam Hickey
Hi, I am the current Program Coordinator in the Office of Military and Veteran Resources at the University of Denver and a co-owner of Rocky Mountain Flex Fitness. With a background spanning military service, business analytics, and program leadership, I works at the intersection of student support, community partnerships, and operational execution. Through roles in higher education, nonprofit leadership, and entrepreneurship, I have built a practical understanding of how to bring stakeholders together, translate needs into action, and deliver outcomes that last.
I am currently pursuing an Executive MBA at Santa Clara University and holds certifications in Project Management, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, and CompTIA Security+. I also serves as Vice President of the USMC Memorial Foundation, where I help lead fundraising and coordination efforts supporting the renovation of the United States Marine Corps Memorial in Golden, Colorado.
Outside of work, I'm passionate about strengthening the veteran ecosystem across campuses and communities, creating opportunities for connection, support, and long-term success for military-affiliated students and their families.
Staff Leader
Meet Zakiya Markland
Welcome all! I joined DU’s Regional Advancement & Volunteer Engagement team as the Assistant Director of Volunteer Networks in December of 2023. I am here to support and facilitate the vital engagement of DU’s affinity networks by collaborating with network leaders to bring to their communities authentic, impactful, and seamlessly coordinated programming in alignment. Too, I am here to equip DU’s full community of volunteers (alumni, parents, and friends) with tools and resources that prepare them to thrive in their volunteer assignments, further generating a holistic and sustainable model of volunteer-led network growth for DU.
With deep respect and gratitude for all beings, and a commitment to a future that is bright even for our most vulnerable civilians, I look forward to being of service to you. Feel free to contact me here: Zakiya.Markland@DU.edu!
Connect with Zakiya
Connect With Us
VOLUNTEER
If you want to share your time and talent in any way outside mentoring and networking, check out VolunteerDU at volunteering.du.edu This portal is a menu of volunteer opportunities and your open door to engage with the DU community. Choose from a variety of one-off and ongoing projects that are meaningful to you.
The DU Career Network provides connections for life! Whether you're a current student, recent grad, or friend of the University, we all have something in common: a desire to connect and help each other. Unique job opportunities, career support, a chance to mentor or seek mentorship, and countless resources are all available to you here, in one place. https://crimsonconstellation.du.edu/v2/
If you have any questions about volunteering with DU, please email alumni@du.edu.
CONNECT WITH THE VETERAN LEADERSHIP NETWORK
Please email BrettBarkey@hotmail.com, Eric Miller, Rene.Simard@aurorachamber.org, or jcasner@gmail.com to connect with the Veteran Leadership Network leader today!
CONNECT WITH DU STAFF LEADER
Please email Zakiya.Markland@du.edu to connect with a DU staff member.
Looking for more ways to connect with DU? Please email alumni@du.edu.
Social Media Channels
Sign up to be a Network Leader today!
If you're interested in learning more about how you can join the Veteran Leadership Team, or how you can volunteer with us/the DU veteran community, please click the button below and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you for your interest!