September 2026: ACP congratulates Christopher Alix and Edward Zraket
“Chris has been an outstanding mentor throughout my transition from active-duty military service to the civilian professional world. Moving from a military base to a major U.S. city can be challenging, but Chris proactively supported me every step of the way. His guidance helped me understand the nuances of civilian employment, and he consistently provided thoughtful, practical advice. When I encountered a difficult situation at work, Chris offered several clear options that helped me navigate the issue confidently. His commitment, reliability, and genuine desire to help make him truly deserving of Mentor of the Month.”
– Rus P., US Army, Kansas
“It is my honor to nominate my mentor, Ed Zraket of BAE Systems, for ACP Mentor of the Month.
After retiring from 24 years of service in the United States Marine Corps, I entered a career transition that was both exciting and unfamiliar. While I was confident in my leadership experience and ability to solve complex problems, translating that experience into the civilian workforce and determining where I could provide the greatest long-term value was a challenge. From our very first conversation, Ed made that transition feel far less overwhelming.
What sets Ed apart is not simply his professional knowledge, but the way he mentors. He is approachable, down-to-earth, and genuinely invested in the success of the people he helps. He listens first, asks thoughtful questions, and takes the time to understand the person behind the resume before offering guidance. Rather than telling me what I should do, he helped me discover where my experience, strengths, and interests aligned. Through our conversations, he helped me narrow my focus to pursuing opportunities in program management and operations career paths that truly fit my background, leadership style, and long-term goals.
Ed has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to mentorship through his generosity with his time. After completing another mentoring relationship, he immediately volunteered to mentor me without hesitation. What impressed me most is that he chose to invest his personal time, not because it was required, but because he genuinely believes in helping veterans succeed. Knowing he was taking time away from both his demanding career and his family never went unnoticed.
One of the qualities I appreciate most is that Ed never makes our conversations feel transactional. Whether we are discussing career strategy, evaluating job opportunities, preparing for interviews, or navigating the culture of corporate America, I always leave our meetings with greater clarity and confidence. When I was evaluating multiple career paths, Ed never told me which job to pursue. Instead, he asked the questions that helped me identify where I would be happiest and where my experience would have the greatest impact. His guidance is honest, practical, and grounded in experience, and he has challenged me to think more strategically about my career without ever losing sight of what is most important to me. He challenged me to think beyond simply finding my next job and instead focus on building a meaningful long-term career.
Because of Ed’s mentorship, I have become much more confident in my transition from military service to the defense industry. I stopped pursuing every opportunity that looked attractive and instead focused on program management and operations positions that genuinely aligned with my experience and long-term goals. That clarity has fundamentally changed the way I approach my transition. I now have a clearer understanding of where I can provide the greatest value and greater confidence in pursuing the right opportunities.
Mentorship is ultimately about investing in another person’s success, and Ed exemplifies everything ACP hopes a mentor will be. He invests in people, asks thoughtful questions that challenge them to grow, and measures success not by personal recognition, but by seeing veterans succeed long after the mentoring relationship ends. I am sincerely grateful for his mentorship, and I cannot think of anyone who better represents the spirit of ACP mentorship or is more deserving of being ACP Mentor of the Month.”
– Michael Y., US Marine Corps, Virginia
