Manatee Review

State College of Florida-Manatee issued the following announcement.

State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) welcomes U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Rolanda A. Findlay, who will serve as a program coordinator at the Incubator/Accelerator which resides within the new Center for Advanced Technology & Innovation. Findlay started on Oct. 5 and will spend approximately six months at SCF as part of the Department of Defense (DOD) SkillBridge program, which provides opportunities for active-duty service members to gain civilian work experience through industry training, apprenticeships and internships.

During the executive internship, Findlay will work with Director Matthew Harper to execute and oversee an initiative supporting veteran entrepreneurs. The Veterans Business Incubator (VBI) is a free, part-time, evening program helping veterans, transitioning service members or their spouses launch or grow their startup or existing technology business.

“Rolanda will be immersed in the entrepreneurial and investment communities on a daily basis,” said Harper. “When she completes her executive internship, she will be prepared to successfully transition from military service to a variety of civilian roles in education, business or within a startup ecosystem.”

Findlay, who earned a doctorate in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Virginia Tech, was subsequently commissioned as a U.S. Navy officer. She most recently served as the capabilities systems branch head supporting the Operational Medicine and Capabilities Development Directorate at the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Headquarters in Washington D.C.

Her prior experience includes serving as the military deputy for research and technology programs at the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, where she oversaw 40-plus science and technology projects and $16 million in funding. She has also served as a full-time international aid worker and was forward deployed to Afghanistan as the director of research for Navy Mobile Care Team 6 in 2012.

Original source can be found here.