We are excited to announce two new Skillbridge Military Fellows joining the AAFMAA team in 2022 thanks to our community partner HireMilitary. Our newest Member Development Intern on the AAFMAA Life Insurance team is Army Veteran Michael Fraleigh, and Air Force officer Contesta Smith joins the AAFMAA Wealth Management & Trust (AWM&T) team as a Relationship Manager Apprentice.
AAFMAA’s relationship with SkillBridge — a DoD program that provides training and development opportunities with employers seeking high-quality skills, facilitated for us by HireMilitary — is one of the ways through which we can share our commitment to and support for hiring Veterans, servicemembers, and military spouses.
Michael Fraleigh offers 20 years of experience serving in the U.S. Army. He was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (January 2004-March 2005) then again from (December 2007- March 2009). From 2014 to 2022, Michael has served as a Station Commander and a Guidance Counselor for the U.S. Army Recruiting Command, with assignments in San Angelo, Texas, Grafenwöehr, Germany and Bowling Green, Kentucky where he will close out his 20 years of service to our country.
As a Member Development Intern, Michael will work closely with AAFMAA VP of Business Development Justin Pearson, contributing to our business development growth initiatives. In his free time, Michael enjoys hunting, shooting, mountain biking, snowboarding, wakeboarding, and spending time with his family.
Prior to joining AAFMAA Wealth Management & Trust, Contesta Smith retired from her active-duty Air Force service after more than 20 years. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Management and Technology in Arlington, Virginia and holds an MBA from Columbia Southern University. As a Relationship Manager Apprentice, Contesta develops and nurtures AWM&T client relationships, delivering wealth management solutions that help AAFMAA Members realize their personal goals and aspirations. In her free time, Contesta enjoys time with her daughter and reading.
HireMilitary, led by founder and CEO Michael Quinn, helps servicemembers and employers receive complete transition lifecycle support.
Meet our first Military Fellow, Martin Taylor, who joined us for an internship in 2021.