Veterans’ Earnings in the Civilian Labor Market

Lisa Abraham is an economist at RAND and a professor of policy analysis at the RAND School of Public Policy. Her research examines the mechanisms behind gaps in labor market outcomes, with a particular focus on underrepresented groups. She has also studied how information affects decisionmaking in consumer and labor market contexts. Her policy-focused work examines the impact of artificial intelligence on labor markets.

Abraham earned her Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University in 2020. She also holds an M.Sc. in economics and management from the London School of Economics and a B.A. in mathematics and economics from Wellesley College. She previously served as special assistant to the assistant secretary for economic policy at the U.S. Treasury Department and as an investment banking analyst at J.P. Morgan.

Jeffrey B. Wenger is a senior economist at RAND, director of the RAND Lowy Family Middle-Class Pathways Center (MCPC), and director of the Master of Policy Analysis program at the RAND School of Public Policy.

As MCPC director, Wenger works with RAND researchers and other scholars to document the challenges of remaining in the middle class and focus on the most pressing needs to expand growth opportunities for the middle class. His current research examines how working conditions affect labor force participation and helps military personnel transition into the civilian labor force. He recently investigated the proportion of unemployed who have a criminal history.

Wenger also co-directs the RAND Budget Model, a suite of tools for evaluating pending legislation and analyzing the effects of policy changes on the fiscal health of the United States. From 2003 to 2015, he was an assistant and then associate professor at the University of Georgia. He received his Ph.D. in policy analysis from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Ivan Denton is the owner of Denton & Associates LLC. In this role, he assists clients who seek to attract and hire veterans, members of the National Guard and Reserve, and transitioning service members.

Prior to his current role, Denton served as a member of the Senior Executive Service with the U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) from 2017 through 2025. During that time, his primary focus was improving employment outcomes within the interagency Transition Assistance Program.

Before joining VETS, Denton served in the Army and the Army National Guard for more than 34 years. He served with the 75th Ranger Regiment, including participation in a combat parachute assault during Operation Just Cause in Panama. He held numerous command and staff assignments, including two combat deployments to Iraq, serving as an infantry battalion commander in 2003 and a brigade commander in 2011. His final military role was as the National Guard Bureau director of manpower and personnel in Arlington, Virginia. He retired in 2016 as a brigadier general.

His awards and qualifications include Air Assault, Airborne (with combat jump star), Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman's Badge (2nd Award), and the Army Distinguished Service Medal.

Meredith Kleykamp is a professor of sociology and associate dean for research in the University of Maryland's College of Behavioral and Social Sciences.

Prior to joining the Maryland faculty in 2010, she was an assistant professor at the University of Kansas. Kleykamp previously taught at the United States Military Academy (West Point). More recently, she served as senior sociologist at RAND.

Kleykamp's research examines the military as a unique labor market institution, with a focus on why people choose to enlist and how military service shapes the lives of service members and their families. She is particularly interested in how and why civilians and veterans differ and how the societal context of reception shapes the employment transition from military to civilian life for veterans and their spouses.

Kleykamp received a Ph.D. from Princeton University and a B.A. in sociology from the University of Texas at Austin.

Shelby Mounts brings more than 30 years of experience in defense and industry leadership roles to NextOp Veterans, a nonprofit organization that connects veterans and military members to career opportunities.

His private industry roles include chief executive officer of Riverside Consulting Services, LLC, a small, independent government consulting services company; chief commercial officer and executive vice president of sales for Vita Inclinata Technologies; and director of defense aerospace and maritime business development at Allegheny Technologies Inc (ATI). In each case, the focus was on developing relationships, driving positive outcomes, and achieving growth.

His government experience included 25 years of service in the U.S. Navy, where he retired as a captain. After graduating from Annapolis with a bachelor of science degree, Mounts served four years as a surface warfare officer, including deployed time in South America, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Middle East, then was selected to attend U.S. Navy Flight School.

After earning his wings as a helicopter pilot, Mounts progressed as a pilot and officer, accumulating 2,500 flight hours as an operator and two-time instructor. His staff assignments included a joint assignment at U.S. Special Operations Command in Tampa, Florida, two tours at the Pentagon in a variety of Navy staff resourcing and operations positions, and a special assignment as a Secretary of Defense corporate fellow at Shell Oil in New Orleans, Louisiana. Mounts also completed a master of science through the University of San Diego Business School.