Alumnus and veteran serves his country, community and fellow veterans

RJ Naugle, B.B.A.'03

September 11, 2001 was a day in America that few will ever forget. Many can even recount their exact location when they heard the devastating news. The same is true for 2003 Haworth College of Business graduate RJ Naugle. “I vividly remember I was in a human resource management class and the now dean of the business college, Dr. Satish Deshpande, was my professor,” Naugle recounts. “He entered class with a somber look on his face and shared with us the news that would change my life and thousands of others.”

Naugle, who comes from a military family, chose a different route out of high school and was one of the first in his family to go to college. Within weeks of hearing about 9/11 Naugle signed up for the delayed entry program into the U.S. Army, which would allow him to finish his degree before entering the service. After finishing college and basic training, advanced individual training and airborne training as an enlisted soldier with 1^st Special Forces Group (Airborne), Naugle was stationed at Fort Lewis near Seattle. Here he was able to truly have an impactful experience and supplement the education he received at Western Michigan University.

Naugle says one of the biggest impacts on his life during this time was meeting his wife Anne, who served for 24 years as an Army helicopter pilot. After meeting Anne, he decided to enroll in Officer Candidate School. He says it was a natural fit with the leadership skills he developed during his time as a management major at WMU. During his time in the military, Naugle served in places like Washington; Kentucky; Washington D.C.; and in the Asian Pacific region during active duty. Throughout these experiences he was able to meet a lot of great people and learn many vital lessons.

“Leadership, integrity and discipline are core values I have learned through the military and have brought with me to everyday business life,” Naugle says. “These relationships became my champions as I transitioned back into civilian life and the private sector.

After transitioning from active duty, Naugle had the unique opportunity to work at Microsoft in the information security and risk management field. This is especially impressive considering he learned his technical skills on the job at Microsoft. His time at WMU prepared him to excel in this challenging learning environment. “Entering college, I came from a nonacademic background. I really did not know how to study; I had to learn how to learn,” Naugle explains. “WMU does not just prepare you to have a good business acumen, it prepares you to be a high-level critical thinker, which can be applied to being a prosperous lifelong learner.”

Naugle says he was truly grateful to have a relatively smooth transition back into civilian life. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for some of his fellow veterans. Naugle and his wife realized this community-wide issue and decided to start RallyPoint/6, a nonprofit, comprehensive resource center for veterans, based in the Seattle region. RP/6 was designed to connect transitioning veterans to their new neighborhoods, community leadership opportunities, entrepreneurism and joining the local workforce in growing the economy.

Currently, there are about 46,000 nonprofit organizations serving veterans and their families nationwide. Part of RP/6’s strategy was to scale and merge with different resource providers in an effort to consolidate into a “one-stop shop” of services. After expanding from one location to over a dozen across the U.S., the Naugles merged RP/6 with the largest military serving organization in world, United Service Organizations, in 2017. Known primarily for their 75+ years of hospitality and entertainment for troops worldwide, the USO serve thousands of transitioning active military, veterans and their families across the globe. This merger with RP/6 resulted in a program called Pathfinder, which now allows the USO to assist with transition services.

Building on his WMU, U.S. Army and industry education, Naugle and his wife now run their own technology consulting firm, REV Tech, which stands for “Remembering Every Veteran.” The full-service consultancy serves enterprise clients in both the public and private sectors. Naugle continues his commitment to veterans by hiring many former service members and their spouses.

Despite all of his professional success, Naugle still takes the most pride in his family. He says Anne and his stepchildren, Josh and Samantha, are his support system and give him a sense of purpose every morning.

Naugle’s service and commitment to community make him a leader among the Business Bronco alumni network. He urges students who are looking to make an impact to, “Be fearless. The only thing that you can control is your effort. Do not focus on the things you cannot control, but focus on the talents and competencies you have grown over the years. These will be your most valuable tools in making a difference.” 

Naugle encourages business students and alumni—veterans and civilians alike—to connect with him via LinkedIn. Service members transitioning out of the military and their families can visit USO Pathfinder to explore resources.