Foundry Associates In Service

For a handful of Foundry Commercial associates, service is a word with a particularly deep and impactful meaning. Service to our country is one of the greatest ways an individual can choose to serve, and we wanted to take time to honor some of our own at Foundry who have made that choice.

We sat down with: Jesse Drake (Tampa, Industrial Broker), Caitlin Quinlan (Tampa, Senior Industrial Broker), Rhett Batanides (Charlotte, Vice President, Retail), Michael Cain (Charlotte, Senior Development Manager), Don Hamilton (Jacksonville, Senior Real Estate Project Manager), and Malcolm Lee (Dallas, Engineer) to learn a little bit about their experiences in the military.

Q: What led to your decision to join the Military?

 

Jesse Drake (Chief Warrant Officer 3, Army Special Forces, 2002-2023): I was a junior in college when 9/11 happened, and I felt a sense of duty to serve our country. I talked to a recruiter after 9/11 and less than a year after that, I joined.

Caitlin Quinlan (E4, Senior Airman, Air Force, 2010-2014):  I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after high school. My brother had joined the Marine Corps and when he came home and talked about his experience, it inspired me to join. The military really gave me the direction I needed. After four years, I went off to college at the University of Tampa.

Rhett Batanides (Captain, Aircraft Commander, Air Force, 2004-2013): 9/11. After 9/11 happened, I wanted to do my part to serve our country.

Michael Cain (Major, Retired, Air Force National Guard, 1997-2019): I always thought I’d serve in some capacity, my whole family has military background. My brothers and I were raised to be patriotic. I am the youngest of five, and my parents couldn’t afford to send all five of us to college. So, for me, it was a sense of patriotism and the educational benefits.

Don Hamilton (Marines, 1986-1994): Pride in my country and wanting to do my part.

Malcolm Lee (E4, Specialist, Army, 1987-1990): I joined the Army after high school to give me an opportunity to see the world.

Q: If you’re able to share, were you assigned to any missions? If so, what did those entail?

RB: I did Spec Ops in Afghanistan, and I went to Central America and did work in Honduras. I also did airshows with the Thunder Birds in Vegas. With the Thunder Birds, we went all over the country doing shows.

MC: I was an Air Force Civil Engineer, and our mission stateside and deployed is to maintain bases’ infrastructure and runways. Over my five deployments, I was part of Operation Southern Watch, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Inherent Resolve. In 2011, I deployed to Afghanistan, and we supported forward operating bases for the Army as part of Enduring Freedom. 2016 was my last deployment in Kuwait as part of Inherent Resolve.

JD: I was a Green Beret, I got assigned to the 7^th Special Forces Group. I did 14 deployments in the Middle East, Central America, and South America.

CQ: I was a weather forecaster for pilots in the Air Force, Army, and DOD. We protected assets from East Texas up to North Carolina.

ML: I served my entire tour of three-and-a-half years in Germany. I was discharged honorably in July of ’90. But after being out 5 months, I was summoned back to active duty because of the war in Iraq. The first Desert Storm. I never made it to the desert but instead was sent to Fort Lewis, Washington as artillery support.

Q: What skills did you learn or hone in the military that transfer over to your role at Foundry or to other areas of your life?

JD: One of the best skills I honed in the military is how to plan and execute a strategy. From fairly easy problems to extremely complex, I approach them in a similar manner. I think the process I learned in the military helps me quickly assess a problem, analyze critical aspects, and get to the best solution. I think this skill is incredibly valuable in all facets of my life today.

MC: Civil engineering squadrons have every trade to build and construct anything in the civilian world. I enlisted to learn the HVAC trade while attending college for Civil Engineering and later commissioned in the same squadron. What I do today as a Development Manager goes hand-in-hand with my service. It all translated seamlessly.

CQ: I learned a lot about structure and discipline. It really taught me that time is valuable. It taught me about holding yourself accountable while also realizing you are on a team that is working together towards a mission, and the mission is what matters. We all want deals and success. It’s about working together and doing what you said you’d do.

RB: I learned a lot about task management and the ability to compartmentalize effectively. In the Air Force, I had to deal with a lot of moving parts. It taught me a lot about the organizational side of things.

DH: Leadership.

 Q: What was the biggest lesson you learned during your time spent serving in the military?

RB: Resiliency. Things are never as easy as you hope they are. The ability to bounce back is important, and the character you display during hard times is key in many aspects of life. Especially in CRE, you get told ‘no’ a lot. You have to be able to build an ability to bounce back and go after the next one.

MC: I’m sure I learned a lot of lessons, but at my retirement ceremony, all I really felt was, I’m thankful. I would say every life lesson I’ve learned, I learned in the military.  From my education, to growing a family – I’m thankful for my time in the military.  Things like work ethic and paying attention to detail are truly traits “learned” compliments of the Government.

JD: I learned the importance and power of a strong team. I have worked with some incredible individuals but no matter how intelligent or capable someone is, a well-built, managed, and focused team has so much more capacity to accomplish great things than any one person.

CQ: I really grew up in the military. It taught me that life isn’t one big party, and the experience really whipped me into shape. I learned a lot about accountability. The whole “if you’re early, you’re late” mentality.

Q: Can you tell me about any accolades or achievements you earned while in the military or any military achievements you’re most proud of?

DH: I am proud of the fact that I was Sergeant for various training programs throughout my time in the Marines.

CQ: I became a supervisor as an E3 and that doesn’t typically happen. I managed a team of six. I’m really proud of the fact that we protected 6 billion dollars of assets throughout the Southeast.

MC: Great question and it’s tough to answer. I never really thought of that until you asked. I never considered those as something to be overly proud of, or something that I specifically earned. I volunteered to enlist and serve, and did it with a sense of pride, courage, honor, and duty, never expecting anything special for it. Collectively, I’m proud and truly thankful for my time served in the military. Every great thing that’s happened in my life can be tied to me raising my right hand and taking the oath to serve.

JD: Getting through the Army Special Forces course to receive the Green Beret is something I will never forget. Also, we give plaques and small gifts to individuals when they leave each unit and those personalized gifts I have received over the years mean a lot to me.

RB: I am most proud of the work I did in Afghanistan. We were taking care of people in combat, so we’d often fly back as a hospital. As a pilot, in those situations, you’re doing your best in the flying world while also trying to be as careful as possible because people are getting operated on during flight. We saved a lot of lives, and I’m really proud of our high success rate.

Q: Anything else you want to add or say that we might’ve missed?

CQ: I would just say that it was a great experience, one of my best decisions. The military really sets you up for success, brings you amazing friendships, and so many amazing opportunities come from it, like all my college being paid for by the Air Force.

RB: I think it’s important to highlight care for Veterans. It’s important to continue to help people after their service. I have been President of a homeless shelter for veterans, with an organization called *Family Forum, for the last ten years. It is a 2-year program, with a 97% success rate of indefinitely ending homelessness. Within the program, participants are drug tested, get help getting jobs and opening bank accounts, and we have financial classes. We have strict guidelines, but the ultimate goal is to get veterans the help they need. Family Forum is a proven small example of how homeless care can work. One of my favorite things we do is a turkey fry around Thanksgiving. Every year, I fry around 7-9 turkeys for the guys.

To these six associates and any others who have served in the military, thank you. We are grateful for the brave choices you have made and for the great team members you are. Foundry is proud to call you a part of our family.

*Anyone interested in more information about Family Forum in Charlotte can contact Rhett directly; Rhett.Batanides@foundrycommercial.com, 704.737.8164