Mike Wisecup retired in 2018 after 20 years as a Naval Special Warfare (SEAL) Officer and moved to Maine to be close to his parents, start a new career and connect to a community. He immediately joined Colby College as VP for Strategic Initiatives and then as VP and Director of Athletics. He left Colby in 2024 and joined Vannevar Labs, a defense startup, as a mission strategist focused on national security challenges. Mike is deeply committed to service and has also been leveraging his extensive experience in organizational and cultural change to help in his local community. In 2019, he was named the State of Maine Volunteer of the Year and recognized by the New England Patriots for his work with Camp Sunshine, a retreat in Maine for kids with life-threatening illnesses.

Why did you choose to go through the COMMIT program? Of all the programs available at the time, COMMIT had the most well-deserved reputation as being the gold standard for transition support. They were also the only ones who supported my transition planning while I was deployed to Iraq. Every other program required in-person attendance, but this wasn’t possible for my situation and retirement timeline. Being forward deployed halfway around the world and with a demanding operational schedule, my COMMIT coach met virtually with me at the oddest hours and multiple times monthly to help get me ready for the next stage of my life.

What impact did COMMIT have on your life after you transitioned from the military and started working at Colby? Immeasurable! Professionally they helped me identify what was truly important to me, the organizational culture I desired and would thrive in, and the type of responsibility and impact I was searching for. They helped me identify what kind of life I wanted, how to make space for things that mattered to me but had to be shelved while being deployed so much, and how to rebalance my time around more than just work. But just as importantly, they prepared me with the tools to continue evaluating my new career and life as it evolved. This gave me the confidence and assurance that was so critical to navigating the uncertainty ahead.

What is the value of having COMMIT as a lifelong organization, rather than just a transition program? It’s been seven years since I left the military, and I am still transitioning, and probably will for many more years. It is impossible to just pivot away from a life that required such complete devotion and the sacrifices from not only me, but my family as well. It was, and always will be, an important part of me. But with each year, my identity continues to shape and evolve in new ways. Which presents new and different challenges. Having a resource like COMMIT that I can always count on, gives me greater confidence that when I hit hard times, I won’t be alone.

Your support helps leaders like Mike thrive after serving the country. Donate today.