27-03-2025
DANC opening downtown office to help soldiers transition out of Fort Drum
Mar. 26—WATERTOWN — Transitioning soldiers, their spouses and veterans soon will have some place to go downtown to get help for staying, living and working in the community after they leave Fort Drum.
The Development Authority of the North Country has secured a $3.9 million state grant to open the "Next Move NY" office at 124 Franklin St. in Jefferson Community College's $3-million education and entrepreneurial center, called The NEST.
The program also aims to help local businesses recruit and hire transitioning soldiers, their spouses and veterans so they can stay and work in the north country, said Michelle Capone, DANC's director of regional development.
"This is big," she said.
The collaboration with the college's entrepreneurial, education and workforce development's efforts seems to make the Next Move NY office "well-placed for that location," Capone said.
It's the first time that the transitioning soldier efforts will be located in the community. That work is done on-post at Fort Drum through its Transition Assistance Program.
The Next Move NY program will be staffed by program administrator Ben Cruz, program manager Eric Lo and a business liaison still to be hired. Cruz and Lo are former Fort Drum soldiers who will also work at Fort Drum's TAP program, besides being housed at the JCC Franklin Street site.
The downtown office is expected to open in mid-April. Some technical equipment, a logo and website still need to be developed, Capone said.
JCC's Small Business Development Center also has offices in the Franklin Street building and space for local startup businesses.
The DANC program will incorporate a job matching portal and help businesses with soldier recruitment and training for employers.
"We're looking at rolling more in the next few months," Capone said.
Kylee McGrath, CEO of the Watertown Local Development Corp., heard about the program for the first time on Wednesday morning at a breakfast of the Fort Drum Chapter of AUSA. She previously worked at Fort Drum's TAP program, so she realizes that a lot of soldiers want to stay in the area after leaving the military.
"I think it's great to keep them here," she said. "It'll be good for the local economy."
The state funding is coming through Empire State Development.
The Franklin Street office is part of a $10 million Next Move NY initiative to enhance workforce opportunities for transitioning soldiers and their families, Capone said.
