Make a one-time gift—or join our Loyalty Brigade and give monthly to provide ongoing support.
Join the Loyalty Corps and help shape the next generation of civilian leaders.
Volunteers play a key role in mentoring and supporting our students.
Graduates Trained
Average Starting Salary
Total Economic Impact
Operation New Uniform (ONU) is a 501c3 non-profit whose mission is to empower Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Spouses to successfully transition from military life to purposeful, stable careers. We rely upon the generosity of grantors and donors to support and sustain our mission.
Join the monthly Loyalty Brigade now and ensure transitioning Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Spouses never have to pay for ONU’s life-changing program.
When your company becomes a member of the Operation New Uniform (ONU) Loyalty Corps, your donation supports the transition needs of Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Spouses in search of their “new uniform” in the business world. At ONU, we partner with the members of our Loyalty Corps to fulfill their mission.
Contact Lavender Morrison, Director of Sponsorships & Partnerships for more information: [email protected] or 904.328.1600.
We hope you will consider volunteering with us throughout the year. We have events monthly, and two signature fundraisers annually. Sign up today!
Prefer to speak directly with our team?
(904) 328-1600
[email protected]
4215 Southpoint Blvd, Suite 100, Jacksonville, FL 32216
Media Contact:
Char Miller, Chief Marketing Officer
Operation New Uniform
[email protected]
Michele McManamon is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Operation New Uniform (ONU), a nonprofit organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. ONU is a free, comprehensive Career Development program dedicated to addressing the challenges of unemployment, underemployment, and career transitions faced by Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Spouses.
Before founding ONU, Michele and her husband operated Sandler Training franchises. While sponsoring a veteran through Sandler’s training in Jacksonville, she identified a gap—veterans lacked a clear path to civilian careers. To fill that need, she co-founded Operation New Uniform in 2014 and, by 2019, stepped away from Sandler to lead ONU full-time. ONU’s curriculum is based upon the globally recognized Sandler training methodology.
ONU has graduated over 700 servicemembers, veterans, and military spouses across 28 states and Europe through in-person and online career readiness programs. Based on Blue Star Families’ Military Family Lifestyle Survey, which finds the average military family size to be 4.5 individuals, ONU’s work has positively impacted an estimated 2,482 lives.
A passionate community leader, Michele was the third woman ever selected to serve as a Blue Coat (Vice Chair) for THE PLAYERS Championship in 2010 and became the tournament’s third female Chair in 2016. She is a Trustee with the JAX Chamber, a member of the JAXUSA Partnership’s Military Issues Committee, and a board member of the Community Veterans Engagement Board (CVEB). Her accolades include being named Woman Business Owner of the Year and Small Business Leader of the Year for South Council by the JAX Chamber, as well as one of Jacksonville’s Top 25 Influential Women. ONU, under her direction, was named a Top 50 Business of Influence by the Jacksonville Business Journal.
In 2023, Michele was selected to participate in the prestigious Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses (10KSB) program, further highlighting her innovative leadership and commitment to empowering veterans and their families. She still actively participates with this global group and was recently a 10KSB panelist.
In the fall of 2024, Michele was honored on the field during the Jacksonville Jaguars’ nationally televised Military Appreciation game as the Veteran Community Champion of the Year. This special recognition, presented by Florida Blue, took place during the third quarter and spotlighted her leadership at Operation New Uniform, highlighting ONU’s crucial role in supporting veterans and their families across the nation and overseas.
A New Jersey native and proud granddaughter of Greek immigrants, Michele now lives in Northeast Florida with her husband, Pat, and their dog, Willow. She’s the mother of two grown children and a devoted grandmother.
