< Back to Episodes
play-button-podcast
Share:
Transcript

In this special holiday message from Veteran Voices, host Mary Kate Soliva shares a few of her favorite things about this time of year – including Operation Christmas Drop, the Department of Defense’s longest-running humanitarian airlift operation.

More Podcast Episodes

return management
play-button-podcast
podcast-blue-microphone
Podcast
October 20, 2025

Ask Me Anything on Reverse Logistics & Returns

In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton and special guest host Claudia Freed, President & CEO of EALGreen, welcome Chuck Johnston, Chief Strategy Officer at ReturnPro, for a deep dive into the “dark side” of supply chain: reverse logistics and returns management. They unpack why returns are a nearly trillion-dollar challenge in the U.S., how BORIS (buy online, return in store) strains store operations, and why many retailers still under-invest: leaders often can’t see the full cost across functions or make the ROI case for what’s treated as a cost center. Chuck shares how the space has evolved from yellow notepads to data-driven decisioning, highlighting intelligent algorithms that route items at the customer’s first return click, fraud mitigation with imaging and behavior signals, and how third-party innovation is compressing software build times. Claudia adds a nonprofit and circularity lens: donation channels, extended tax credits, and AI pilots (computer vision + MCP agents) that identify item condition and slotting in real time. Together, they explore where to start, why cross-functional “ambassadors” matter, and how partnerships across retailers, manufacturers, nonprofits, and 3PLs can turn returns from margin erosion into measurable value and social impact.   This episode is hosted by…
manufacturing
play-button-podcast
podcast-blue-microphone
Podcast
December 10, 2025

Building a Bold New Roadmap Forward for the U.S. Manufacturing Industry

Tariffs, trade uncertainty, and shifting energy demands are colliding with rapid advances in AI, medtech, and advanced manufacturing. At the same time, companies are racing to fill hundreds of thousands of open roles, rethink how they attract talent, and modernize permitting and policy frameworks that haven’t kept pace with innovation. The result is a U.S. manufacturing sector on the verge of a new chapter, but only if leaders can unlock the right mix of policy, people, and technology. In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton sits down with Jay Timmons, President and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), and Kathy Wengel, Executive Vice President, Chief Technical Operations and Risk Officer at Johnson & Johnson, live from the Innovation Summit North America 2025, powered by Schneider Electric. Together, they unpack NAM’s comprehensive manufacturing strategy and the conditions needed for American industry to thrive. Scott, Jay, and Kathy explore how permitting reform, energy leadership (including nuclear), and trade certainty impact investment decisions on the factory floor, from small manufacturers to multinational enterprises. They discuss the urgent need to expand the workforce pipeline, especially for veterans and non-traditional talent, and why modern manufacturing careers offer both purpose and prosperity.…

A Holiday Message from Veteran Voices

Share:

Intro/Outro (00:02):

Welcome to Veteran Voices. A podcast is dedicated to giving a voice to those that have served in the United States Armed Forces on this series jointly presented by Supply Chain now and vets to industry. We sit down with a wide variety of veterans and veteran advocates to gain their insights, perspective, and stories from serving. We talk with many individuals about their challenging transition from active duty to the private sector, and we discuss some of the most vital issues facing veterans today. Join us for this episode of Veteran Voices.

Mary Kate Soliva (00:48):

Hello everyone. This is Mary Kate Soliva with you tuning in from Veteran Voices. Just really love this time of year, the holidays and feeling the holiday spirit, especially since I just recently heard that Chris Operation Christmas drop just happened recently, this month in December. It is the department defense’s longest running humanitarian airlift operation. Just really excited to share just a little bit about it. Uh, the tradition began during the Christmas season in 1952, and it was when a B 29 Super portraits aircraft saw Islanders waving at them. And being an island myself, I just absolutely love this tradition. I love the history and the meaning behind it. And I’m also a member of the Rotary e Club of Pago Bay, an Guam, and it was just incredible to see the pictures and some of the footage from the Operation Christmas drop this year. That is something that happens every year and in the spirit of Christmas, the air crew will drop, will attach supplies to a parachute and drop it over the islands and throughout the Pacific.

Mary Kate Soliva (01:58):

And there’s about 50 islands that are part of this operation. And it is a Pacific Air Force event, which includes between the three and 74th Airlift Command and the 36 out of, uh, the 36 wing. And especially, you know, near and dear with an out in Guam is the Anderson Air Force base. So really a just shout out to also the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing on just numerous others. And I just love how it brings together the community. I just really love what this time of year means and the aspect of just having that giving spirit. And I think it’s one of the things that I love it when it comes to the, the supplies that also just something nice for the kids too, the toys. So in the footage I saw, you could see kids running out and waving up at the planes and as they see the parachutes dropping in the, and they just watch that fall.

Mary Kate Soliva (02:50):

And it’s just a, a great moment. I know that not only fellow Rotarians participate in this event, but just other, uh, good Samaritans out in the community. And not only from donating, but also packaging up the items and getting those crates ready for, uh, drop off. So again, if you haven’t ever heard of Operation Christmas Drop, I’m not just talking about the film that may we, some of you have seen on Netflix, but with regards to the real deal, the real thing that’s happening. And so just take this time to look it up if you haven’t already. And then ju again, just take part in that holiday spirit. So just wanna take this time again, Mary Kate Saliva here, your host at Veteran Voices. Really looking forward to season four coming out in 2023. So stay tuned and we hope you’ll join us back here. And wishing you and yours a happy holidays in a wonderful new year. See you all back here in 2023. Take care. And as we always say here, so do good and be the change that’s needed, not just any time of year, but especially now. So pick up that phone, call up your loved ones, spread that holiday cheer, and we’ll see you soon.