Transitioning to Civilian Life with Disney’s Military Fellowship Program | Heroes Work Here Limited Series | Episode 1
ON THIS EPISODE OF LIFE AT DISNEY PODCAST
Welcome to the official premiere of the Life At Disney Podcast Limited Series with Heroes Work Here!
Throughout the series hear from veterans from across The Walt Disney Company share their experiences of transitioning to civilian life after a career in the military. You will learn about advice, their personal stories and more in this three episode series.
In our first episode meet Bob, Lyle and Rosa. Starting your career after time in the military is a journey within itself, but these three Disney employees found success with help from Disney’s Military Fellowship Program. They share advice about networking, veteran resources and how to stay motivated through this next exciting chapter.
ABOUT THE HOST:
Dan joined The Walt Disney Company after a highly successful 30-year career as a United States Army officer. He has extensive leadership, operations and logistics experience. Dan has been deployed all over the world in support of combat and non-combat operations. Following a successful stint as Disney's first-ever Department of Defense/Chamber of Commerce Corporate Fellowship Program participant, a program intended to help military personnel transition back into the civilian workforce, Dan retired from the Army and grew his professional, civilian career at Disney.
Dan is passionate about veterans and veteran programs at The Walt Disney Company. He has worked countless hours to grow the Disney Military Fellowship Program and serve as the co-lead for the Florida SALUTE Belonging Employee Resource Group to help enhance the lives and careers of veteran cast members.
ABOUT THE GUESTS:
Bob is a retired United States Army officer who served 20 years in various military leadership roles, with deployments to Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. His experience as an Army Engineer empowered him to become a literal and figurative bridge builder, connecting people with aid and critical resources when they needed it most. His passion for leading teams to improve people’s lives made The Walt Disney Company a perfect landing spot for him after the military.
Bob now works as the Senior Operations Manager for outbound merchandise operations across Walt Disney World Parks and Resorts, as well as Disney Cruise Line worldwide. He lives in Winter Garden, Florida with his wife, Mariangela, and their children.
Lyle spent 20 years in the United States Coast Guard, where he led high-stakes missions that saved lives. He also served as a drill instructor, an experience that shaped his leadership style around accountability, resilience and mentorship.
Today, Lyle leads Florida port operations for Disney Cruise Line, overseeing a team of 270 cast members and nearly 100 vendor staff who move over 30,000 guests through terminals each week. By restructuring operations and building a culture of empowerment, he has brought military precision into hospitality while keeping Disney’s values of service and excellence at the forefront. His story is one of bridging two worlds by using lessons from the military to create high-performing teams that thrive on accountability, trust and guest-focused results.
After serving all over the world, Rosa transitioned from her career in the United States Air Force to civilian life. Rosa joined Disney in 2023 with the Facility Asset Management team and was recently promoted to Associate Project Manager. In her role, she loves to solve project challenges and share her experience with others.
She has a passion for helping veterans and assisting with veteran programs at The Walt Disney Company.
