Purple Heart Veteran, First Graduate from MGM National Harbor Partnership with Hiring Our Heroes

As a determined leader driven by success, Jimmy Inabinet is both a US Army Master Sergeant and a Purple Heart veteran. Following his spring of 2017 retirement from his dedicated 20-year career in the Armed Forces, he plans to transition into the private sector. As part of the Hiring Our Heroes program, Inabinet was the first-ever fellow placed with MGM National Harbor from the Hiring Our Heroes Fellowship.

“[Hiring Our Heroes] bridges the gap, allowing military personnel to take a pretest of how their skills fit into the private sector,” says Inabinet. “Programs like Hiring our Heroes are important to helping transitioning personnel figure out what they want to do when they leave the military, and what skills are transferrable.”

The 12-week fellowship program provides transitioning service members with management training and hands-on experience in the civilian workforce. As our inaugural fellow, MGM National Harbor was the first property to participate in this initiative by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Prior to joining the MGM National Harbor team, Inabinet had very little knowledge of what to expect, but saw this position as an opportunity to challenge what’s expected in a post-military career, and build upon the foundation set by his structured military involvement.

Motivated by the fun and fresh environment, Inabinet’s responsibilities included supporting workforce development and talent acquisition through his participation in career fairs and hiring events, analyzing community and veteran’s engagement with vacant positions, and assisting in the managing of the talent pipeline for critical positions.

“This program was a great opportunity for MGM National Harbor to gain insight and enhance our outreach initiatives within the Veteran’s sector.  Jimmy was a valuable resource to assist our team in understanding the true needs of a transitioning service member,” says Wanda Smith-Gispert, Vice President Talent and Workforce Development, “Jimmy worked with our HR department on interpreting military resumes effectively to identify skills that would translate into the hospitality industry, while working directly with Prince George’s County Veterans through the Economic Development Corporation’s “Operation 500” program to help recruit additional veterans to our resort.”

Inabinet looks forward to the opportunities that the opening of the MGM National Harbor will bring to the area making the community more appealing and adding to the unique character of the region. “For me it’s about who you are, not what you’ve done. I’m driven to be successful at whatever I do by making sure I articulate my message clearly to whatever audience, making the company better and ensuring that customers are happy and continue to return for more.”

MGM National Harbor is committed to cultivating partnerships in support of long-term community-driven initiatives through the contribution of leadership and expertise.