Nathan grew up in Iowa and has served in the Air National Guard since 2015. When he graduated from college, Nathan discovered Home Base Iowa on social media and then created an account. Nathan says he chose to search for employment in Iowa because, "It's where I am from, there are many great employers and the quality of life in Iowa is great."

"Home Base Iowa (HBI) has been fantastic and I am happy I found it," Nathan said. "It opened up so many opportunities that I was not even aware of and I had dozens of quality employers reach out to me with great positions. Before signing up with HBI, I had become somewhat frustrated with the job hunt but I could have easily found a number of great jobs after using your service and partners. I have nothing but great things to say about the program," Nathan said.

Home Base Iowa connected Nathan to a government contractor position, which he recently accepted.

Jolene served in the Marine Corps from 2008-2012 as a public affairs/combat correspondence Marine. Her husband also served in the Marine Corps, enlisting out of Des Moines. Jolene says they chose to move back to Iowa because "Every time we came to visit I fell in love with Iowa a little more - Iowa nice is a real thing!"

As she was searching for jobs, she came across Home Base Iowa after a Google search and signed up immediately.

"Having Home Base Iowa in my corner was such a blessing. It felt like I had my own army of supporters trying to help me find the right job," said Jolene.

Jolene was hired as communications director at the American Heart Association. "I could not be happier on deciding to plant our roots here," said Jolene.

Mike developed strong military roots after being born in Fort Riley, Kansas, where his father was stationed during the Gulf War. After his high school graduation, Mike enlisted in the US Infantry and spent the next five years in the National Guard. During that time, he earned his degree in business management from Iowa State University, before commissioning as a Active Duty Officer.

“Having the opportunity to lead soldiers was one of the best experiences of my life and a privilege I will cherish for the rest of my life,” Mike says.

Following his retirement from the military, he knew he wanted to move back to Iowa to be closer to family. He posted his resume to Home Base Iowa and connected with the IowaWORKS Center in Des Moines to update his resume. Using his family connections and Home Base Iowa, Mike found a great job in Marshalltown that utilizes the leadership skills he developed in the military.

“We are looking forward to moving back to a vibrant community in the heart of Iowa,” Mike said.