Veteran Finds Opportunity, Work-Life Balance after Coming Home to Nebraska for Civilian Career

After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, Jerome Creasy, Jr. could have taken his skills to almost any state. After considering his next step, he chose Nebraska as the place to pursue his post-military career.

Jerome had first experienced Nebraska in the mid-1990s when he moved to Omaha with his father, a military veteran. “I was an Army brat,” he said. “My dad was from Philly, and I was born in Georgia. And then I grew up in a lot of different places.” In addition to Pennsylvania and Georgia, he spent time living in Kansas, Arkansas, and Texas—as well as in the countries of Germany and Panama. Of all the places he lived, Nebraska is where he most felt at home.

After relocating to Omaha to pursue a dating relationship, Jerome’s father married and settled down in the Bellevue area. That was where Jerome spent his teenage years, attending Bellevue East High School.

“One of the first things I did in Nebraska was go to a Huskers football game,” he recalled. “They were dominant. It was different for me to watch because the Huskers were just beating down the other team, yet the fans were welcoming the other team. I saw the players help other players get up. I was like, This is insane! Who are these people?”

Seeing Nebraskans’ sportsmanship and love of athletics encouraged him to play sports in high school. He joined the football team and wrestling team, did powerlifting, and played baseball. He considered playing sports in college but was unsure of his post-graduation plans.

A military career in a time of national crisis

When a U.S. Marines Corps recruiter visited Jerome’s high school and told him about the opportunities available in the military, he decided to enlist. He saw an opportunity to complete basic training and then get his college degree while serving in the military.

Three days after graduating from high school in May 2001, Creasy left for basic training at Camp Pendleton in North Carolina. When the 9/11 terrorist attack took place, it upended Creasy’s plans. “I was about a week or two into the school of infantry when 9/11 happened, and I still remember the day,” he reminisced. “[Our leaders] were up front about it. They were like, ‘You all are going to war.’”

In that instant, Jerome confronted the reality that military service would be much more challenging than he had originally expected. Even so, he was determined to follow through on his commitment. “Everything changed in the Marine Corps [after 9/11]. A lot of the tactics and the training were originally jungle warfare. And then on a dime it all changed to desert operation and urban warfare. It was eye-opening,” he explained.

Returning home to launch a civilian career

Stationed in the San Diego area, Jerome deployed overseas multiple times during the Global War on Terrorism. After completing his service in the Marine Corps, he felt the call to return home to Nebraska. He fulfilled his dream of graduating college, earning his bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska-Omaha and his master’s degree in business administration from Bellevue University.

Jerome then embarked on his post-military career as an accountant at Interpublic Group Shared Services, a global marketing solutions company. His team traveled extensively doing internal audits and providing risk management services to businesses worldwide. “I thought I traveled a lot in the Marines, but about every month I would be gone for two weeks in the coolest cities in the world like Shanghai, Tel Aviv, or São Paolo,” he said.

While traveling with Interpublic Group Shared Services, Jerome worked alongside finance teams from other companies. One of these teams was from Deloitte, a worldwide provider of business services that employs 470,000 people across the globe. At the time, he didn’t realize Deloitte had an office located in Omaha; the Deloitte team he worked with was based in New York City. Yet when Deloitte hired one of his colleagues as the chief audit executive for their team, it made him more interested in the company. He discovered that Deloitte had job openings in Omaha, and he applied. “They hired me right away,” Jerome said. He now works at Deloitte in audit and assurance, where he continues to perform internal audits for multiple businesses worldwide.

As he has established a civilian career in Nebraska, Jerome has come to appreciate what the state has to offer working professionals. “There’s growth happening in Nebraska, opportunity that exists with companies and corporations,” Jerome said. “There’s a lot of talent here that is willing to mentor and be there for you,” he added. While working in Omaha, Jerome has received multiple offers to take jobs elsewhere. Yet he values his lifestyle and career prospects in Nebraska too much to make a move. “I’ve had so many opportunities to leave, but I see there is a lot of opportunity and potential here,” he said.

A welcoming state for veterans

Jerome points to Nebraska’s strong job market, affordability, and veteran-friendly culture as reasons why he is thankful to have returned to Omaha after his military service. Nebraska has the highest labor force participation rate of any state, and the fifth-highest veterans’ employment rate in the nation. Omaha ranks among the top five U.S. metros for first-time homebuyer affordability.

The Omaha area has an especially strong military presence, being home to Offutt Air Force Base. Offutt employs approximately 10,800 people, including both military and civilian personnel. Additionally, there are an estimated 26,000 military retirees living in a 75-mile radius of the base.

Nebraskans proudly support the state’s military members and veterans. “There are tons of benefits available to veterans,” Jerome said. “Getting free access to state parks, lifetime hunting and fishing passes, and local memberships. We’re a very pro-veteran state.” As an additional benefit, veterans in Nebraska pay no state income tax on their military retirement benefits.

Jerome added that there are many businesses and nonprofits in the Omaha area that provide valuable services to veterans. These include At Ease, Team Red, White & Blue, and Major Talent. Respectively, these three organizations offer PTSD counseling, health and wellness resources, and career services to veterans.

An escape from the hustle and bustle

After coming home to Nebraska, Jerome has taken time to explore different regions of the state, which stretches 430 miles from east to west. Venturing outside of Omaha to other parts of Nebraska has made him feel more connected to the state. “I didn’t feel like a true Nebraskan until I went out west, going all the way to Scottsbluff and Chimney Rock,” he said.

Jerome’s in-state travels have reinforced his admiration of Nebraska. “It’s a really safe place. There are a lot of great opportunities for kids, and it’s very friendly and welcoming,” he attested.

“There are opportunities to move up [professionally], but there’s also work-life balance here,” he added. “You don’t have to be part of the hustle and bustle.”

The Good Life Is Calling

Are you interested in learning more about living and working in Nebraska? Connect with the Good Life Is Calling team here. You can also learn more about the benefits of living in Nebraska as a veteran.