Mentor Welcomes LaMont Wells as New Chairman of the Board

16 February 2017 | News

It has been a tremendous honor to serve as chairman of Mentor Foundation USA for the past few years. As I step down, I do so with great confidence in the future insofar as the leadership of the organization is concerned. LaMont has already been a tremendous leader for Mentor, and the energy and initiative that he has demonstrated are a good indication of the great things that are to come.

Dan Nelson, former chairman Mentor Foundation USA

“We are very excited and proud to announce our new Chairman of the Board: LaMont Wells. LaMont joined Mentor Foundation USA’s board in early 2015. He quickly become instrumental in the executive direction and leadership of the organization, and I’m very much looking forward to the journey ahead,” said Gunilla Girardo, President & CEO of Mentor Foundation USA.

LaMont is currently the executive vice president of business development for AECOM’s management services group and brings more than 30 years of experience in both the public and private sectors, having most recently served as Technology Management Associates’ president and chairman of the board of directors. We asked LaMont a few questions about the new role he is taking on.

Tell us what aspects of your career best prepared you to lead Mentor’s board?

I learned at an early age that helping others was more rewarding than experiencing my own success. I have been blessed to have a knack for making organizations better than they were before I got there. In a sense, some have said, I am a “builder”. I realized teamwork is an essential element to leading. I enjoy challenges and I thrive in overcoming hard challenges and making  improvement for a better outcome. Joining the Mentor Foundation Board, I realized right away it was an opportunity to make an immediate difference. These attributes prepared me for leading Mentor Foundation’s Board.

What are your goals for the board moving forward?

An immediate goal is to improve the overall financial posture of the Mentor by engaging more corporate sponsors and developing more fundraising initiatives that exposes us to more corporations willing to do their fair share.

Is there someone you know who was influenced by Mentor?

All you have to do is go to a “Shatter the Myths program”—it’s one of our primer programs and you will see the immediate impact it has. You can witness firsthand the influence it has over hundreds of youths who before the program thought they had no outlet—had nowhere to turn. They realize they are not alone and people care about them and their self-actualization is renewed. It’s a humbling and moving experience.

Have you ever mentored a young person?

Yes, I started mentoring at an early age and do so even more today than ever, I pay it forward. As a former youth coach I used baseball as tool to access and influence youth. I dare say, I have mentored hundreds of youth.  It is important to give young people a window into the whelm of what’s possible.

Wells is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff CollegeU.S. Naval War CollegeIndustrial College of the Armed Forces (now the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy) and National Defense University Information Resource Management College. He is also the recipient of numerous military service medals.

He is a retired U.S. Army senior officer and has worked at the Pentagon’s Headquarters Department of the Army General Staff, Secretary of the Army and Office of the Inspector General, and the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Wells has also worked at Agile Defense Inc., Webster Data Communication Inc., Siemens Government Services and American Systems Corporation.