Gary L.

US Navy Special Warfare - Active Duty

University of Notre Dame - Mendoza College of Business

As Gary approaches nineteen years in the SEAL Teams, the idea of transition has shifted from a distant abstraction to something pressing and personal. The Teams have defined his adult life—through deployments, team rooms, and everything in between. Now, as he prepares to enter a new chapter, he finds himself asking the same question many teammates have faced before him: how does one continue to lead when the terrain changes?

That question led him to the University of Notre Dame, where he is pursuing a Master’s in Nonprofit Administration. His goal is to take everything he has learned in special operations and apply it toward building something that lasts. To that end, he founded Mandatum, a nonprofit created to help other Naval Special Warfare teammates navigate the uncertain leap into civilian life—not with handouts or slogans, but with real structure, support, and the space to find a new mission. Though still early in its journey, the purpose remains clear: to keep serving, just in a different form.

Having watched many teammates leave the military with a pension in hand but a void in their chest, he hopes to help fill that void—not with answers, but with options, opportunities, and purpose.

Skiing remains a place of clarity for him, and the mountains of Utah continue to be one of his favorite places on earth. They serve as a reminder that impact travels far and that service, in all its forms, can continue long after the uniform comes off.