Salute to Service: Jonathan Morrison

Our customers and communities benefit greatly from the perspectives, commitment, and drive to succeed that our veteran team members deliver – and we’re proud they chose Synovus for their post-military career.

From serving our country to serving our customers, we spoke with several of our Veterans Employee Resource Group (ERG) team members to see how they utilize the knowledge gained in the military in their roles.

Reporting for duty

“I come from a large military family,” says Data Analyst Jonathan Morrison. “My granddad served in World War II. My dad served in Vietnam during his 28 years in the Alabama Army National Guard.” After high school, Jonathan enrolled in junior college. “I was studying culinary arts and discovered it wasn’t my passion.” So he moved home to Jackson, AL, took a little time to get in shape, and, in 2005, decided to continue his father’s legacy by enlisting in the Guard himself.

Jonathan served as a radio operator assigned to the 20th Special Forces Group. “Being assigned to Special Operations gave me a chance to see the world. I spent a year and a half in counterpiracy operations in, I’ll just say Africa, during my first deployment.” A few years later, he deployed again, this time to Iraq for a 10-month tour.

“Synovus understands that military experience is a secondary skillset in and of itself. We’ll find a way to translate your skills and plug you in.”

Unfamiliar career terrain

When he reentered the workforce after returning from Iraq, Jonathan realized that the career paths were not equally marked for all soldiers. “If you leave the military to work for a defense contractor, the transition can be relatively smooth. But I was a radio operator, so I ended up going through a temp agency.”

The agency found him a job at a building supply company. While he mastered shipping and receiving in the warehouse, he found his memories of combat in Iraq more of a challenge to route properly. “My second deployment was during a time of heavy violence. I was a lot more cautious when I got home. One night, a tornado went over our apartment. Nothing was damaged, but when the sirens went off, I barrel-rolled my wife.” Jonathan is grateful for a few good friends who encouraged him to get help from the VA. “Without that support, I might have struggled a lot more – and my life could have taken a very different turn.”

A new mission, a new team

In 2013, Jonathan completed his Guard commitment and his degree in finance. Then, in 2019, he applied for a position at Synovus. While he didn’t get that job, Synovus stayed in touch, and in the summer of 2020, created a position around his skills. “They needed someone comfortable under pressure and with a leadership mindset. Whether it’s through boot camp or other training, the military gives you the mindset to see things from different perspectives.” Only months after joining the company, Jonathan agreed to chair the Veterans Employee Resource Group. He offers these words of encouragement to fellow veterans who may be concerned they don’t meet all the requirements on a job description: “Synovus understands that military experience is a secondary skillset in and of itself. We’ll find a way to translate your skills and plug you in.”