Home: New York, NY. Profession: Research and academic consultant. Organization: Jamie Hickman Consulting LLC. Title: Founder and principal. Alma mater: Teachers College, Columbia University; U.S. Naval War College; University of Maryland Global Campus. Languages spoken: English and Hangul (Korean).
Current project: Developing Department of Defense-university partnerships and advising on Department of Defense initiatives. Recent recognition: President's Volunteer Service Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal and Legion of Merit. Latest accomplishment: Completing a 24-year Army career with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Latest contribution to others: Serving on an Institutional Review Board that provides ethical oversight for federally regulated human-subjects research. What’s been your big (or biggest) leap? Pursuing a doctorate at Teachers College, Columbia University while serving as an active-duty Army officer. Hobbies: Golf, writing, philanthropy, mentoring military-connected youth and music advocacy through Asia Hickman Music.
Personality profile: Mission-driven, forward-thinking, bridge-builder, relentlessly curious and empathetic. What one word would your closest friend use to describe you? Resilient. Moral compass: Lead with integrity—would I be proud if my parents or daughter were watching? What is your greatest joy? Watching people I've mentored step fully into their potential. What is your greatest fear? That the lessons embedded in military service will be lost as the veteran and civilian communities continue to drift apart. What is your guilty pleasure? Ice cream. I can eat it almost any time of day! What is at the top of your bucket list? Deliver a keynote or commencement speech at a major university. How do you relieve stress? Golf for focus. Solitude for peace.
What was your first paying job? Summer hire on a military base in South Korea. What’s prominently featured on your home or office wall? A huge yearly calendar and whiteboard. What’s the best advice you received in your career? Education is something no one can take from you. Never stop learning. What personal circumstance has had the greatest influence on your life? Attending middle school and high school in South Korea and being immersed in the culture at a young age.
What is your big idea?
Golf as a gateway to mental health care for veterans.
What message do you want to send out into the world? Your biography is not your destiny. The experiences that were hardest to live through are often the ones that position you to serve in ways no one else can. Don't waste them. What mega-trend most excites you? The convergence of artificial intelligence and national security infrastructure. What mega-trend most concerns you? The erosion of institutional trust at exactly the moment we need institutions most.
What title would you choose for the movie about your life? By Design. What actor would you choose to play you in the movie about your life? Janet Jackson. As a kid, what did you first want to be when you grew up? A lawyer. After your loved ones, what object would you first save from your burning home? My photos. I'm deeply sentimental. What advice would you give your younger self? Don't be shy. Do it! What day in your life would you choose to re-live? Raising my right hand to join the service and following in my father's footsteps.
Personal mission: To live a good life, help others and stay curious. Personal motto: Be brave. Desired epitaph: She laid foundations others will never have to lay again.
