Hire local · Support veteran · Strengthen Ocala
Veterans you can hire. Veterans worth knowing.
A network of Marion County veterans active in our local business community. Browse the directory, or come meet us over lunch on the 2nd Tuesday. A member network of the Ocala/Marion CEP.
Founding members
What is VetWorks Ocala
Network. Empower. Service.
VetWorks Ocala is a network of Marion County veterans active in our local business community. We meet for lunch the 2nd Tuesday of every month as a member network of the Ocala/Marion CEP.
01
Network
Connect with fellow veterans over lunch and build lasting relationships — the kind of trust that comes from showing up at the same table month after month.
02
Empower
When an opportunity comes up, refer a fellow veteran you trust — knowing they'll deliver and make you look good. That's how the network compounds.
03
Service
As veterans in the business community, we continue serving — our clients, our neighbors, anyone who needs a hand.
How to get involved
Three ways to plug in.
Browse the directory
Meet the founding members and the businesses they run.
View members →
2Visit a 2nd Tuesday lunch
Not in the CEP yet? Join us for up to 2 trial lunches. No commitment, no sales pitch — just real introductions.
See upcoming →
3Apply to join
Veteran and active in Marion County business? Join the CEP and you have a seat at the lunch table.
Apply now →
This week's featured veteran
Meet a member of the network
US Army VeteranOwen McCarthy
Gulf Atlantic Bank · Commercial Loan Officer, V.P.
Commercial lending built on West Point discipline.
Upcoming events
Where to find us next
Tue, Jun 9, 2026
4:00 PM
VetWorks Monthly Lunch
2nd Tuesday · Monthly Lunch
Lunch, real introductions, and a member spotlight. For CEP veteran members; non-CEP veterans welcome for up to 2 trial lunches.
Where: Millers & Sons Plumbing — 3700 SW 7th St, Ocala, FL 34474
Host: Ashley Miller · Millers & Sons Plumbing
Tue, Jul 14, 2026
4:00 PM
VetWorks Monthly Lunch
2nd Tuesday · Monthly Lunch
Lunch, real introductions, and a member spotlight. Hosted at a member business, a local veteran-owned business, or a local restaurant — rotates each month.
Where: Host member — TBD
Tue, Aug 11, 2026
4:00 PM
VetWorks Monthly Lunch
2nd Tuesday · Monthly Lunch
Lunch, real introductions, and a member spotlight. Hosted at a member business, a local veteran-owned business, or a local restaurant — rotates each month.
Where: Host member — TBD
The Network
Veteran-owned businesses you can trust.
The founding members of VetWorks Ocala — the original 5 who built this network into what it is. Click any to meet them in depth.
ARMYOwen McCarthy
Gulf Atlantic Bank
USAFElaine Middleton
Douglas Law Firm
USMCChristopher Hill
Reveille Wealth Management
ARMYDarrel Brooks
Customer Driven Staffing
USMCSteve Condit
Simply IT
5 founding members · 3 branches represented · meeting since 2022
View full directory →Why hire a veteran-owned business
Service didn't stop at the uniform.
The standards that drilled us in the field are the standards we hold ourselves to in our businesses now. When you hire a member of the network, you're hiring accountability — and you're hiring the room behind them.
Discipline
Show up early. Deliver what's promised. Never coast on yesterday's wins. The habits the military drills into you don't fade once you take the uniform off — they become how you operate.
Follow-through
Mission isn't complete until the work is done — and the client is taken care of. Half-finished isn't done. Done is when you stop having to think about it.
Mission focus
Your problem becomes our problem. We solve it; we don't manage it. Veterans are trained to fix what's in front of them and report up. That's how we run client work.
Local accountability
We live where we work. We see each other at the chamber, at church, at the kids' school. Your reputation rides on the network — and ours rides on yours. There's no hiding behind a brand.
“When you hire a member of VetWorks Ocala, you're not hiring one veteran. You're hiring the whole room behind them.”
Join the network
Served, and active in Marion County business?
Whether you own a company, lead one from inside, or work for one — if you served and you call Marion County home, you have a seat at the table. Come to a Tuesday lunch first. After that, members join the network through the Ocala/Marion CEP. Not a CEP member yet? Join us for up to two trial lunches while you decide.
Meeting cadence
2nd Tuesday of every month · 12:00 – 1:30 PM
Hosted at a member business, a local veteran-owned business, or a local restaurant — rotates each month.
General inquiry
Questions about VetWorks Ocala, our network, or how to get involved.
info@vetworksocala.comPromote your event
Hosting a community event for veterans in Marion County? We'll list it on the events page.
Submit an event →Host a meeting
Hosting a 2nd-Tuesday meeting at your business is one of the best ways to introduce yourself to the network.
Become a host →