He gets his kicks by giving back.

Whether it was during his education or in his ten years at Verizon, Jon Asmussen has always looked for ways to give back.

His colleagues on the 5G network partnership team have been impressed with all that Jon does, working with local jurisdictions to help our national 5G rollout by day or volunteering on his nights and weekends. “His drive and determination inspires me, but what he does outside of work is even more impressive.” says Jon’s manager, Mythili Arunachalam. “He moves the world forward, especially for girls.”

Jon, a Manager of Business Development and Strategic Planning based in Walnut Creek, CA, has a lifelong passion for soccer that he has shared for years by coaching his daughters’ teams. Last year, he and daughter Kenna coached a soccer team together. “I think we both learned a lot in coaching nine-year-old girls in terms of patience,” Jon remembered with a smile.

Until this January, Jon has also been serving as Board President of the Pleasanton RAGE Soccer Club, a northern California club for girls of all ages and ability levels. “We’re unique in that we’re an all girls club. We have about 1,400 members.” said Jon. “The club’s mission is to develop girls to realize their full potential, not only through soccer but with a focus on leadership and community service.”

The girls volunteer for projects supporting breast cancer research and pack thousands of meals to help feed kids impacted by natural disasters across the globe.

But that’s not all Jon has done. When the city found itself with a budget shortfall for a new sports complex, Jon used his business and strategy background to co-lead a funding effort that met their goal of raising $1.3 million. The new complex will benefit the community for generations to come.

For all of his work both on the job and off, Jon was recently honored with a Purpose Coin. He felt especially honored knowing the history of his coin. “I want to give a shout out to the people who held this coin before me -- Sean Cavanaugh, a Manager of Business Development, Strategy and Planning from Overland Park, KS, and Meg Powell, a Senior Manager of Regulatory from Richmond, VA -- for all of the incredible work they have done.”

Clearly, someone like Jon could work at any company, but there are reasons he chooses to play for the V team. “I’m proud that Verizon has made society one of the stakeholders for the company. I think embracing these volunteer efforts are really important so that we make a positive contribution and give our employees something of a purpose,” said Jon. “I applaud Hans and the leadership team for making this a core part of what Verizon is.”

Jon knows he’s not the only one giving back. “I’m really impressed with the stories I hear every day on Up To Speed. There are so many special people working within Verizon. It makes me proud to work here.”

Happy Father’s Day to Jon and to all the other V Team dads who are moving the world forward, each in their own way, every single day.

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