ÏòÈÕ¿ûÊÓƵ

Ambassador

Nick Capaz

He/Him

Manager, Talent Acquisition | People

A little bit about me:

My name is Nick Capaz and I’m a U.S. Air Force Desert Storm/Iraq War Military Veteran. I have a Master of Public Administration degree with a concentration in Human Resource Management and Communications from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in History from Northern Arizona University.

I’ve worked as a Human Resources & Talent Acquisition Professional for 19 years. I have been with ÏòÈÕ¿ûÊÓƵ for the past 10 years and am currently the Manager of Talent Acquisition for the News Division. My team supports the USA TODAY Network and the entire News organization, to include Content Ventures and Reviewed.com. I’m also Co-Lead for ÏòÈÕ¿ûÊÓƵ’s Military Forward Employee Resource Group (ERG), a position I’ve held since 2021. I was named a 2022 ÏòÈÕ¿ûÊÓƵ Greatest Finalist and recently served on ÏòÈÕ¿ûÊÓƵ’s 2023 Inclusion Advisory Council.

I am based in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, where I live in a historic home with my spouse of 22 years and our 4 fur babies.

Describe a ÏòÈÕ¿ûÊÓƵ Project that inspires you.

In March 2024 we launched the new USA TODAY Network Military Veterans in Journalism Fellowship Program in a partnership with the News Division, Military Veterans in Journalism and Military Forward ERG. The program is for military veterans interested in pursuing a career in journalism. This project inspired me because I am passionate about helping veterans with career opportunities beyond of their military careers.

When was the moment you knew you made the right decision to come work at ÏòÈÕ¿ûÊÓƵ?

Every day I come to work, it reminds me that I made the right decision. Each day brings a new adventure and I enjoy daily interactions with the wonderful peers I am fortunate to work with. I would not trade it for anything.

Describe one of your individual strengths.

I have the gift of gab. Seriously, I love to talk with people. It’s what I do for a living. I bring an authentic and transparent voice to ÏòÈÕ¿ûÊÓƵ. I tell our story to candidates every day and I can speak easily and confidently with them – in persuading them why they want to come work for us.

Pick one word to describe the culture at ÏòÈÕ¿ûÊÓƵ.

respectful

A respectful culture values every individual, creating an atmosphere where courtesy, understanding, and appreciation prevail.

ÏòÈÕ¿ûÊÓƵ enables me to grow by _______.

Empowering me

ÏòÈÕ¿ûÊÓƵ empowers me to make smart choices each day and provides me with the confidence and tools to do so.

A day in the life

Collaborating

It’s so nice to be able to get together with co-workers and former co-workers when they travel into Phoenix. Having the opportunity to meet with them in person means everything to me and is so much nicer than talking on video chats.

My role as a Talent Acquisition Manager gives me the opportunity to travel to exciting conferences like the National Association of Black Journalists to meet with candidates from all over the country as well as connecting with peers.

In the fall, I traveled to our New York City office as Co-Lead of our Military Forward ERG, for an event with Military Veteran’s in Journalism where I had the opportunity to meet with multiple work colleagues. Such a special visit! These are the best relationship building activities.

There is nothing better than getting to have some down time with my spouse, best friends, and family. Here we all are having a wonderful New Years dinner together. 

When I’m not at work interviewing candidates, my second job is playing Jason Voorhees for Halloween and having a blast with friends at a Halloween Party. Fun times like these create great memories.

Before my current role as a Talent Acquisition Manager, I previously worked in Air Force operating rooms as a surgical service specialist, aiding surgeons during life-saving procedures.

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