Zac Lois

Born and raised in Wisconsin, Zac enlisted in the Army in 2002 and reached his life-long dream of becoming a U.S. Army Special Forces-Green Beret. He completed multiple combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and operational deployments to various parts of Latin America and the Caribbean. 

Upon leaving the Army, Zac ventured into the business world. Realizing quickly that he lacked a sense of purpose, he transitioned into teaching. Instantly, he realized the similarities between teaching and military service. His skills developed over the years in the military transitioned seamlessly into the classroom. Seeing the demand and need for strong and diverse leaders in the classroom, he started Operation Socrates to offer a pathway for other veterans to continue to use their experiences to benefit the next generation. 

When Kabul fell in August 2021, Zac connected virtually with numerous Special Operations veterans, frontline civilians, active-duty service members, and intelligence community members as part of Task Force Pineapple, to evacuate an estimated 600 Afghans from Hamid Karzai International Airport, also known as the “Pineapple Express.” After the fall of Afghanistan, he took a leave of absence from teaching that semester so he could continue to focus on evacuation and relocation efforts. Together in total they evacuated over 3,000 Americans, Legal Permanent Residents, and Afghan allies. Zac returned full-time to teaching in January 2022 but continues his commitment to the Afghan people through his role at Honor the Promise.

Zac has a B.S. in History from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, an M.A. in Military History from Norwich University, and an M.A. in Teaching from New York University. Zac is a certified secondary teacher and currently teaches 8th Grade Social Studies. 

Zac resides in Upstate New York with his wife, two young sons, and two Labrador retrievers. His hobbies include watching rugby, training jiu-jitsu, reading, traveling, and anything involving the great outdoors.