John Siver II | Disabled Navy Veteran, Business Development Executive & Ski Racer | Virginia
John Siver II skiing in the mountains
The Second Ascent

John Siver II

What service, discipline, family, and purpose have helped me build.

Disabled U.S. Navy veteranBusiness development executiveSki racerFather
John Siver II, portrait in navy blazer
About John Siver II

From the battlefield to the boardroom.

I am a sales and business development executive, disabled U.S. Navy veteran, collegiate athlete, ski racer, and former entrepreneur, with a record of generating tens of millions of dollars in sales supporting the U.S. Government and military.

From leading cross-functional teams in combat zones to building a defense division, establishing a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, raising capital, and developing new markets, I bring experienced judgment, intellectual curiosity, and a commitment to turning complex challenges into measurable results.

Success has created extraordinary opportunities, and the occasional setback has given me perspective. Today I apply those lessons to building businesses, developing people, serving veteran and faith-driven organizations, and sharing a life of purpose and adventure with my sons, Jack and Bennett.

Selected work

The work, the result, and who made it happen

$10M+Tens of millions of dollars in sales supporting the U.S. Government and military.
Gov · Defense
John Siver II with his team in the field

Overseas programs, Iraq & Afghanistan

Role
GS-15-ranked contractor supporting Department of State and Department of Defense programs, 2006–2011.
Result
Senior responsibility across multiple programs requiring discretion, interagency coordination, and accountability.
With
State Department and DoD program teams in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Jordan.
Career →
Naval Special Warfare
Helicopter operation

Full circle with NSW Command

Role
Represented East Coast Naval Special Warfare customers for a prime government vendor.
Result
Helped win multiple contracts with Naval Special Warfare Command.
With
Former BUD/S classmates and friends who became customers and mission partners.
Career →
Defense growth
John Siver II, portrait in coral blazer

Building Darley's defense division

Role
Five years helping expand the defense division and establish the federal vertical.
Result
Developed major opportunities with the Defense Logistics Agency during a formative period for the company.
With
Darley, a family-owned company founded more than a century ago, and its military customers.
Ventures →
Hospitality
John with his sons at Fellini's

Two restaurants near UVA

Role
Investor and operator from age 26, including Toliver House and Fellini's in Charlottesville.
Result
Grew the business and exited successfully.
With
My father, John Siver Sr., and our staff.
Ventures →
Career

From the battlefield to the boardroom

The environments changed. The leadership principles stayed the same.

U.S. Navy · DoS · DoD
NSW · DLA · Capitol Hill
  1. 1999–2003

    U.S. Navy noncommissioned officer

    Trained with BUD/S Classes 225 and 226. Injuries in Naval Special Warfare training changed the course I'd planned and opened a broader path of service, with assignments in Souda Bay, Greece, and La Maddalena, Italy.

  2. Oct 2003

    A different call

    Declined a formal offer from the U.S. Secret Service to pursue overseas government contracting.

  3. 2006–2011

    Iraq, Afghanistan & Jordan

    GS-15-ranked contractor supporting Department of State and Department of Defense programs, holding a U.S. government security clearance (formerly held) and senior responsibilities across multiple programs.

  4. Full circle

    Naval Special Warfare customers

    Represented East Coast NSW customers for a prime government vendor and helped win multiple contracts with NSW Command, supporting people and units I'd trained or served with.

  5. 5 years

    Darley · defense division

    Helped expand the defense division, establish the federal vertical, and develop major Defense Logistics Agency opportunities.

  6. Sales

    FITS Technologies

    National Director of Sales, developing markets and leading complex sales efforts.

  7. Today

    Second Ascent Group · ASH Biz Advisory

    Founded Second Ascent Group as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, and advise ASH Biz Advisory Group clients pursuing capital, partnerships, and growth.

Leadership principles
  1. Understand the mission
  2. Earn trust
  3. Prepare thoroughly
  4. Communicate clearly
  5. Own the result

Across every role, my most important investment has been in people: recognizing talent, creating opportunity, and aligning capable teams around a mission that matters.

Government relations & public policy

  • Formerly registered federal lobbyist. Presented to members of Congress and their staffs on defense budgets, service-member safety, and operational effectiveness, including advocacy with Troops Direct.
  • Supported Senator Bryce Reeves' statewide campaign for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.
  • Contributed to policy-improvement initiatives with the Office of the Attorney General and the Virginia Department of Corrections.
  • Board member of a heritage lacrosse company.
Ventures

Building businesses and markets

My business education began at 26, with two restaurants near UVA.

Charlottesville, VA
Virginia Beach, VA
  • Toliver House & Fellini'sRestaurants · exited

    Invested in and helped operate two restaurants near the University of Virginia before a successful exit. It taught me to manage risk, serve customers, develop people, and own the daily result.

  • DarleyDefense · 5 years

    Helped expand the defense division, establish the federal vertical, and develop Defense Logistics Agency opportunities, connecting operational requirements with solutions that improve service-member safety.

  • FITS TechnologiesNational Director of Sales

    Developed markets, built strategic relationships, and led complex sales efforts.

  • Second Ascent GroupFounder · SDVOSB

    A Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business.

  • ASH Biz Advisory GroupAdvisor

    Supporting companies pursuing capital, strategic partnerships, and sustainable growth.

In the Charlottesville press
Darley, then and now

A formative chapter

Darley has since grown into a billion-dollar enterprise and one of the country's leading defense contractors.

California Business Journal Oct 2024

From restaurateur to government & military sales leader

California Business Journal feature on John Siver II

After completing UVA Darden's program, I spoke with the California Business Journal about the move from restaurants to government and military sales.

Read the article ↗
Virginia Bourbon & Whiskey Magazine gathering
Est. 2014

Bourbon & Whiskey Magazine

Virginia

I founded this group in April 2014 and kept membership under 3,000 on purpose, so it stays engaged. Members get curated events, tastings, and time with partner distilleries.

Members < 3,000Founded April 2014Partners VA distilleries
A life in motion

Raised on ice, drawn to big mountains

From Dry Hill in Watertown, New York, to the Inferno in Mürren.

PSIA · FIS Masters
U.S. Alpine Masters

My life on skis began at Dry Hill in Watertown, New York, continuing a family tradition that started generations earlier with handmade wooden skis. I was raised an East Coast skier. If the wind and hard ice at Whiteface don't strengthen your resolve, Killington will. Those mountains teach you to trust your edges, adjust quickly, and keep skiing when conditions are far from comfortable. That foundation prepared me for the terrain of Alaska and the Tetons, still two of my favorite places to ski in the U.S.

Europe changed my sense of scale. Living in Morzine-Avoriaz opened the Portes du Soleil across France and Switzerland, including Chavanette, the Swiss Wall, where pitch and unpredictable conditions quickly expose any weakness in technique. The Dolomites brought a different landscape and culture, and the Jungfrau Region gave me Mürren, Grindelwald, Wengen, and some of Switzerland's most historic terrain.

Racing the Inferno in Mürren was a highlight. The nearly 15-kilometer course is fast, exhausting, and unlike a conventional downhill. It takes technique, endurance, and the nerve to keep attacking when your legs start arguing otherwise.

On a racecourse, speed alone is never enough. Every turn takes calculation, judgment, and commitment. When the snow melted, lacrosse filled the spring and summer and built a different kind of awareness: teamwork, toughness, timing, and trust. Together, these sports shaped how I compete, lead, and respond under pressure.

As a disabled veteran, staying active and connected to skiing carries special meaning. Competition still challenges me and sharpens my judgment.

Race entryMürren · CH
The Inferno
Schilthorn to Lauterbrunnen, Jungfrau Region
Length
~15 km
First run
1928
Format
Downhill
Racer: J. R. Siver IIFIS Masters
Inferno · Mürren
300020001000 Start · SchilthornFinish · Lauterbrunnen 0 km~15 km
Course profile, simplified. Elevation in metres.
John Siver II, ski portrait
CredentialedProfessional Ski Instructors of America
LicensedFIS Masters license
CompetingU.S. Ski & Snowboard Alpine Masters
Ski passport
Home hillDry Hill, NY
East CoastWhiteface · Killington
Big mountainsAlaska · Tetons
CanadaRockies · Tremblant
Portes du SoleilThe Swiss Wall
ItalyThe Dolomites
Jungfrau RegionMürren · Wengen
A story of its ownGreece
Carving turns together

Passing it on to Jack and Bennett

Faith, family & service

A commitment carried across generations

Faith is shown through action.

My grandfather, Harry J. Siver, carried the family's tradition of service forward while raising 15 children, ten boys and five girls. Nine of his ten sons served honorably in the U.S. military, and across later generations the Siver family has served in every branch of the Armed Forces, with especially deep roots in the U.S. Navy.

Military service is an important part of our history, but the larger legacy is faith, hard work, responsibility, and service to others. Those values guide my work with veteran organizations, faith-driven groups, and charitable causes. They also shape what I hope to teach my sons: a meaningful life includes taking responsibility for people beyond yourself.

Today the greatest reward is sharing an active life with Jack and Bennett. Skiing, hunting, fishing, and traveling together, I get to pass along preparation, courage, humility, respect for the outdoors, and the confidence to choose a difficult line and commit to it.

My father

John Siver Sr.

My father set an example of service, competition, entrepreneurship, and commitment to family. He served at sea in the U.S. Navy and later helped his brother Robert build Siver Construction into a substantial family-owned company. His interests also included tavern ownership, real estate, and a small automobile dealership. He knew how to spot opportunity, take calculated risks, develop people, and own the outcome.

U.S. NavyServed at sea
1955General Brown High School's first state wrestling champion
Red & BlackSemi-pro football, Watertown
Baldy Creek Rod & Gun Club

Baldy Creek

Tug Hill Plateau, New York
Founded by
Harry Siver
Land
1,000+ acres
75th year
2027

Baldy Creek is the private hunting club my grandfather, Harry Siver, founded with a friend. As an officer in the 1970s and 1980s, my father helped expand its land, strengthen its operations, and guide its long-term development. Through careful acquisitions and stewardship it grew to more than 1,000 acres.

It remains a place where generations hunt, fish, gather, and learn responsibility for the land and for one another. As it approaches its 75th anniversary in 2027, it stands as a testament to the founders, officers, members, and families who sustained it, and to keeping it whole for the next generation.

Heritage

Generations of service

From the American Revolution to my sons.

  1. I
    American Revolution

    Pvt. Martinus Siver

    Fifth-great-grandfather

    3rd Regiment, Albany County Militia, under Col. Philip P. Schuyler. Members of the regiment served at Saratoga and on New York's frontier.

  2. II
    War of 1812

    Sgt. Jacob Siver

    Fourth-great-grandfather

    138th Regiment, New York Militia, under Col. George H. Nellis, in New York's 11th Infantry Brigade.

  3. III
    Civil War · served 1862–1865

    Pvt. John Henry Siver

    Second-great-grandfather · 1840–1923

    Company A, 106th New York Volunteer Infantry, at the Wilderness, Cold Harbor, Monocacy, Cedar Creek, and Petersburg. His brothers William and James served in the same company; William was wounded at Cedar Creek, and James died aboard the steamer Daniel Webster.

    Record of Private John Henry Siver, 1840–1923
    Pvt. John Henry Siver, 1840–1923Family archive
  4. IV
    World Wars to Vietnam

    Harry J. Siver & sons

    Grandfather

    Raised 15 children with Anna Olympe Blake. Nine of their ten sons served, with deep roots in the U.S. Navy.

  5. V
    U.S. Navy

    John Siver Sr.

    Father

    Served at sea in the U.S. Navy.

  6. VI
    U.S. Navy · Iraq · Afghanistan

    John R. Siver II

    The modern chapter

    U.S. Navy, 1999–2003, then government-support work in Iraq and Afghanistan, 2006–2011.

  7. VII
    Next generation

    Jack & Bennett

    Sons
Sons of the American Revolution Supplemental Ancestor Certificate documenting descent from Martinus Siver, approved June 22, 2005
Sons of the American Revolution certificate of descent from Martinus Siver, approved June 22, 2005Family archive
SARSons of the American RevolutionThrough Pvt. Martinus Siver
GSW1812General Society of the War of 1812Through Sgt. Jacob Siver
SUVCWSons of Union Veterans of the Civil WarThrough Pvt. John Henry Siver

Lineage applications are underway with each society, honoring the ancestors who shaped the country and the family members who carried that commitment forward.

Books & media

In the record

Published accounts of the post-9/11 military and private-security experience.

Lone SurvivorLuttrell
Big Boy RulesFainaru
Internal VolumeDeckelman
FearlessAdam Brown
  • Lone SurvivorMarcus Luttrell, a BUD/S classmate. Documents Operation Red Wings and the recovery effort that followed.
  • Big Boy RulesSteve Fainaru on private security contracting in Iraq, including the people and environment I worked in.
  • Internal VolumeLee Alan Deckelman's memoir, featuring experiences from our contracting years.
  • FearlessThe life of Navy SEAL Adam Brown.

I trained in BUD/S Classes 225 and 226 alongside men who went on to serve at the highest levels of special operations, including members who took part in the 2011 operation against Osama bin Laden.

A full-circle moment

In Lone Survivor, Marcus recounts a lighter moment from our class. During a briefing by then-Captain Joseph Maguire, I nodded off and earned the whole class extra physical training. Years later, Vice Admiral Maguire and I laughed about it when our paths crossed again through the Darley Defense Advisory Board.

In memory
Adam Brown
Navy SEAL · NSW Development Group

We met in Navy Electrical Engineering school and later classed up together in BUD/S. Adam went on to an extraordinary career as a SEAL and gave his life shielding his teammates. I was honored to speak about him in the Christian Broadcasting Network documentary and the book Fearless.

John Siver speaking in the CBN documentary about Adam Brown
CBN · The 700 ClubFearless
Journal

Updates

Fatherhood, fitness, and what comes next.

Oct 17, 2024 Balancing Fitness and Fatherhood2 min read

Growing up in upstate New York, being active was second nature. Winters meant skiing and ice fishing; summers meant swimming and boating on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. My father, a state champion wrestler and semi-pro football player, instilled a love of sports and a tireless work ethic. Hunting, fishing, and growing our own food were part of life, lessons I now pass on to my kids.

Teaching my children to hunt and prepare their harvest has become a family tradition. Hunters often make great cooks because they care about the quality of what they process. Venison is lean, high in protein, and good for us. Teaching my kids about conservation, health, and sustainable hunting also teaches respect for nature and self-sufficiency.

John with his children

Being an active dad goes beyond physical fitness. I focus on staying fit and on teaching my kids about nutrition, from time at the gym in Virginia Beach to cooking nutritious meals together. We've also started growing our own food, building self-sufficiency and a deeper connection to nature.

Through these shared habits, I hope to give my sons a foundation for lifelong physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Oct 15, 2024 My Interview with the California Business Journal2 min read

After completing UVA's Darden School of Business program, I was interviewed by the California Business Journal. It gave me a chance to reflect on the journey from co-owning restaurants in Charlottesville to government and military sales.

My work focuses on understanding procurement needs and delivering the best solutions for the warfighter and the taxpayer. This chapter has been about realignment: being a good father, living by Christian principles, and committing to wellness and fitness.

Read the full article ↗

Sep 23, 2024 Being a Good Father and What It Means to Me6 min read

Fatherhood is an ever-evolving journey of love, responsibility, and growth. It isn't only about providing materially; it's about being a role model, a guide, and an unwavering source of support, and leaving a legacy built on values.

Love and emotional presence

At the heart of being a good father is love that is unconditional and felt in every interaction. Children need to feel heard, understood, and appreciated. Listening to their concerns, celebrating their successes, and supporting them through failures gives them the assurance that they are not alone.

Guidance and values

A good father is a moral compass. If I want my sons to be compassionate, I must show compassion. If I want them to persevere, I must push through my own challenges. Children learn far more from what we do than from what we say. Guidance also has to leave room for their own choices and mistakes; that's how resilience and independence grow.

John with his son

Discipline with compassion

Discipline is about teaching responsibility, self-control, and accountability, not fear. My goal is to help my children understand what went wrong and how to choose better next time, so their moral compass is their own.

Building strong relationships

The bond I share with my sons is built on trust, respect, and open communication. Each child is unique, and tailoring my approach to each one lets me connect on a deeper level.

John with his children

The legacy I want to leave

No one is born knowing how to be the perfect father. Patience, humility, and a willingness to learn are vital. Ultimately, fatherhood is about legacy: the values I instill, the love I show, and the lessons I teach will live on through my sons and the generations that follow.

Album
Contact

Let's
connect

For business development, government and defense work, speaking, or veteran causes, reach out directly.

Email
Based in
Virginia Beach,
Virginia