If it’s Veterans Day weekend, then the premiere event for Women Veterans is officially underway! The 2024 National Women Veterans Leadership and Diversity Conference, Gala, and Brunch Cruise is being held throughout the weekend. Women Veterans from Washington State to Massachusetts gathered in Washington, D.C. for Veterans Day weekend, to celebrate their service, reunite with sisters in service, and attend a variety of workshops, seminars, and keynote addresses. You can learn about everything here – updated Live throughout the weekend!
Women Veterans Meet & Greet
On Thursday evening, Women Veterans came together to kick off the weekend with a meet and greet. From across military branches – and across the nation too – our community of sisters in service enjoyed an evening to reconnect, swap stories, and enjoy fellowship.
Many Women Veterans have attended the conference multiple times, but still more were here for the first time. The meet and greet offered a terrific opportunity for familiar faces to reunite and new friends to meet. Walking around the room, you couldn’t mistake the joyful energy and the anticipation for the rest of the weekend.
Throughout the weekend, Women Veterans will enjoy a slate of excellent speakers and workshop leaders. Honoring our diverse and close community, the entire weekend revolves around a central theme, “Community Matters! Together We Rise: Allies, Mentors, and Supporters.” We’ll cover the entire experience here, so check back often for Live updates!
Presidential Message
To kick off the event, WVIF was honored to share an incredible message from President Joe Biden. The President sent a special message to honor Women Veterans as we celebrate service this Veterans Day weekend.
“You are part of the reason I have never been more optimistic about our nation’s future,” President Biden wrote in his letter.
The significance of this letter could not be overestimated. The President’s letter paid tribute to the Women who have broken glass ceilings, persevered, and driven our country forward through selfless service and sacrifice. His letter, read by Senior Advisor White House Office of Public Engagement, Dr. Tahina Montoya, moved the audience to tears.
WVIF President and CEO Ginger Miller, who is recovering from breast cancer, said, “It’s more than a piece of paper.”
The Presidential letter symbolizes the importance of showing up for and honoring Women Veterans – from the highest office in the nation.
Women Veterans Leading from the Top
Montoya was later joined by Executive Director of VA National Chaplain Service, Kimberly Willis, for a Fireside Chat, led by Miller.
Montoya and Willis spoke about leveraging their skills into meaningful careers in the military. Continuing to serve Veterans, both women spoke on the value of persistence.
“Regardless of what time we’re in or where we’re heading, hard work is hard work and it pays off,” Montoya said. No matter what challenges may arise, Montoya spoke about her belief in Women Veterans’ ability to persevere, rise above, and succeed.
Willis recalled the immense challenge of navigating the COVID pandemic in the chaplaincy. Presented with incredible complexities was “like we were standing on sifting sands,” she said. But no matter what, meeting Veterans’ needs was paramount.
“Sometimes we just have to say ‘yes,'” she said of her resolve to work through the challenges of the time.
Miller spoke about the importance of community, of Women Veterans gathering to connect and empower each other. Even as work and family responsibilities can make it difficult to strike a work-life balance, taking time to unite with fellow Women Veterans is important to each person’s well being. She noted how valuable Montoya and Willis’s presence and observations were, as they give voice to the depth of the Women Veteran experience.
“A Woman Veteran is a Woman Veteran is a Woman Veteran,” Miller said. “We all need this.”
Community Matters Fireside Chat
Northeast Division Vice President at the American Red Cross, Koby Langley, joined Miller for a Fireside Chat discussing Community Matters.
Community, he said, is an integral part of every person’s ability to succeed. Expressing value and appreciation for each other enriches each Woman Veteran’s post-military journey.
When asked about leadership and service in the Veterans community, Langley said that his military service gave him the “fortitude and courage” to pursue challenging opportunities in a civilian career. With the Red Cross, he partners with other nonprofits, including WVIF, to serve people in need around the country. Lifting up others is important to his work, he said.
Serving your community is one of the ways you can increase unity and reduce hate, polarization and civil division, he said.
“What you’re focused on is the needs in that community. What you’re focused on is service,” he said. “Service can unite.”
Veterans Benefits
Dr. Sally Haskell delivered a keynote address, which described women’s health services available at Veterans Affairs. Women Veterans can access comprehensive healthcare, reproductive healthcare, and healthcare education, specifically designed to meet women’s needs at VA.
During the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs “EmpowerHER Hour,” Women Veterans learned about specific benefits that are available to them, including resources related to Financial Planning, burial services, and memorial planning. The EmpowerHER Hour also addressed suicide prevention, noting that the age-adjusted suicide rate in the Women Veterans population increased 24% between 2020-2021 according to recent reports. A complex fabric of risk factors impact suicide rates in the Women Veterans population, including health conditions, intimate partner violence, mental health issues, MST, and more. But there are also multiple protective factors that prevent suicide, including spirituality and religious beliefs, motherhood, connectedness to community, and identity recognition.
The Veterans Crisis Line is available 24/7 to Veterans and family members. Dial 988 and Press 1 for free, confidential support.
Veterans Benefits Administration serves Veterans through multiple channels, including compensation benefits, transition assistance, readiness and employment, education, and more. VBA delivers targeted services through 56 regional offices and other organizational centers and teams. 54% of VBA staff are Veterans.
Women Veterans Executive Leadership Fireside Chat
Center for Women Veterans Director Lourdes Tiglao joined Miller for a Fireside Chat to discuss the mission of the center: to advocate for Women Veterans, ensuring they have equal access to VA benefits, services, and opportunities. Through outreach, advocacy, and partnership with external organizations including WVIF, the center works to serve Women Veterans’ needs and highlight their contributions.
For example, recently the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs held their quadrennial Women Veterans Summit. The summit brought together almost 900 people, the largest in its history. The summit connected Women Veterans to essential resources, removing barriers that stand between Women Veterans and VA.
Tiglao spoke about the importance of the Women Veterans’ community.
“Time is something we can never make more of,” Tiglao said, adding that the time Women Veterans spend together, engaging in their community, is important to their overall experience – and to the future.
“Be that person that young women, young girls see in the future,” Tiglao said. “You’ve earned it. Claim it.”
Day 2 Begins
Day 2 kicked off with an variety of workshops. Strengthening leadership skills, building a personal brand, accessing Veterans benefits, understanding DEI, and leveraging digital marketing strategies were all part of the workshop series.
Eries L.G. Mentzer from the Freedom to Serve Foundation delivered an empowering speech. She drew from her experiences as a Wing Commander in the U.S. Air Force to illustrate an approach to leadership that creates an envrionment in which all people have the freedom to serve. Mentzer identified three principles that guided her leadership style:
- Fight Tonight: maintaining preparedness to respond to challenges, tragedies, or threats
- Fight Tomorrow: investing in assets and people to grow and meet future needs
- Freedom to Serve: moving barriers to quality and supportive environments with access to adequate resources
Mentzer concluded her talk rich with stories and history by encouraging all women to continue to serve needs in their communities.
“You are the change that we need,” she said.
Women Veterans Making the Transition and Beyond
Community & State Outreach Administrator of DirectEmployers Association Kim Lott and Program Director of Veterans Upward Bound Jennifer Ross joined Miller for a panel discussion about service and transitioning issues.
Ross and Lott spoke authentically about their experiences on active duty – their opportunities and successes as well as their struggles and challenges.
The panel addressed transition challenges that are particular to the Woman Veteran’s experience including adapting to the civilian workforce, feeling a strong sense of identity and recognition, and finding sources of empowerment. Lott spoke in detail of her experience transitioning from military service, identifying issues like finding employment, translating and transferring skills, and coping with a new identity out of uniform.
Miller spoke passionately about how essential it is for Women Veterans to be each other’s source of empowerment. “When you have the opportunity to do good, do great,” she said.
The panel discussed in detail resources that can assist Women Veterans post-military, including DirectEmployers Association VetCentral program and Veterans Upward Bound’s educational and skills training assistance.
Community Matters
Financial Planner and Leader in Military Advocacy at USAA JJ Montanaro joined Miller for a Fireside Chat. USAA has been one of WVIF’s longest standing partners.
Montanaro and Miller spoke about the importance of community, especially in difficult times. Son of a Navy Veteran, an Army Veteran himself, and father to an Airman, Montanaro is no stranger to the power of the military and Veteran community. Montanaro spoke about how he leveraged his past experiences to approach challenges today.
Recalling lessons learned from a previous job, Montanaro said that everything in life can be divided into three buckets:
- Things you can control
- Things you can influence
- Things you can’t control or influence
“Spend the majority of your time in bucket 1,” he said. “I thought that’s a great way to tackle just about everything that comes our way.”
Fireside Chat with Six Triple Eight Advocate and Congressional Gold Medal Champion
To close out Day 2 of the conference, Miller welcomed U.S. Army retired Colonel Edna Cummings for a fireside chat. Cummings’ inspiring book, A Soldier’s Life, which shares her personal journey in the military and her successful effort to honor the legendary 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, will be published in 2025. She described her efforts to build bridges and work with legislators to formally honor the Six Triple Eight.
Cummings reflected on challenges female service members face, including recognition, gender barriers, and career opportunities. But she empowered the audience never to leave experiences in the past, because they are the stepping stones that make the future, better.
“You have to document your story,” she said, saying that it’s important for future generations to learn from your experiences.
“If you do something that’s authentic and it’s real, your flowers will come,” she said.
Ultimately, Cummings encouraged Women in the audience to take every step forward with intention and optimism.
“In 2025, find your ‘it,'” she said. “And it has to be only yours. Then no one can take it away.”