Page 21 - FALL BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING - BURBANK OCTOBER 5, 2024._Neat
P. 21
MELISSA WASHINGTON
Award-winning advocate, speaker, author, entrepreneur,
CEO, publisher, Radio Show Host, and proud Navy veteran Melissa A.
Washington wears many hats. Yet woven throughout her diverse pursuits
is a mission of service—and a passion to empower her fellow women
veterans.
In 2015, what started as a local meet-up turned into Women Veter-
ans Alliance—a global organization that seeks to empower and positively
impact the lives of women veterans.
Three years later, she established the non-profit wing of WVA
Women Veterans Giving. Both entities offer women veterans opportunities
to gain valuable career experience and successfully integrate back into ci-
vilian life. WVG also helps fund women veteran-owned businesses which
other organizations often overlook. To date, they have awarded over $20k
to women in veteran-owned businesses. In 2016, she created and pro-
duced the first "Women Veterans Unconference."
In 2021, Melissa expanded her role in the community by co-
founding Women Veterans Magazine—the first publication of its kind to
address the issues affecting women veterans and provide them with local
and national resources.
