WID -

September 2003

WID Takes Small Steps, Makes Large Gains
by Janice M. Menker

Women In Defense now has nearly 700 members, a growth of 40 percent during the past year. That’s the good news. The challenging task is to determine how to maintain and sustain that success.

WID is first and foremost about professional growth, networking, and education. How do we meet our personal goals and objectives, but also support national security and our employers? As Jane Patrick Casey, NDIA director of membership, wrote in Executive Update magazine: “A small group of dedicated citizens working together can make a difference that benefits the greater good.” She suggested the continued growth of WID will depend largely upon individuals committing their time–their most precious commodity–to foster relationships, build local communities of interest, and help others develop both personally and professionally.

This has been the case with one of the association’s newest units, the Tennessee Valley Chapter, which was formed in April in Huntsville, Ala. “With the formation of the Tennessee Valley Chapter, women professionals now have a collective voice in the region’s defense community,” said the chapter’s president, Tara Ragan. She is deputy director for information science and technology at the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command. Ragan also expressed confidence that the new chapter will be a model for WID “and an invaluable resource for the women of the Tennessee Valley.”

With nearly 90 members, the chapter offers programs covering a wide range of topics of interest to them. The chapter also is gaining visibility by being represented at exhibitions such as the Technical Excellence in Aviation, Missiles and Space Conference, the Southeastern Software Engineering Conference, and the Space and Missile Defense Conference. For programming or membership information on the Tennessee Valley Chapter of Women In Defense, go to their web site: http://www.ndia-tvc.org/wid-tvc/ or contact:

Women In Defense
Tennessee Valley Chapter
PO Box 5142
Huntsville, AL 35816
E-mail: WID-TVC@comcast.net

Janice M. Menker is national president of Women In Defense.

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