Ms. Martinez is the founder and president of Women Veterans Connect. Since starting WVC, she has received a commendation from the City of San Jose for her ongoing work with women Veterans and community. She joined VA Palo Health Care System’s Veterans and Family Advisory Council in January, 2013 and is an active member of the Military Ministry with Twin Towers United Methodist Church in Alameda, California. Her enthusiasm for innovation and technology has led to her placing at tech competitions hosted by TechCentralSF and Mega Startup Weekend. Ms. Martinez is a US Air Force Veteran. 

Ms. Childress currently serves as the Director, Health System Communications for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, DC. As such, she works at the heart of the nation’s largest health care system, to promote VA health care programs and initiatives to a wide variety of audiences, with a particular focus on the more than 300,000 employees who work for VA. She serves as a consultant to VA leadership and field public affairs officers to help promote national VA health care programs through active public relations programs.

Prior to this job, she served as the Communications Officer and Congressional Liaison for the VA Palo Alto Health Care System and VISN 21. Additionally, Ms. Childress worked at VA Central Office as the Director of Communications for the Veterans Health Administration and as a media relations officer in the Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs.

A Vietnam-era Navy veteran, her 28-years of public affairs experience includes working at the U.S. Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home, Arlington National Cemetery, Military District of Washington and as associate editor of Navy Times. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Maryland in journalism and holds a masters degree from American University in public relations.

Ms. Scott currently serves as a Voluntary Service Specialist with the Veterans Health Administration. She retired from the Air Force as a linguist and computer programmer. Ms. Scott holds multiple degrees in a variety of fields ranging from a PhD in Adult Education to a Masters in Transformative Art. She is the mother of two sons, both of whom have also served – one Air Force and the other Coast Guard.

Ms. Scott has taught at various colleges, universities and private workshops – subjects ranging from computer hardware to workshops in creativity and art techniques for mixed media (like Bonding, Burning and Melting). Today, she creates fiber art; she works with what she finds: a button, a texture, something run over in the street, something tactile with smooth edges or rough surfaces. Her favorite form is a book. Her art is like her life, an imaginative blend of art and science.

She is taking her facility with languages, love of art, and adventurous spirit into a “working retirement.” This phase of her life could take her to a house in southern France, possibly in a co-housing community in Europe. She’s keen on learning French, meeting people and having a fulfilling life. Part of the plan involves buying a building in an artist’s colony (near her sons) and creating a live/work gallery and home base for her travels. She feels that we human beings absolutely require meaning, purpose, community and a life that’s complex enough to keep us interested.

Mrs. Sin currently serves as the Deputy Secretary for Women Veterans Affairs at the California Department of Veterans Affairs. She was appointed to the position by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. on November 22, 2011. Mrs. Sin served in the United States Navy from 1997 until 2005 as a Cryptologic Technician Interpretive. She completed two flight tours in Rota, Spain during which time she deployed in support of Operations Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and achieved the rank of Petty Officer First Class. Mrs. Sin previously worked as the Lead Certifying Official for veterans services at American River College. She continued her work with veterans at Sacramento State as the Veterans Benefit Advisor and Certifying Official, focusing on developing programs for student veterans. She has a BA in History from Sacramento State and is currently pursuing her MBA.

Ms. Christopher is a proud US Navy Veteran. After her honorable discharge in 2001, she received her BA in Humanities with a focus in Psychology and currently works for the Farmer-Veteran Coalition as the Director of FVC’s Fellowship Fund. Prior to her current post, Ms. Christopher lived and worked in Washington, DC for Concepts, Inc. PR on the National Resource Directory, a joint project of the Departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs. Prior to coming to DC, Christopher served as the Women’s Veteran Coordinator for the Iraq Veteran Project in San Francisco. Ms. Christopher speaks nationally on issues facing women veterans, has testified before state and national legislature, and was a community instructor for the National Center for PTSD, Menlo Park. Christopher serves as an advisory board member for The Pathway Home: California Transition Center for Care of Combat Veterans. In March 2009, she helped organize an all women veteran gallery art show, with the goal of empowering women who have served. In its third year, the art show is now a feature of the San Francisco Modern Art Museum. She is the author of You Are Stronger Than You Think You Are: A Straightforward Transition Manual. Ms. Christopher is the recipient of the 2010 “Returning Veterans Resiliency in Response to Trauma” Award.

Ms. Lara served nearly twelve years on active duty in the US Army from 1995-2007, during her service she achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant (SSG-E6) and was assigned to multiple duty stations as well as deployments that included Bosnia during Operation Joint Forge and Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. She was awarded the Combat Action Badge and two Meritorious Service Medals for her service. She understands the impact of combat and the struggle to adapt to life as a civilian. Upon completion of her active duty commitment, she pursued a degree from California State University East Bay where she achieved a BA in Business Management with an emphasis in Organizational Communication. Ms. Lara now serves as the Women Veteran Coordinator and Community Educator for the San Francisco based veterans service organization; Swords to Plowshares. Swords to Plowshares’ Institute for Veteran Policy (IVP) developed Combat to Community training, a series of curriculum on cultural competency developed for community partners, including clinicians, faith-based communities, law enforcement and other criminal justice professionals, to address the challenges veterans face re-integrating into the community. 

Mrs. Foster is a retired and decorated First Sergeant of the US Army Reserves with combat service in Desert Storm/Desert Shield. Among other honors, she has received the following medals: Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Army Component Achievement Medal, and Southwest Asia Service Medal. Mrs. Foster is also retired from Alameda Naval Air Station as a Quality Assurance work leader.

She now serves as a member of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on Women and is an active member of Congressman George Miller’s VA Committee and US Military Academy Committee. In 2004-2005, she had the distinction of being the first female State Commander for the Disabled American Veterans, the first female to hold the position in the organization’s 81 years. She has also served as director on the national Board of Directors of the Disabled American Veterans.

Mrs. Foster was born and raised in Vallejo, California. In 2009, she was chosen as Veteran of the year for Solano County, District 2. She is a member of the VFW Post 1123, DAV Chapter 21, and the Women Veterans of Yountville. She is an Alumna of Vallejo High School and holds an AA in Psychology from Solano Community College, and a BA in Liberal Studies from Sonoma State University. She volunteers at the local library to read to young children.

Dr. Westrup is a licensed clinical psychologist practicing in Colorado and California. She served for eight years in the VA Palo Alto Health Care System as Program Director of the Women’s Mental Health Center and Director of the Women’s Trauma Recovery Program, a national residential treatment program for women veterans with military-related PTSD. Dr. Westrup has an established reputation for her work as a therapist, program director, trainer, researcher and consultant to practitioners at various firms and organizations. She is a recognized authority on PTSD and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and has conducted numerous presentations and trainings at international, national and local conferences, seminars, and workshops. She currently serves as an Expert ACT Consultant for the VA-wide evidence-based treatment rollout of ACT for depression, and has co-authored two books on ACT; Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for the Treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder & Trauma-Related Problems (New Harbinger, 2007) and The Mindful Couple: How Acceptance and Mindfulness can Lead You to the Love You Want (New Harbinger, 2009).