Gretchen is the former Deputy Director for Veterans Outreach of the USGLC. Prior to joining, Gretchen worked as a national outreach professional with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Ohio Charities and the National Veterans Memorial and Museum (NVMM). An Air Force Veteran, Gretchen worked to build and engage the NVMM’s veteran network, partnering with community, veteran service organization, and business leaders to create successful programming locally, across the state of Ohio, and nationwide. At VFW Ohio Charities, she served as point of contact for more than 200 veteran service and fraternal organizations, supporting them in meeting their charitable giving and legislative goals. She now leads USGLC’s Veterans for Smart Power initiative, a national network of veterans thousands strong, where she develops engagement and advocacy opportunities with a special focus on the intersection between diplomacy and development with American national security objectives. Gretchen is an Ohio State Buckeye alumna, a 2017 Pat Tillman Scholar, and an active member of the VFW, American Legion, and AMVETS. She is previously a member of USGLC’s Veterans for Smart Power network as a representative from the state of Ohio, and serves as an Advisory Board member for the Women in Leadership Program at Ashland University and as a board member for Veterans Voice of America.
There is no doubt the American people have great respect for our military servicemembers. As a result, the United States military is well resourced, equipped, and expertly trained. For many of our servicemembers, that training starts as officer...
Earlier this month, USGLC’s Veterans for Smart Power went on the road with two distinguished members of our National Security Advisory Council. Lieutenant General Larry Nicholson, USMC (Ret.) and Lieutenant General Timothy Fay, USAF (Ret.) were...
The early 2000s brought important opportunities for women to serve on the front lines of combat in the U.S. military. With operations increasing in Iraq and Afghanistan, a region of the world where gendered spaces are common and intergender...
As Afghan interpreters, allies, and their families seek refuge in the United States following America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, communities across the nation are answering the call to create a new home for these families who have given up so...