Greetings WID-TVC Members and Friends!

As your WID-TVC President, I am happy to report our WID Chapter had a very successful year for 2020! Even in a pandemic, WID-TVC did not miss a beat. Due to the Board’s hard work, dedication, and passion for women excellence, WID-TVC sponsored local STEM Initiatives, hosted membership socials, and supported local and national leadership activities in Alabama and Tennessee. A special thank you goes to the Ladies of the WID-TVC Board of Directors and Committees. Please join me in giving them a round of applause for their effort, commitment, and time supporting WID-TVC!

In 2021, we plan to continue our journey of “Engaging, Educating, and Empowering” the next generation of women professional and scholars. Many members of WID-TVC have dedicated their lives to the interest and betterment of our national defense and aerospace industrial base. What better way to pay it forward than for WID-TVC to provide our members with the tools, resources, and network to mentor and support them as they evolve in their careers in aerospace and national defense!

WID-TVC Board Appointments & Elections – 2020 was the year for women empowerment as we celebrated our right to vote! Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination to the WID-TVC Board. Based on the results, WID-TVC appointed three members to Board of Director positions (effective immediately upon WID National approval). The position roles and leaders are: Melanie Newton (JBS) - Vice President; Emily Jones (BAH) - Director at Large; and Amarie Whetten (Raytheon) - Director at Large (see page _____ for bios and details). Please join me in welcoming these ladies into their new positions! CONGRATS!

To follow, WID-TVC will begin accepting nominations for new WID-TVC Board of Directors in the Summer of 2021. Leading our Election Committee is Ms. Margaret Taylor (WID-TVC member). Be on the lookout for additional information regarding our 2021 election in the upcoming months. At that time, we will have

several positions available ranging from Executive Officer to Board Member. If you have a spirit for community and a passion for supporting women in national defense and security, we highly encourage you to consider serving your local community through WID-TVC. Feel free to contact me directly at arhen@mjlm.com if you are interested in learning more about the WID-TVC Board roles and responsibilities.

If serving on the Board is not for you, we also accept committee volunteers to support individual committee activities. Please reach out to Committee Directors to learn more about each WID-TVC Committee and how you can provide support.

As always, I am truly honored to serve as your WID-TVC President for 2019-2021! In spite of COVID, WID-TVC continues to uphold our mission by engaging, cultivating, and advancing women in all aspects of national security.

NEWSLETTERSPRING 2021WOMEN IN DEFENSE TENNESSEE VALLEY CHAPTER

ALLISON’S ANGLE

IN THIS ISSUEAllison’s Angle

This Girl Can!

Mentorship + Industry Insight

STEM Updates

New WID-TVC Board Members Spotlight

2020 WID-TVC Annual Event

Membership Events

2021 WID-TVC Golf Tournament & Annual Membership Event

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As always, I am truly honored to serve as your WID-TVC President for 2019-2021! In spite of COVID, WID-TVC continues to uphold our mission by engaging, cultivating, and advancing women in all aspects of national security. To ensure we provide a business environment for professional growth through strategic networking, education, and career development, we are in-process of planning an Engineering Retention Program for Spring 2022 led by Sherrie Nash (Mentorship Director). Be sure to watch our Monthly eBlast Newsletter for details and join us for “Thirsty Thursdays,” our monthly networking events hosted by Kris Bell (Membership Director).

If you are not receiving our communications, contact WID National to update your membership profile. In the meantime, I look forward to meeting each of you at our Annual Program and Awards Celebration in conjunction with the first-ever WID-TVC Golf Tournament in October 2021 led by Jessica Washburn (WID-TVC Secretary)… details to come!

Blessings and best regards!

Allison M. RhenWID-TVC Presidentarhen@mjlm.com

STEMThe Tennessee Valley Chapter of Women in Defense is continuing our long standing STEM outreach efforts to work with local schools to provide STEM tools to science teachers for interactive use in their classrooms. We work with the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department of the University of Alabama in Huntsville to have these tools designed and built by Engineering student teams and then donated to the local schools. The ability of the young students in elementary and middle schools to see scientific and engineering principles demonstrated by tools they can directly interact with has proven to increase student interest in pursuing higher education and careers in the technical disciplines. We are funded annually by the Space and Missile Defense Working Group of the TN Valley Chapter of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA).

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S C I E N C E , T E C H N O L O G Y, E N G I N E E R I N G & M AT H

MADISON CROSS ROADS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DASH ROBOTS RECHARGING STATION

WID-TVC proudly sponsored the UAH Senior Engineering Design Team for the development of a DASH Robots Recharging Station. This STEM tool was gifted to Madison Crossroads Elementary School. WID STEM members provided engineering panel reviews to the Requirements Review, multiple Design Reviews, the Production Readiness Review, and attended the product delivery celebration in person at Madison Crossroads Elementary School.

ALLISON’S ANGLE (CONT.)

THE SCRIBES In 2020, The Scribes implemented a campaign in which for every Huntsville-themed journal they sold, they donated one to students in the Huntsville community who needed resources. WID-TVC was thrilled to be part of this initiative, thanks to OAR Corporation, who purchased journals for its employees. Gayla Suddarth, WID-TVC STEM Director, presented the donated, beautiful leather-bound journals to the students of each UAH engineering design team. Thank you to OAR Corporation for supporting WID-TVC STEM’s efforts, and thank you to The Scribes for making a difference!

AUTOMATED MANUAL RESUSCITATOR PROJECTWID-TVC sponsored one of the UAH Senior Engineering Design Teams as they developed an Automated Manual Resuscitator for use by healthcare professionals battling the pandemic. WID-TVC provided engineering review support, to include Requirements Review, Design Reviews, and Production Readiness Review throughout this project’s life cycle.

UAH STEM OUTREACH01

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TED TALKSThe WID-TVC STEM Committee has reached out to female engineering professors who are interested in having WID STEM present a “Ted-like Talk” for college females studying for or interested in STEM-related careers. Please stay tuned for more information!

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THIS GIRL CAN!On March 8, 2021, in honor of International Women’s Day, the Women’s Economic Development Council and the Women’s Business Council gathered in downtown Huntsville for the plaque dedication of the 19th Amendment Mural, “This Girl Can”.

During this event, Mayor Tommy Battle also presented the Proclamation for Women Owned Business Day, to be held on March 30.

The “This Girl Can” mural, painted by Nashville Artist Kim Radford, honors the anniversary of the 19th

Amendment, celebrates the diverse fabric of our community, inspires future civic engagement by all citizens, and encourages interaction and social media sharing.

Women In Defense Tennessee Valley Chapter is proud to be a community partner of this amazing initiative!

MENTORSHIP + INDUSTRY INSIGHTWOMEN IN LEADERSHIP

On November 18, 2020, women gathered virtually for an insightful event called Women In Leadership - Living Beyond Challenges: 11 Stories of Courage and Triumph.

During this evening gathering, attendees heard from Dr. Amanda Goodson, Amanda Goodson Global;

Dr. Yvette Rice, New Genesis Community Church; Melissa Morrison-Ellis, Northrop Grumman/Raytheon Technologies Next-Generation Interceptors Program; Catherine Ripley, Ret. Naval Officer; Odetta Scott, Collins Aerospace; and Amarie Whetten, Raytheon Technologies.

WID-TVC MENTORSHIP EVENT FT. MS. HELEN THOMPSONThank you to all of our members who joined us for our April Mentorship Event, featuring Ms. Helen Thompson, founder of The RockWood Group and a former Naval Commander!

This event was held on April 21, 2021 at The Ledges. During this event, Ms. Thompson shared her inspiring journey from becoming a Naval Commander to a business owner.

DEFENSE CONVERSATIONS & CONNECTIONSThe Tennessee Valley Chapters of WID and NDIA kicked off the first event in a new series called Defense Conversations & Connections on April 28.

Our first guests were Sheila Cummings, Cummings Aerospace President and CEO, and Kelly Francis, Cummings Aerospace Director of Strategic Development.

The podcast interview style virtual event offered insights and discussion around relevant topics within the defense industry. Thank you for joining us, and stay tuned for details on the next gathering!

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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING & MATHMADISON CITY SCHOOLSThe WID-TVC STEM Committee is now connected with Kaleb Owens, Madison City Schools Career Coach and has plans to get connected with engineering interns to serve as mentors to them. The Committee is serving on Engineering Career Panels and conducting mock interviews as part of the district’s “Employability Series” to help prepare students for interviews and employment.

MADISON COUNTY & HUNTSVILLE CITY SCHOOLSThe WID-TVC STEM Committee is now connected with career coaches for Madison County and Huntsville City schools and is planning a “Ted-like Talk” for girls interested in STEM careers.

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STEM IN THE COMMUNITY KIDS TO LOVE: DENIM & DIAMONDS April 24, 2021 was a night of denim and bling! The 5th annual Denim and Diamonds fundraiser event included dinner, a live VIP concert featuring the band Shenandoah, and an opportunity to tour Davidson Farms. Kids to Love Founder Lee Marshall even joined the live band on stage and shared her beautiful voice in a song with the band! There was laughter, great food, and as some of the Davidson Farms girls gave their testimonies about how Kids to Love has saved their lives, there were tears.

There was also generosity, with so many giving greatly to support the needs of the girls at Davidson Farms. Attendees learned of a new dream to help feed the girls there as well as many foster families who struggle to provide healthy food for the children. Davidson Farms is home to girls ages 10-19 and serves girls across the states of Alabama and Tennessee. The girls that call this place home are also given the opportunity to learn to swim, drive, play sports, and volunteer. Discover more about Davidson Farms at kidstolove.org/davison-farms.

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Pictured L to R: Maike DeMaria, Sandy Edwards, Gayla Suddarth, Melanie Newton, Gabrielle Patton

HUNTSVILLE SCIENCE FESTIVALWID-TVC sponsored the inaugural Huntsville Science Festival in October 2020. During this week-long series of events celebrating science, technology, and art, more than 1,200 free science kits were distributed throughout the community thanks to sponsors and donors. The celebration featured rockets, dinosaurs, squirrels, food, genetics, robots, music, and more! Despite the pandemic, the Huntsville Science Festival was still held virtually, and was a great success!

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GIRL SCOUTSWID-TVC provided funding to support multiple Girl Scout STEM efforts and has volunteered to conduct STEM badge training. Additionally, WID-TVC STEM Director Gayla Suddarth and WID-TVC Treasurer Sandy Edwards were invited to join the Girl Scouts North-Central Alabama Board of Directors!

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TECH TREKThe Summer 2021 event was canceled, but the WID-TVC STEM Committee continues to serve on the Planning Committee.

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ALABAMA SCHOOL OF CYBER TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING (ASCTE)WID-TVC STEM Committee members have presented several Lunch & Learn sessions for the students at the Alabama School of Cyber Technology & Engineering (ASCTE).

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TENNESSEE HANDS-ON SCIENCE CENTER (HOSC)Our WID STEM representative to the Hands-On Science Center (Kim Nelson), supported development of a white paper for a BioTechnology grant. This white paper was down-selected with invitation to submit a full technical application to the National Defense Education Program (NDEP). Kim is currently supporting the drafting and review of the technical proposal, and selection will be in June 2021. They are requesting approximately $3M in funding to establish a new Biotech wing for the HOSC. This grant seeks to provide funding primarily toward programs with a vision for a future where all Americans will have lifelong access to high-quality Biotech education, and the U.S. will be the global leader in bio-citizenry, innovation, and employment.

In November, the HOSC held a virtual ribbon cutting for the WID co-sponsored “Super Girls of Science” gallery. The exhibit room includes a near 360-degree, comic themed graphics, depicting real women throughout history and today who have been integral to scientific advancement. The exhibit also includes a TV screen and audio system as well as touchable elements and specialized lighting to engage the senses, create a sense of excitement in young girls, and show them that they too can be real world superheroes!

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CHESS LEAGUE WID-TVC sponsors a Chess Club for Madison City and has recently expanded support to Madison County by sponsoring the launch of multiple teams in the district. Buckhorn Middle School now has a chess sponsor and Moores Mill Intermediate has already started a team with 40+ kids!

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OHIO WID STEM INTERESTWID-TVC attended a meeting with the Ohio chapter of Women In Defense looking to start a STEM program. There has been great discussion and information sharing.

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NEW WID-TVC BOARD MEMBERS SPOTLIGHTWe are pleased to introduce three new members of the Women In Defense Tennessee Valley Board of Directors!

More than 40 people attended WID-TVC’s 2020 Annual Membership & Scholarship Awards event held on Wednesday, October 21, 2020 at the Jackson Center.

The lunch event featured our keynote speaker, Mrs. Vergenia Shelton, President of INTUITIVE. Vergenia gave remarks on her leadership journey with INTUITIVE as well as lessons learned. We are grateful for her support of our chapter!

Other VIP attendees included a representative from Congressman Mo Brooks Office and a representative for Senator Doug Jones office.

Ms. Amanda Mimms and Ms. Maria Martins were the recipients of this year’s WID-TVC Scholarship Award. Amanda attends Athens State University and is majoring in Supply Chain Management and Contract Management. Amanda’s goal after graduation is to pursue a career in the National Defense Industry. Maria is a Senior Pre-Law Student at the University of Alabama pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Civic Engagement Leadership. Maria hopes to acquire a position that fulfills her long-term goal in National Security Law where she will defend and prioritize the Department of State as a Lawyer.

Following scholarship awards, Membership and STEM Directors, Kris Bell and Gayla Suddarth provided a brief committee report highlighting their successes. The program closed with words from Allison Rhen, the 2019-2021 WID-TVC President.

Thank you to all of our sponsors for helping to make this annual event possible! Scholarship sponsors were Teledyne Brown Engineering, Tripoint Solutions, and JBS Solutions.

Corporate sponsors were Raytheon Missiles & Defense (platinum sponsor), Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation (gold sponsor), Signalink (gold sponsor), NDIA-TVC (gold sponsor), and Image Hawk (silver sponsor).

2020 WID-TVC ANNUAL EVENT

EMILY JONES, DIRECTOR AT LARGE Emily Jones is the Operations Manager for the Huntsville Booz Allen office, and has been with the company for over 11 years. She has a background in accounting and financial management. In her current role, she helps to manage work in the Picatinny, NJ; Troy, MI; and Huntsville, AL markets. She is also the small business outreach lead for the local office and supports various activities to better connect with this community. Emily also manages the STEM education and workforce development program for Huntsville and leads the high school intern program.

AMARIE WHETTEN, DIRECTOR AT LARGE Amarie Whetten works in program management on the THAAD LM subcontract team at Raytheon Technologies in Huntsville, AL. She is responsible for leading a team that provides training to soldiers in the field working the AN/TPY-2 missile defense radar that can intercept ballistic missiles to keep countries safe from threats. She’s original from Colorado and lived in Tucson, AZ for 13 years before moving to Alabama two years ago.

Amarie recently helped to launch the joint WID/NDIA virtual series called Defense Conversations and Connections for pod-cast style interviews of local defense leaders. She is an active volunteer with the

AUM Foundation, a HASBAT member and loves to support all the great Huntsville Chamber events.

She has a chemical engineering degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder and an MBA from Colorado State University. She’s also an entrepreneur and runs a nutrition and health business encouraging families to make lifestyle choices that promote longevity. She values hard work, education, networking and serving others.

She and her husband, Chris have 4 children ages 4-15. She was a member of Leadership Greater Huntsville L33 and volunteers as a mentor for L34 and L35 cohorts. She enjoys reading, weight training, hiking and walking and even carved out time to publish in an anthology in 2019 called Women in Leadership – Living Beyond Challenges. She loves mentoring young people.

U’MEEKA SMITH, AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIP DIRECTOR U’Meeka Smith’s professional career reflects over 14 years of combined organizational and financial management experience, including budgeting and reporting, entrepreneurship, and more than 10 years leading and managing teams. She has a passion for operation management and enjoys leading and doing what it takes to ensure the organization’s integrity and core values are upheld using benchmark industry standards. U’Meeka holds an MBA with a Human Resources Concentration from Capella University and a B.A. in Mathematics with a minor in Business Administration from Athens State University. U’Meeka is a Consultant for Deloitte Consulting LLP, where she supports leadership in business operations. She had the privilege to serve as the Chief Operating and Financial Officer for Leadership Greater Huntsville and

as the Director of Fiscal Affairs for Drake State Community and Technical College.

U’Meeka has a strong belief in giving back to the community. She believes a mix of passion, principles, and faith can affect the type of difference someone makes in another person’s life. U’Meeka supports many civic and community organizations, including serving on the board of Real Fathers Making a Difference, Inc., The Catalyst Center for Business & Entrepreneurship, Athens State University Foundation Board, Community Advisor with United Women of Color, Inc., Program Coordinator for Diversity Leadership Colloquium, and as a committee member of Future & Beyond Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Symposium. Previously, U’Meeka served on the Executive Women International (EWI) board and the Community Advisory Boards of Junior League of Huntsville Madison County and The Academy for Learning and Character Development.

U’Meeka and her husband of 19 years, LC, have three children, Michael, X’Avier, and Darius. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, walking, reading, and relaxing.

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SPRING 2021WOMEN IN DEFENSE TENNESSEE VALLEY CHAPTER

Membership EventsTHIRSTY THURSDAY SOCIALS In 2021, WID-TVC kicked off a series of membership socials called Thirsty Thursday. These events offer a great opportunity for members to network, receive door prizes, enjoy a beverage, and check out local spots around the Rocket City!

January 21: Uncorked Wine Shop, Ft. Kristina Barbee

March 11: Martin Bar + Bistro, Hosted by Kris Bell & Sarah Smith

April 8: Rhythm on Monroe, Hosted by Kris Bell & Gayla Suddarth

May 20: VIP Event at Klos Diamonds

HUNTSVILLE CHAMPIONSHIP ORGANIZATION DAY On April 26, members of WID-TVC and NDIA TVC gathered at The Ledges to socialize, learn about the Huntsville Championship, and enjoy drinks and hors d’oeuvres. Attendees enjoyed gorgeous weather and getting to be part of the inaugural Championship event! The Huntsville Championship ran April 26 - May 2, and plans are underway for the 2nd annual event to be held in 2022!

INTRODUCING THE INAUGURAL WID-TVC GOLF TOURNAMENT!

Please visit www.wid-tvc.org for more

information!