Esmeralda Silva is currently the President of the Council of College and Military Educators. Esmeralda has been in higher education for 20+ years and her career has comprised of roles revolving around building strong relationships as this is key to creating lasting and trusting partnerships with university leaders, key military leaders and partners, corporate and nonprofit organizations that have a desire and commitment to changing lives through the "Power of Education.

Over the twenty years, Esmeralda has spent her time focused on changing lives through her commitment, dedication, and belief that education is one of the most effective ways to improve a person's life. During her career, she held leadership roles within Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, Administrative Services, Outreach & Partnerships, Military and Veteran Relations, Compliance and Regulatory Affairs, and Strategic Planning and Management. These positions have allowed her to create and implement integrated strategies as well as assist and collaborate with cross-departmental leaders to ensure a focus on student success outcomes. Esmeralda has also served as the President of the California Advisory Council on Military Education, worked with the Los Angles Veteran Collaborative and the Orange County Veterans and Military Families Collaborative. She is currently an Honorary Commander with the 37th Training Wing, US Air Force our of Lackland Air Force Base.

Esmeralda is actively involved in supporting and advocating for improved support and services for military members, veterans, and their families.

Esmeralda was born and raised in Washington state and currently resides in San Antonio, Texas, and has two amazing sons Jalen and Christian.

Mrs. Nyesah Algiers Diamond Wilson is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana born to Winston and Mary Whitten the last of five children.  Mrs. Wilson has been performing for most of her life, she remembers way back singing in the sunbeam choir at church at age three. Her inquisitiveness and bright bubbly personality is what caught the attention of the talented and arts teacher back in third grade and everything else fell into place.

Mrs. Wilson has performed in various venues in the United States and internationally, being classically trained in the fine arts of vocal music, theater, and art all over the globe. She's sang for the pope in Italy and for the neighborhood but no matter where or what audience, she shines. There's something about how she can captivate an audience with her infectious smile and laugh. It comes as no surprise that she is naturally funny and an ultimate quadruple threat.  Mrs. Nyesha, "Algiers Diamond" Wilson is a force to be reckoned with.  She's touted jokingly that she's coming for the best because she knows what it takes to be and stay prepared for whatever life may present to her. So whether it's a monologue, music, standup, or putting pencil to sketch book she is ready.

Mrs. Wilson is an Army Veteran and is married to an Army Veteran and has a family of four beautiful children.

SEAC Black assumed his current post as the 5th Senior Enlisted  Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Nov. 3rd, 2023  following his selection and service as the 19th Sergeant Major of the  Marine Corps. A native of Louisville, Kentucky, he attended recruit  training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., in April of  1988 and attended the School of Infantry and Marine Corps Security  Force School.  

Throughout his career, SEAC Black has been assigned numerous  duties to include: 0331 Machine Gunner, Machine Gun Squad and  Section Leader; Weapons Platoon Sergeant and Weapons Platoon  Commander; Drill Instructor, Senior Drill Instructor, Fleet AntiTerrorism Security Team Company (FAST) Platoon Sergeant and  Operations Chief, Series Gunnery Sergeant, DI School Instructor, and RTR Drill Master; First Sergeant, G  Company 2d Bn, 1st Marines, E Company 3d Amphibious Assault Battalion, Officer Candidates School;  Sergeant Major, 3d Bn, 7th Marines, Combat Logistics Battalion 5, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, 1st  Marine Logistics Group, and Manpower and Reserve Affairs.  

He has deployed aboard the USS Forrestal (CV-59) in support of Operation Just Cause and to the  Mediterranean in 1989 ; deployed in support of Operation Sea Soldier, Desert Storm/Desert Shield, and  Sea Angel with 3rd Bn, 5th Marines in 1990, and to Okinawa in 1992; deployed with FAST Company in  support of 5th and 6th Fleet operations to Bahrain, Italy, Pearl Harbor, and Bangor Washington; deployed  to Iraq with 2d Bn, 1st Marines in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II (OIF) in 2004; deployed with 13th  Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) during Operation Bright Star and to Iraq in  support of Operation Iraqi Freedom IV (OIF) in 2005; to Afghanistan with 3d Bn, 7th Marines in support of  Operation Enduring Freedom in 2010; deployed with Combat Logistics Battalion 5 in support of Operation  Enduring Freedom in 2012; and deployed in support of WESTPAC 14.2 and Operation Inherent Resolve  with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit in 2014.  

SEAC Black’s personal awards include the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit w/ 2 Gold  Star’s, Bronze Star w/ Combat Distinguishing Device, Meritorious Service Medal w/ 2 Gold Stars, Navy and  Marine Corps Commendation Medal w/ Combat Distinguishing Device and 3 Gold Stars, Navy and Marine  Corps Achievement Medal w/ Gold Star and the Combat Action Ribbon with 2 Gold Stars.  

SEAC Black has a Bachelor of Science in Terrorism and Counterterrorism Studies from National American  University and graduated from the Joint Special Operations Forces Senior Enlisted Academy December of  2011.

Dr. Woods is the director of the Career Readiness Suite, which includes  both academic and non-academic credentials within the office of Deputy  Assistant Secretary of Defense (Force Education & Training). He entered  federal service in 2004 and has directed voluntary education activities at  the Installation, Region, Service, and Agency level. His programs affect  the investment of roughly $700M in annual federal funding and touch about 800,000 Service  members each year.  

Dr. Woods spent 1,460 days wearing the uniform of the United States Navy, and found  something to love in every single one of those days.

He asked me to tell you that if you’re hearing this bio, you’re someone who’s contribution to this  enterprise he thinks about every day.

The Honorable James D. Rodriguez, MA is the U.S. Department of Labor’s Assistant Secretary for Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS). He is responsible for preparing America's veterans, service members and their spouses for meaningful careers. In this capacity and in Fiscal Year 2022, over 2,800 DOL Veterans’ Employment and Training Service staff, contractors, and grantees served more than 440,000 veterans and military spouses across all Agency programs.

Mr. Rodriguez is an executive leader and proud veteran with more than 30 years of experience in the U.S. government, corporate sector, and 21 years in the United States Marine Corps. He possesses a comprehensive background in program management, interagency collaboration, and policy development. He also has extensive senior-level experience building and managing multi-million-dollar budgets and large diverse teams while meeting the expectations of the President of the United States and large corporate enterprises. Additionally, he has demonstrated experience with developing and leading large scale international and national programs with a commitment to operational excellence, risk management and quality assurance.

Mr. Rodriguez’s recent executive experience includes leadership roles within Deloitte LLP’s Government and Public Sector practice and BAE Systems, Inc. Government Relations department. He also previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Office of Warrior Care Policy, Office of the Secretary of Defense from 2014 through 2017.

Mr. Rodriguez earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Maryland, University College and a Master of Arts in International Commerce and Policy from the George Mason University, School of Public Policy. He also serves as an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Government and Political Science in the University of Maryland, Global Campus.

Joseph Garcia serves as Executive Director of Education Service (EDU) within the Veterans Benefits Administration. In his role, he leads more than 1,500 employees in the delivery of education and training benefits and services for Veterans and their families including one of VA’s most frequently used benefits, the Post-9/11 GI Bill. VA disburses over $10B in benefits annually to more than 800,000 Veterans, Service members and their families. Mr. Garcia previously served in Higher Education in Vice President roles at three different colleges. Garcia spent 28 years in the Air Force, including tours at the Pentagon, Air Force Academy, Germany and South Korea, and a Middle East deployment. He taught leadership courses at the Air Force Academy and The Citadel and has authored four leadership books.

Mr. Brandon Wilkerson is Director for Operations & Integration of the Global Surveillance Division.  He establishes and manages the division’s strategic rhythm and facilitates oversight of program performance and contributes to the top-level development of strategies in alignment with the programs to create a division level Long Range Strategic Plan (LRSP) and Annual Operating Plan (AOP). As the Division Chief of Staff, he integrates across programs and functions to optimize people, processes, and tools.

Mr. Wilkerson was previously the Regional Director for Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, responsible for regional growth of Aeronautics Systems products. He led a regional team and oversaw strategic planning, industry partnering, business development, capture leadership, and proposal development.  Mr. Wilkerson also served as Capture/Program Manager for Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2) programs including the Air Force Advanced Battle Management System.  He led a cross-sector team developing and implementing capture campaigns for priority JADC2 programs and demonstrations.

Prior to joining Northrop Grumman in June 2020, he was a Colonel in the U.S. Air Force.  As Air Armaments Advisor at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Headquarters, he advised the U.S. Ambassador to NATO on aviation, armaments, and intelligence matters and was responsible for overseeing NATO capability development programs on behalf of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. Over a 24-year Air Force career, he held numerous program management, engineering, and flight test leadership positions on air, space, and cyber programs and commanded at the squadron level. He served in the Pentagon on both the Headquarters Air Force Staff and the Joint Staff.

Mr. Wilkerson holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering science from the U.S. Air Force Academy, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from The George Washington University, a master’s degree in International Affairs from Troy University, and a master’s degree in national resource strategy from the National Defense University. He is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, the Defense Language Institute, and the Defense Acquisition University program manager’s course and senior acquisition course.   

Northrop Grumman is a technology company, focused on global security and human discovery. Our pioneering solutions equip our customers with capabilities they need to connect, advance, and protect the U.S. and its allies. Driven by a shared purpose to solve our customers’ toughest problems, our 95,000 employees define possible every day.

Gary Uyematsu, BMW of North America, currently holds the position of BMW of North America National Technical Training Manager, a role he has fulfilled for the past 8 years. With a 23-year tenure at BMW NA, Gary's journey in the automotive world began at Universal Technical Institute and then as a BMW technician in 1985.

In his role as National Technical Training Manager, Gary oversees a team of over 70 plus team members and five technical training centers located throughout North America. This team enhances the skills of over 7,000 BMW GROUP Dealer Technicians by delivering comprehensive training in Technical, Body & Paint, STEP, and Motorrad for a diverse range of vehicles that include BMW, MINI, Motorrad, and Rolls Royce.

Beyond his managerial responsibilities, Gary is actively engaged in industry leadership. Presently, he serves as the ASE Board of Directors Industry Relations Committee Chair, contributing to the strategic development of industry relationships. Additionally, Gary has previously held the position of ASE Education Foundation Board of Directors Vice Chairman, showcasing his commitment to the educational aspects of the automotive sector.

Nagma began her journey in education as a volunteer history teacher, passionate about discovering best practices for teaching her students. After graduating from Stanford University with an M.Ed., Nagma taught students from diverse backgrounds, leading the first Python computer science classes on campus. Then, Nagma supported the Microsoft Philanthropies TEALS (Technology Education and Learning Support) Program by bringing volunteers to support computer science teachers in the classroom. This experience led to a deep commitment to making educational opportunities in tech accessible to all learners. Currently, Nagma is the Cybersecurity Skills Lead within Microsoft Philanthropies and works with nonprofits worldwide. Additionally, she spends time playing with Lucky, her 100-pound Rhodesian Ridgeback/Lab mix, and travelling with her 3-year old and husband (4 states down, 46 left to go!).

Angie Voigt, BSN, MBA, NEA-BC has been the Chief Nursing Officer at HealthONE's Sky Ridge Medical Center for the past three years. She has worked for the HealthONE hospital system for the past decade in various nursing leadership roles. She has been a registered nurse for 17 years, starting her career as a critical care nurse before moving into travel nursing and ultimately nursing leadership. Angie holds her Masters' in Business Administration (MBA) as well as her Nurse Executive Advanced - Board Certification. Involved in the community, she is on the board of the Douglas County Crisis Center and is a member of the Concorde College Program Advisory Committee.

Nick Curry is the Head of Emerging Talent Pipelines for Amazon Web Services (AWS). The mission of the programs he leads is to provide access and opportunities to in-demand technical careers for more diverse candidates, including members of the military community. Since 2017, Nick has successfully built multiple programs and negotiated agreements with private businesses, governments, and higher education institutions to facilitate this training which produces internship, apprenticeship, and direct employment opportunities across all technical job families throughout Amazon. To date, more than 1,600 participants have received job offers because of Nick’s programs. Nick also represents Amazon as an official Apprenticeship Ambassador for the US Department of Labor (DoL) and is one of the first 100 US inaugural participants of the Obama Foundation Leaders program. Prior to AWS, Nick ran global customer escalations for the family of travel companies at Expedia Group from 2014-2017, and was the President of Expedia’s veteran business resource group, EMVA. From 2007-2014, he held a variety of roles from Sales Manager to Senior Operations Analyst at the financial services company USAA, while also leading the local veteran resource group, VETNET. Nick retired in 2019 after 20 years as an enlisted Navy submarine sailor (both active duty and Reserves). Nick graduated with a Business Management degree from the University of Phoenix in 2012.

Vince Brantley is the President, Co-Owner and Chief Technology Officer of Veritas Culture. He is responsible for developing and implementing innovative strategies that maximize the availability of Veritas produced products and tools. Additionally, Vince is a core facilitator of Veritas’ client facing efforts.

Prior to becoming Co-Owner of Veritas Culture, Vince was the Culture Executive of the Defense Intelligence Agency. In this capacity, he as responsible for developing and implementing strategies focused on resolving root challenges of the organizational culture.

Over his 28-year career in the United States Army, Vince attained the rank of Sergeant Major and served in this capacity in several positions across different organizations.

Dr. Michele J. Carter currently serves as Chancellor of Central Texas College (CTC) and is the first woman and first African American to serve in this capacity. Her entire 32-year career in higher education has been with CTC, where she has held several administrative and management positions. Prior to being appointed Chancellor, she was the institution’s Deputy Chancellor for Finance and Administration/CFO. In that position, she was named as the college’s first ever Chief Diversity Officer and assumed responsibility for CTC’s overseas and Navy operations providing strategic leadership in those areas. 

Her professional affiliations include the Higher Education Research and Development Institute South, Council of College and Military Educators; National Association of Institutions for Military Education Services; and Texas Association of Community Colleges.

Active in her community, Dr. Carter serves on the Boards of Directors for the United Way of the Greater Ft. Hood Area (President), Communities in Schools Bell-Coryell Counties, Inc., and the Greater Killeen Community Clinic. In addition, she serves on the Association of the United States Army Board of Governors (Central Texas Chapter), Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce Public and Military Affairs Councils, Workforce Solutions of Central Texas Board, and Central Texas Council of Governments Executive Committee. She is a member of the NAACP, the Killeen Rotary Club, and the Modern Study Club. 

Dr. Carter received her Associate of General Studies from Central Texas College (1996); her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Central Texas (1998); her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Tarleton State University (2000); and Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Management from Capella University. 

Michele and her husband Antonio (USAF, Ret.) have one daughter and son-in-love (both USAF active duty), and one adorable three-year old granddaughter.

Nuno Fernandes is the fifth President of American Public University System (APUS), a role he has held since Sept. 1, 2022. He is a visionary leader who has been successful in making online higher education more affordable and accessible, while focused on delivering high-quality education and favorable student outcomes.

Mr. Fernandes brings to APUS a wealth of experience across higher education, technology and business, most recently as serving president and CEO of Ilumno, the largest online program manager in Latin America and among the Top 3 globally (in the number of managed students). Over the course of 10 years, he held several executive roles with increasing responsibilities and helped to triple the number of students served by the company (over 300,000 students at its peak, up from 100,000 students when he joined).

During Mr. Fernandes’s tenure at Ilumno, he was instrumental in the improvement of student retention, student satisfaction, graduation rates and brand reputation at the company’s owned and partner universities. At the same time, he led the company focus of expanding access to quality and affordable online and on-ground higher education in several countries including Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Panama, and El Salvador, where its former and current partner institutions have become the dominant online market players.

Previously, Mr. Fernandes was managing director of Miami-based Overseas Leisure Group, an award-winning luxury tourism provider that serves 2,000 travel agencies and tour operators globally. Prior to that, he was vice president of marketing and product management for the Thermo-Technology division of Bosch in the United States. Over the course of 11 years at Bosch Group, he served in various roles across product management, marketing, and sales in multiple countries, including Portugal, Spain, Germany, Brazil, Mexico and United States.

Born in Porto, Portugal, Mr. Fernandes holds a Master of Business Administration from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Porto. He has also participated in several executive education programs at Harvard Business School and Carnegie Mellon University, among others.

Mr. Fernandes is trilingual, speaking English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Dr. Mark David Milliron is an award-winning leader, author, speaker, and consultant, who works with universities, community colleges, K-12 schools, foundations, corporations, associations, and government agencies across the country and around the world. He serves as President & CEO of National University (NU), one of the largest private, nonprofit universities in the United States. NU is designated as a Minority Serving Institution (MSI), Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), and has a 50+ year history of innovating around the needs of military, working, and other nontraditional students. The faculty and staff at NU have catalyzed the careers of community difference makers in service industries such as education, healthcare, business, cybersecurity, law, and criminal justice. Moreover, NU’s education initiatives—including Harmony SEL, Inspire Leading in Learning, and Workforce Education Solutions—serve tens of thousands of teachers and other community leaders each year and impact millions of students.

In addition to his work with NU, Mark helps catalyze positive change in education through his service on the boards and advisory councils of leading-edge education organizations, including the Trellis Foundation; Bennett College; Civitas Learning; the Mastery Transcript Consortium; and ISKME/Open Education Resource Commons. He also holds an appointment as a Professor of Practice in the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin.

In 1999, The University of Texas at Austin’s College of Education named Mark a Distinguished Graduate for his service to the education field. In 2007, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) presented him with its prestigious  National Leadership Award and inducted him into the AACC Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the United States Distance Learning Association’s Hall of Fame in 2013. In 2016 he was chosen by the Chronicle of Higher Education as one of the “Top Technology Innovators” in higher education; and in 2018, Mark was listed by EdTechDigest as one of the Top Influencers in the education technology field.

Regardless of all of his activities and accomplishments, he will quickly tell you that the most important job and the greatest blessing in his life is serving as Julia’s husband, and as father to Alexandra, Richard, Marcus, and Max.

Roger Speer is a distinguished professional currently serving as the President of the Avondale Campus at Universal Technical Institute (UTI) and holding the position of Vice President of Operations for UTI Region III, which covers campuses in California, Arizona, Texas, and Florida. His association with UTI dates back to 1988, and over the years, he has played crucial roles in shaping the institution's approach to student success and industry engagement.

Speer's journey at UTI began with the role of Career Services Director, where he quickly rose to become the Corporate Director of Career Services. During this time, he led a transformative initiative focused on career search education and placement outcomes. His leadership played a pivotal role in restructuring student support services and establishing strong connections with industry employers.

Under his guidance, UTI experienced an increase in graduate placement rates and the quality of jobs aligned with individual student skill sets.

In 1995, Roger Speer relocated to Chicago to take on the role of President of UTI's Campus in Glendale Heights. His dedication to student success continued as he later transferred back to Arizona as Vice President of Operations, actively participating in the significant expansion of UTI by adding campuses across the country. Throughout his career, he collaborated with teams across the organization to optimize student outcomes and build strong connections with industry partners.

Before entering the field of education, Roger spent four years in the Marine Corps, concluding his service as a Career Planner at Camp Pendleton. This military experience significantly influenced his approach to supporting students, particularly veterans, in finding career paths aligned with their skills and interests.

Roger Speer holds a Bachelor of Science in Management and Human

LCDR Sullivan is a native of Andover, MA and was commissioned in the United States Navy in  May of 2004 through the NROTC program out of Boston College. He has served nearly 20  years, first as a Surface Warfare Officer and now a Human Resources Officer. 

LCDR Sullivan has supported the education and professional development of the enlisted workforce for the past 5 years as deputy VOLED Service Chief and now acting Service Chief. He also serves as the Navy’s policy manager for the DoD SkillBridge program.  

His past assignments include Strike Officer, USS Gettysburg, Training Officer, USS Gettysburg,  C4I Manpower and Training Requirements Officer at the Navy’s N1 and N2/N6 directorates. In his current assignment, working for the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Manpower,  Personnel, Training, and Education), he oversees policy development for tuition assistance, GI  Bill transfer of education benefits, credentialing, apprenticeships, and SkillBridge programs.

Steve retired as an Army Lieutenant Colonel after 26 years in the Medical Service Corps. He recently became the Division  Chief for the Career Investment Division within the USCG  Force Readiness Command (FORCECOM). Steve's Career  Investment portfolio includes Voluntary Education, Advanced  Education, Military to Mariner, Voluntary Credentialing as well as Civilian Career Management programs. While working for the Coast Guard, Steve has also served as the Chief of the  Civilian Career Management Office and as the Strategic Plans Officer for FORCECOM.  

Prior to becoming “Semper Paratus” with the Coast Guard,  Steve worked in the Office of Economic Opportunity in the  Department of Veterans Affairs. He was the VA’s lead  Representative for Vice President Biden’s White House initiative for the Detroit Federal Working Group, providing monthly briefings at the White House. Steve was also the  Program Manager of an Economic Opportunities and outcomes initiative which created nearly ONE MILLION jobs for  Veterans.  

In his last position in the Army, he was the Recruiting and Retention Battalion Commander leading 120 Senior Non-Commissioned Officers and Career Counselors supporting over 16,000  Reservists across Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. Steve commanded  Medical units at nearly every level in the Army and was deployed to Iraq, Haiti and Somalia.  

Steve earned his Masters degree in Homeland Security from the University of Maryland. He is also a graduate of the Command and General Staff College. His awards include the Legion of  Merit, the Expert Field Medical Badge, the Air Assault Badge and Four Meritorious Service  Medals. He has been married 20 years and has 3 wonderful children!

Laurie Murphy is the Department of the Air Force Chief of Voluntary Education  Programs at Headquarters Air Force. In this position, Ms. Murphy develops and executes policy and programs for Voluntary Education and also serves as the  Program Manager for the Air Force Automated Education Management System  (AFAEMS) providing oversight on the development and deliverables of this platform.  

Ms. Murphy has devoted 32 years of total service with the Department of the Air Force first as an enlisted member and later as a contractor and DoD civilian. She began her journey in Force Development and Voluntary Education as a guidance counselor at Barksdale AFB, LA where she later earned a Meritorious Civilian Service Award for facilitating the reorganization and standup of the first  Education & Training Section which was a result of an Air Force-wide A-76 study. She went on to serve as a MAJCOM functional manager for HQ AETC at Randolph AFB, TX, and as a functional inspector on the AETC Inspector General Team. During her time at HQ AETC, Ms. Murphy earned the Dr. Peterson  Education & Training Manager of the Year and Exemplary Civilian Service Award for her contributions towards the AETC-wide centralization of Military Tuition Assistance as well as administrative support for the AFAEMS and Academic Institution Portal (AI Portal) contracts. In 2010, Ms. Murphy was hand-picked for her next assignment to stand up the first ever Force Development Flight at Fort Sam Houston, TX as part of the Full Operational Capability (FOC) of Joint Base San Antonio. In 2016, she went on to become the 802d Force Development Chief after a second reorganization of Joint Base San Antonio and directed the largest Force Development Flight in the Air Force comprised of the Rogers  Airman Leadership School, 3 Education & Training Centers, 2 First Term Airman Centers, 3 Career  Assistance Advisors and 3 general libraries. During her tenure at Joint Base San Antonio, Ms. Murphy led her team to earn the Force Development Flight of the Year at AETC and Air Force levels, the AETC  Enlisted Professional Military Education Team of the Year and many individual awards achieved by her personnel. Finally, she was awarded the Meritorious Civilian Service Award for notable innovations that benefitted multiple organizations as well as her service as the 802d Force Support Squadron  Operations Officer while the position was vacant for several months.  

Ms. Murphy is from Ruston, Louisiana, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a  Master of Arts degree in General Counseling at Louisiana Tech University. She is married to Chris  Trainor and the proud mom of her daughter, Logan Murphy, who is studying Psychology at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Professional Experience: Bart MacMillan serves currently as the Manager of Education (VolEd) Programs for the U.S.  Marine Corps. He is located in Marine Family Headquarters on Marine Corps Base (MCB)  Quantico. He had 20+ years as a fulltime and adjunct university professor, prior to going to work  for Marine Corps Voluntary Education. He began in Marine Corps VolEd as an Education  Services Specialist in Okinawa Japan in 2007. He relocated to Henderson Hall in Arlington VA, in 2009, and assumed the role as MC VolEd Chief in April 2020. His duties focus primarily on  policy and regulations concerning the many Marine Corps personal and professional  development programs and military education and credentialing benefits. 

Education: 1979 -- Masters degree, Yale University 1977 -- Baccalaureate degree, Wichita State University 

Major Awards and Decorations: 2018 – John Brian Service Award, Counsel of College and Military Educators 2014 – Military Educator of the Year, Virginia Advisory Council of Military Education

Dr. Smith is the Director of the Army Credentialing and Continuing Education Services for Soldiers  (ACCESS) Directorate, Army University, Fort Knox, Kentucky. Wes is a native of Chesapeake, Virginia.  He has a Doctor of Education Degree and Education Specialist Degree from The George Washington  University, Master of Science Degree in Education from Old Dominion University, and a Bachelor of  Science Degree in Psychology from Fayetteville State University.  

Dr. Smith served in the Army for 20 years from 1983-2003 where he was introduced to the Army’s learning enterprise as an instructor and middle manager. After his active duty service, he worked in the North  Carolina K-12 public school system from 2003-2010. Wes was a teacher for 2 years and a secondary  school administrator for 6 years. He culminated 8 years in public K-12 education as the Founding School Principal of the JP Knapp Early College High School in Currituck, North Carolina. Wes was recognized by  the North Carolina New Schools Project as an outstanding school leader. From 2009 to 2022, Wes was an adjunct professor of school administration, human resource management, and leadership at the George Washington University, University of Louisville, and Western Kentucky University where he taught future K-12 school leaders and human resource managers. 

Dr. Smith became a federal employee in 2010. He has served in the Department of the Army (DA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD)/Department of Defense  Education Activity (DODEA) HQs. His positions included Chief of Individual Training; Chief of Quality Assurance (QA) Element; Chief of Staff and Faculty Development; TRADOC Faculty and Staff Development  Office Team Lead; TRADOC QA Office Accreditation Evaluator; Training Manager at Coast Guard HQs  (DHS); Professional Development Coordinator at OSD/DODEA HQs; Chief of Cadre, Faculty, and Staff  Development at the US Army Cadet Command Headquarters; Dean, Chief Academic Officer, Army  Recruiting and Retention College, and Associate Director, ACCESS.   Dr. Smith is a graduate of the Air War College Distance Education Program through Air University, the Civilian Education System Advanced Leader Course and Continued Education for Senior Leaders Course,  and many education and training facilitator, developer, and evaluator courses.  

Wes is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Military Learning. He has authored and published articles related to the field of education in professional journals and was recognized by the University Council for Educational Administration as the William J. Davis Award winner for the Most Outstanding Article in 2011— School Leadership Policy Trends and Development: Policy Expediency or Policy Excellence? He recently  co-authored an article in the Journal of Military Learning - The Intersection of Leadership and Emotions:  Lessons and Actions Leading to Change.  

Dr. Smith is married to Ms. Lynnette L. Smith and has two adult-age children, Dr. Morgan B. Smith and Mr.  Markus J. Smith.

As a Senior Advisor to Chief Enforcement Officer, she is responsible for developing and maintaining the policies, standards, and procedures governing the work of the Enforcement Office at Federal Student Aid (FSA). She represents the views of the Department of Education (Education) concerning best practices for supporting military-connected students, compliance with laws and regulations governing student financial assistance programs administered by FSA, and engaging in information sharing as delineated in Executive Order 13607, known as the Principles of Excellence.

Prior to her role at Education, she spent over 23 years in Department of Defense military voluntary education. She grew through the ranks of Army Education as a Guidance Counselor, Education Services Specialist, Deputy Director/Chief of Budget & Finance, and Senior Education Program Analyst prior to becoming the Director for DoD Voluntary Education Programs.

Ms. Bilodeau holds a Master's Degree in Educational Administration and Supervision from Arizona State University and is a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute’s Leadership for a Democratic Society program.

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Johnson served  over twenty years in the U.S. Army before making  her transition into the entertainment industry  and veteran support space. Her career highlights  include five deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq,  commanding at the company and battalion levels,  and serving as the Special Assistant to the  Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.