AFCEAN of the Month, July 2025
Emily Gwozdz has been a driving force in the San Diego Chapter’s continued growth and engagement through her strategic leadership roles across both the emerging leaders (EL) and membership domains. Since first joining the chapter’s executive committee in 2019, Gwozdz has held several pivotal positions, including emerging leader southwestern region representative, chapter vice president for emerging leaders and, currently, vice president for membership. Her contributions have elevated the chapter’s visibility, engagement and sustained growth—particularly among young professionals and new members.
Gwozdz has played an instrumental role in organizing and executing over half a dozen high-impact events, including the annual AFCEA/U.S. Naval Institute WEST Conference kickoff socials, EL business development and agile panels, and innovative fitness-to-networking events like the Orange Theory social. Her efforts consistently bridged the gap between early-career professionals and the broader AFCEA mission, encouraging greater involvement from the U.S. Department of Defense EL community and significantly boosting event attendance and new memberships.
In her current role as vice president of membership, Gwozdz launched a strategic outreach campaign that retained more than 900 active members. Her initiatives included monthly expiration alerts to chapter leadership, personalized LinkedIn outreach, QR-coded business cards, discount campaigns and a targeted push that grew the chapter’s LinkedIn presence from 80 to more than 2,200 followers. She also led planning and execution for the chapter’s 2024 membership appreciation event, managing end-to-end logistics from permitting to promotion.
Gwozdz’s mentoring impact is equally strong. She built and led a team of four regional EL representatives, trained two successive chapter EL vice presidents and helped define annual chapter goals aligned with AFCEA’s mission. Her mentorship continues to shape the San Diego EL program’s strategic trajectory.
Professionally, Gwozdz brings nearly a decade of government and defense experience. Currently a program management specialist at 32 North Solutions Inc., she supports Naval Information Warfare Systems Command’s automated digital network system (ADNS) engineering team with agile project coordination, process automation and lab infrastructure enhancements. Her previous roles with CTC and Insight Global showcased her ability to drive high-value placements, capture opportunities and build enduring relationships across the defense industrial base.
In recognition of her innovation, mentorship and relentless dedication to the San Diego Chapter and AFCEA’s mission, AFCEA proudly names Emily Gwozdz as the AFCEAN of the Month.
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