Coaching the Next Generation of Female Leaders

The chapter's Women in Intelligence Group (WIIG) held its annual WIIG in a Minute (WIAM) in March at OPS Consulting in Hanover, Maryland. WIAM provides the opportunity for candid professional discussions in a small group setting. A diverse group of women in the intelligence community from industry and government attended the event. Nearly 50 women came together for a mentoring session with a seasoned group that included Angie Lienert, president and CEO of IntelliGenesis LLC, mentoring on business development, leadership and operations; Alison Eyre, vice president, executive and technical recruiter for Strategic Resource Group (SRG), mentoring on recruiting; Debbie Mobley, human resources manager for Praxis Engineering, mentoring on human resources; Doreen Harwood, senior vice president at Leidos, mentoring on leadership, acquisition and program management; and Rachel Schei, chief engineer at Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, mentoring on engineering. Jami Kirkwood, WIAM co-lead, commented on the event, now in its fifth year: "[It] seems to get better each year with lessons learned, and we find that it's a rewarding experience for both mentors and mentees." Mentor Mobley added: "The cool thing about the WIIG program is that a vast array of business functions were brought together in one room to give the participants condensed access to subject matter experts in just a couple of hours. In the real world, it would take many months and a veritable scheduling magician to piece that kind of knowledge together." WIIG taps a group of strong women from the chapter to serve as mentors. Several participants expressed their thoughts on what they gained from the event. Attendee Krista Matheson said: "WIIG in a Minute provided a means to network with other colleagues. I ran into a few of the attendees at a recent happy hour, and I have set up lunches and capability briefs. WIIG in a Minute served many different purposes. I am so happy that I was able to attend this very beneficial, well-organized event." Attendee Aeleen Howard echoed those thoughts. "At my first [Young AFCEAN] social, I was strongly encouraged to seek out the WIIG group and was excited to learn that there would be a WIIG in a Minute event coming up within the next few weeks. I found the event to be well thought out, with great topics relevant to my interests. There were women in all stages of their career, ready to share their experiences and expertise in a positive, collaborative environment." WIIG also hosts socials, speaker events and a book club.

Event Photographs: