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About Today’s Guest
Ashley Carothers is a highly accomplished professional with a diverse background in nonprofit management, outreach and engagement, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and logistics management. With a passion for making a positive impact in communities, Ashley has dedicated her career to driving organizational growth, fostering inclusive environments, and ensuring efficient operations. Ashley currently serves as the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Center for Minority Veterans, Management and Program Analyst as the LGBTQ+ Liaison. In this position she uses the Human Centered Design approach to rebuild trust between minority and underserved Veterans and VA.
As a former Chief Operating Officer (COO) of a nonprofit organization, Ashley played a pivotal role in overseeing day-to-day operations, strategic planning, and program development. Ashley successfully implemented streamlined processes, resulting in increased efficiency and improved sustainability. Ashely's strong leadership skills and ability to build collaborative teams allowed her to effectively manage staff, volunteers, and stakeholders, ensuring the organization's mission was achieved.
In addition to Ashley’s nonprofit management experience, Ashley has a proven track record in outreach and engagement. She has spearheaded numerous community initiatives, working closely with diverse populations to address their unique needs and challenges both within the civilian population and Veteran population. Ashley's ability to build strong relationships and establish partnerships has been instrumental in expanding the reach and impact of various programs and services.
Recognizing the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Ashley has also dedicated her expertise to advancing these principles within organizations. She has developed and implemented comprehensive DEI strategies, fostered inclusive environments, and promoted equitable practices across the Department of State. Ashley has conducted training sessions, facilitated workshops, and provided guidance to help organizations create environments where all individuals feel valued and empowered.
Ashley served in the United States Air Force where her wealth of experience in logistics management began. She has successfully coordinated complex operations, ensuring the smooth flow of resources, materials, and personnel. Her meticulous attention to detail and ability to adapt to changing circumstances have resulted in cost savings and improved efficiency in logistics processes.
Ashley holds a degree in psychology, certificates in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the workplace and Inclusive and Ethical Leadership as she continues to stay updated on the latest trends and best practices in her respective fields. Ashley is known for her strong analytical skills, strategic thinking, and ability to drive results. With a genuine passion for social impact and a commitment to excellence, Ashley continues to make a significant difference in the lives of Veterans and those around her.
MaCherie Dunbar, an Air Force retiree, has been a dedicated advocate for veterans and their families for the past 10 years. She began her career of lobbying and advocacy by serving as president of her Student Veterans of America chapter while earning a B.A. in Communication with a Minor in Military Security Studies. She has since led both a political campaign and two political action committees, worked for the US House of Representatives in PA-06, focusing on constituent services and stakeholder outreach, served on nonprofit boards and a service academy nomination committee, been a veteran service officer, and has lobbied at state, local, and federal government levels while working with national nonprofits and as part of independent consulting efforts.
MaCherie currently resides in Washington D.C. where she continues her independent work advocating and lobbying for all who served, while also sitting on the Mayor’s Advisory Committee for LGBTQ Affairs. She has been a champion for the Veteran Multi-Service Center and its mission since her time spent working with PA-06 from 2019-2021, and looks forward to continue serving all veterans within VMC’s reach and beyond.
PsychArmor Resource of the Week
This week’s PsychArmor resource of the week is the first episode in this series, episode 166 with Erika Hoover and Andrea Norton. In this episode, we discuss their individual experiences as LGBTQIA+ Service Members and Veterans and introduce this public health awareness campaign podcast series. You can see find the episode here: https://psycharmor.org/podcast/erika-hoover-and-andrea-norton.
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Theme Music
Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is brought to you by partners that believe that education changes lives. The partner this week is the Michigan Governor’s Challenge, working to prevent suicide among Service Members, Veterans and their Families.
Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com