Inaugural Georgia Women Veterans Conference: Connected by Military Service
When: Friday, April 4, 2014
Where: Georgia Tech Research Institute Conference Center 250 14th St NW, Atlanta, GA 30318, Atlanta GA
Live registration now closed, but join us on live Ustream page this Friday Apr 4 to tune in from your computer: Ustream
A one day conference on Friday, April 4, 2014 will serve as the inaugural event for Georgia Women Veterans to gather in Atlanta, with goals of electronic live streaming throughout the state and the launch of a statewide inter-generational electronic network of support, information, and resources for our more than 106,000 Women Veterans and those currently serving on active duty. The conference and network will focus on themes and issues introduced by women veteran panelists who are experts in areas of physical and mental health, education, business and finance, faith and spirituality, and relationships. This conference and network will also reach out to women veterans in need of specific resources for employment, relationships, parenting, aging, housing, and the legal and criminal justice systems.
Key Note Speakers:
BriGette McCoy, ThM, Conference Chair and Keynote Speaker, ThM, Founder, CEO of Women Veteran Social Justice, Inc., is a Gulf War era U.S. Army veteran, and became an E4, communications specialist with top-secret clearance. Today she serves as one of the nation’s leading advocates and educators on issues facing women servicemembers and veterans. In 2008, Ms. McCoy founded Women Veterans Social Justice, Inc., a community based nonprofit working to bring together all national and local level veteran resources available to women veterans in a single, easy to navigate electronic resource, and to encourage women veterans as community and business leaders. The organization started as a peer support group utilizing social media and education to inform, support and advocate on behalf of women veterans focusing on the issues of Military Sexual Trauma (MST), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), homelessness, and VA and community based services and benefits available to women veterans and their families. Ms. McCoy holds degrees and professional certifications, including a Bachelors in Psychology and Th.M. in Pastoral Care counseling. She is completing her Master’s in Education Technology. Beyond running the day-to-day activities of Women Veteran Social Justice, Ms. McCoy is active in several Veteran Service Organizations and serves on Advisory Boards including the Minerva Center Women in War History-Technologies. She has been a personal advisor and consultant to several Emmy and Grammy Award winning producers and directors in the production of documentaries and has special interest in the arts. Ms. McCoy wants veterans to know that she is a 100% service connected disabled Veteran and an MST survivor.
Phyllis Winchester Newhouse, Luncheon Keynote Speaker and Afternoon Workshop #2 Co-Leader, is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina. She is one of thirteen siblings. Ms. Phyllis Newhouse retired from the United States Army in November 1999, having served her country for three decades. She is the Owner of Xtreme Solutions (Founded 2002), IT services provider. She is a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and the Women President Organization (WPO). She has received numerous military awards and recognitions. Recently she received E&Y 2013 Entrepreneurial Winning Women.
Kathy Platoni, Psy.D., DAAPM, FAIS, Keynote Speaker and Morning Panelist, has been a practicing clinical psychologist for more than 32 years. She has deployed four times to war, including Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom (JTF-Guantanamo Bay), Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan. As a survivor of the tragic Ft. Hood Massacre in November 2009, she is an ardent activist for reconsideration of this shooting incident as an act of terrorism. Dr. Platoni is a graduate of the School of Professional Psychology of Nova University, Florida. She served as Army Reserve Clinical Psychology Consultant to the Chief, Medical Service Corp for six years and is a graduate of the US Army Command and General Staff College. She retired from the US Army with the rank of Colonel in October 2013. Dr. Platoni wrote and edited with Dr. Raymond Scurfield Expanding the Circle of Healing~Trauma in Its Wake, and Healing War Trauma~A Handbook of Creative Approaches, 2012. She was awarded Diplomate status by the American Academy of Pain Management and was recently appointed Fellow of the American Institute of Stress and distinguished membership in the Institute of Traumatic Stress 2013 Board of Scientific and Professional Advisors and of Veterans 360. She also holds the position of Editor of the Combat Stress Newsletter. Since the “9/11” tragedy and attacks on the United States, Dr. Platoni has voluntarily deployed twice to New York City to provide disaster mental health and critical incident stress debriefing services to the New York City Police Department. She currently serves as the first clinical psychologist to be appointed to Dayton SWAT and as the Mental Health Advisor to the Dayton Hostage Negotiation Team.
Michele M. Spencer, M.S., Keynote Speaker and Afternoon Workshop #1 Co-Leader, is an Active Reserve Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Medical Service Corps and a Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. She is a Registered Yoga Teacher, Acupressurist, Certified Personal Trainer, Reiki Master and Global Sacred Activist.She is the author of “B.A.G.D.H.A.D. Yoga” (2012).
Mission
Our mission will be to connect with Georgia Women Veterans: individually, in small community groups, and electronically, in recognition and celebration of their military service, in reconnection as veterans who pledge to leave no female comrade behind, and to continue to serve others. We will Empower, Connect, and Serve.
Attendance
We intend for this inaugural event is to include women from every region in Georgia, all branches of service, all age groups (World War II through OEF/OIF), and current active duty/Guard/Reserves. Those who register will be invited to take on roles in communication and leadership in expanding partnerships and networks with women veterans and women civilians, as well as government and business, across Georgia in 2014. Registration is limited for both the conference and the Friday evening reception. Regional ambassadors will host live streaming of parts of the conference; to connect in your region, contact Ms. McCoy above.
BriGette McCoy, USA (SCDV), Founder and CEO of Women Veterans Social Justice, a GA non-profit based in Atlanta, is the Conference Chair. Georgia Tech Research Institute Conference Center has partnered with the Conference to donate space. The Organizational and Advisory Committees include Georgia Women Veterans and civilians, as well as those from other states, committed to building a Georgia Women Veterans Network that will provide community and technology platforms to share information, resources, and partnerships. For sponsor/exhibitor/press information, or registration, contact Ms. McCoy HERE.
