Patricia (Pat) is a GS-15, Level III Certified Contracting Officer with the Department of Homeland Security in Washington, DC where she is currently assigned as the acquisition workforce manager for Office of Procurement Operations (OPO) Acquisition Professional Career Program (APCP) participants and junior contract specialists. She also managed the recent graduates of DHS’s Acquisition Fellows Program and served as a key resource for the establishment of the new APCP program. She was recently honored for 40 years of service to the Federal government. Prior to her assignment at Homeland Security, she worked as a Contracting Officer for the U. S. Department of Treasury in Washington, DC and for the Army Medical Department in Tacoma, Washington.

Pat dedicates much of her spare time as a volunteer to the federal community and the following is especially noteworthy. She served as Federally Employed Women’s (FEW’s) National President from 2002-2006 where her duties including serving as the Chief Executive Officer, chairman of the board of directors, leader and spokesperson for the organization. Under her leadership, FEW held four successful national training programs in Chicago, Nashville, Reno, and Atlanta - attracting approximately 1800 attendees every year. Two of her proudest initiatives include starting the annual Career/Education Fair and the Chapter President Leadership Forum with the goal of attracting young people to Federal service and developing future leaders. She also had the opportunity to represent FEW and to testify before Congress on two important issues impacting all Federal employees: Diversity in the Senior Executive Service and the Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provisions of Social Security impacting the individuals in the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). 

She served as Co-Chair of FEW’s July 14-18, 2008 National Training Program in Anaheim, California. The program offered 116 workshops on topics that were closely aligned with the fundamental competencies and Executive Core Qualifications identified by the Office of Personnel Management. Eleven agencies held forums in conjunction with FEW’s training program giving the headquarters and field personnel a unique opportunity to discuss issues specific to their agencies. As part of the Career/Education Fair, a workshop titled “How to Get a Federal Job” was offered to fair participants to include academic career counselors, students, etc.

Pat served as President of FEW’s Foundation for Education and Training from 2006-2008. The Foundation was established as the 501(c) 3 charitable arm of FEW with the goal of helping women advance in their Federal careers by offering financial assistance, training opportunities, and information. While the Foundation is still young, it has awarded two four-year academic scholarships and hosted numerous web casts on topics important to Federal employees as well as a “How to Get a Federal Job” series targeted to career advisors, students, military, etc. The Foundation’s work has been recognized and was included in the 2008 National Capital Area Combined Federal Campaign and most recently approved for the 2009 campaign. Pat serves as the lead for the CFC project.

She is a lifetime member of FEW and has served in many chapter, regional, and national positions. She chaired FEW’s 1995 National Training Program in Tacoma, Washington. She was recognized by the US Army Recruiting Command 6^th Recruiting Brigade as their first Civilian of the Year for her work in training new health care recruiters and her volunteer work for the Federal community. Pat received FEW’s highest award – the Barbara Boardman Tenant Award for outstanding service to FEW in 1996 and again in 2006. She also received a Meritorious Service Award from the National Coalition for Equity in Public Service (consisting of FEW, Blacks in Government (BIG), Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC), National IMAGE, Inc. for Hispanic Government Employees, and the Society of American Indian Government Employees (SAIGE) for promoting diversity and equity in the federal workplace in 2006.

Pat puts her volunteer skills to work for DHS and OPO on a daily basis by arranging in-house training programs for the acquisition professionals and APCP participants, organizing special events such as the DHS Acquisition Fellows Graduation Program, site visits, orientations, briefings, etc. She serves as an official mentor for one of the APCP participants and as an unofficial mentor and advisor to 15 others in the APCP program. She also led OPO’s most successful Combined Federal Campaign in 2007 with number of participants as well as dollars donated to charities. Pat received the Department of Homeland Security Secretary’s Award for Volunteer Service in November 2008.

Pat holds a Bachelor’s Degree from City University, Bellevue, Washington and is the proud Mom of Kristina Wolfe, a trial attorney with the Department of Justice.

Melinda M. Hendrix, Foundation Trustee

Melinda Hendrix is currently head of the Ammunition Engineering Division at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division. She holds a BS in mechanical engineering from Purdue University and a master’s degree in business administration. Over the past 20 years she has worked on Navy and Special Missions Ammunition, Marine Corps Mine Clearing Systems and Missiles, Marine Corps Command and Control projects, Infrared Countermeasures, and Ammunition Logistics. She is a level III certified Acquisition Professional. She also served two terms as president of the Hoosier Hills chapter of Federally Employed Women (FEW), several years on the executive board (serving as program chairman, nominating committee chairman for 3 years, and Vice-president), and led the Chapter’s Leadership series. She served two terms as a member of the FEW Great Lakes Regional board. In 2005 she was the winner of a FEW National President’s Award for her work with the local chapter. Ms. Hendrix was elected to the National Council of the American Society of Naval Engineers in July 2006. In her personal life, she is married with 2 children and resides in Bloomfield, Indiana.

  
Jean Christiansen, Foundation Trustee

Jean Christiansen served as National President of Federally Employed Women from 1990 to 1992. Prior to that Jean served as Executive Vice President, Vice President for Long Range Planning and National Secretary.

Jean began her career with the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service in 1976 as a Secretary in Dallas, Texas. Jean moved to Washington DC in 1990 and held a number of positions in that location. She was promoted to the position of Officer in Charge in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in 1994, and later served in the same position in Vienna, Austria. In 1998, Jean became the District Director in Bangkok, Thailand, and served in that position until she retired in 2005.

Jean has four grown children and six grandchildren. 

Jeanette S. Miller,
Past Vice President, FEW Foundation for Education and Training

One of the founding members of the FEW Foundation for Education and Training, Jeanette served on the board of directors during the formation period of the Foundation.  She is the Immediate Past Vice President of the Foundation, having served in that position from 2006 to 2009. She currently serves on the Foundation’s Advisory Council and the 2009 Scholarship Committee. She served as FEW’s National President from 1998 to 2000, is a lifetime member of FEW, and has served in numerous chapter, regional, and national positions including Co-Chair of the FEW 2008 National Training Program held in Anaheim, California in July 2008.  She served as member of the board of directors for the FEW Legal and Education Fund from 2005-2007.  Jeanette is the recipient of FEW’s most prestigious individual member award, the Barbara Boardman Tennant Award. She currently serves as Audit Liaison Program Manager with the Department of Energy in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, responsible for ensuring that sensitive audit issues receive appropriate senior management attention and are resolved in a timely manner. Jeanette attended the University of Tennessee and Roane State College while raising a family of two children, and gives FEW credit for inspiring her to return to college to better her career.

 

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Johanna Altland, Foundation Trustee

Johanna Altland, a newly appointed Foundation Trustee, works as the Director of Communications at Grantham University, a 100% online university located in Kansas City, Missouri.    In her current role, Johanna manages external University communications, and she writes education related articles for several magazines and newspapers, including: GX magazine and The Griffon. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Advertising & Public Relations from The Pennsylvania State University. Prior to joining Grantham University, Johanna worked as a Program Coordinator for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and as a Sales Representative for Lamar Advertising.

Johanna’s relationship with the Federally Employed Women and its Foundation first began in 2006 when the Foundation partnered with Grantham to offer FEW members a tuition discount. In addition, each year the University provides the Foundation with a four-year scholarship to award to a FEW member.   

Johanna resides with her husband, two dogs (a.k.a “the kids”), and one cat in Northern Virginia.   

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Valerie J. Stringer, D.C. Metro Region - Advisory Council

 

Valerie is a native of Louisville, Kentucky. She began her federal career as a Cartographer at the Defense Mapping Agency’s Louisville Field Office in 1985. She became an EEO Counselor in 1987 and joined FEW’s Derby City Chapter to enhance training opportunities and involvement in diversity programs. She was named EEO Officer in 1992 and transferred to the metro DC area with DMA in 1994.

Valerie is a Lifetime Member of FEW and joined Potomac Palisades Chapter in 1996. She has been a member of the DC Metro Regional Board since 1998 and often worked with the National Membership Committee.

Valerie currently resides in Silver Spring, Maryland, and is a Staff Officer in the Office of Targeting and Transnational Issues at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in Bethesda. She holds a B.S. in Mathematics from Kentucky State University in Frankfort and is dedicated to continuous improvement and lifelong learning.

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Beatrice Squire, FEW Foundation Advisory Council

Beatrice Squire, FEW Foundation Advisory Council member has extensive skills and knowledge adjudicating claims, writing regulations, and serving as ombudsman for the Social Security Administration, Office of Disability and Adjudication Review. She received her Bachelor degree with honors from Virginia Union University and Master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University.

Beatrice brings a wide range of experience to the Foundation, such as an extensive background in presenting workshops to varied groups and ages, and excellent communication skills.  She has received numerous awards; first place honors at the highest levels in speaking competitions held by Toastmasters International and the non-fiction writing category, International Training in Communication.

She is a Life member of FEW and served as national vice parliamentarian for five years. She was president of the Northern Virginia chapter of FEW. She held distinguished positions in Toastmasters International, International Training in Communication, Business and Professional Women, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and National Association of Parliamentarians. She enjoys reading, attending the theatre and visiting art galleries and exhibits; traveling and unusual vacations.