Released 11/2/18 | Tags:
NVLSP Announces Veteran and Author Kayla Williams As Master of Ceremonies for its Tenth Annual Benefit Reception, “Honoring Women Veterans -- Leading From The Front,” Nov. 8
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-October 29, 2018
Washington -- National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) today announced Kayla M. Williams as master of ceremonies of its Tenth Annual Benefit Reception, “Honoring Women Veterans - Leading from The Front,” on November 8 at The Mayflower Hotel. Williams, a former U.S. Army Sergeant, is a nationally recognized military and women veterans advocate, as well as accomplished author.
“Williams has dedicated her life to advancing women veterans’ concerns. We are honored to have Williams bring her unique perspective to the evening and help us showcase the amazing contributions of women veterans. It will be an outstanding celebration of their service,” said Bart Stichman, executive director of NVLSP.
Williams enlisted for five years as an Arabic linguist, serving in a Military Intelligence company of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). She chronicled her military experience in two insightful books. Love My Rifle More Than You: Young and Female in the U.S. Army a memoir about her deployment to Iraq and Plenty of Time When We Get Home: Love and Recovery in the Aftermath of War about her family's journey from war trauma to healing
Williams has made championing veterans issues, especially women veterans, her life’s work. Today, Williams is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Military, Veterans, and Society Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). She leads a research program focused on addressing issues facing America’s service members, veterans, and military families, including the future of the All-Volunteer Force, trends within the veteran community, and civil-military relations.
Prior to CNAS, Williams served as Director of the Center for Women Veterans at the Department of Veterans Affairs, where she was the primary advisor to the Secretary on department policies, programs, and legislation affecting women veterans. She oversaw all Center activities, which include monitoring VA’s administration of health care and benefits services for women veterans. She conceptualized and implemented multiple innovative campaigns to raise awareness of women as veterans, and dramatically increased the Center’s outreach to women veterans on modern platforms.
Williams previously spent eight years at the RAND Corporation conducting qualitative and quantitative research on military and veteran policies and programs, including the effectiveness of efforts to support wounded warriors and transitioning servicemembers; sexual harassment and assault in the military; psychological and cognitive injuries, their consequences, and services to assist recovery; and education benefits.
Williams graduated cum laude with a BA in english literature from Bowling Green State University and earned an MA in International Affairs with a focus on the Middle East from American University. She has championed women veterans in numerous positions including as a former member of the VA Advisory Committee on Women Veterans and the Army Education Advisory Committee, a 2013 White House Woman Veteran Champion of Change, and a 2015 Lincoln Award recipient.
For further details on the event, go to NVLSP’s Tenth Annual Benefit Reception.
About NVLSP
The National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) is an independent, nonprofit veterans service organization that has served active duty military personnel and veterans since 1980. NVLSP strives to ensure that our nation honors its commitment to its 22 million veterans and active duty personnel by ensuring they have the benefits they have earned through their service to our country. NVLSP has represented veterans in lawsuits that compelled enforcement of the law where the VA or other military services denied benefits to veterans in violation of the law. NVLSP’s success in these lawsuits has resulted in more than $5.2 billion dollars being awarded in disability, death and medical benefits to hundreds of thousands of veterans and their survivors. NVLSP offers training for attorneys and other advocates; connects veterans and active duty personnel with pro bono legal help when seeking disability benefits; publishes the nation's definitive guide on veteran benefits; and represents and litigates for veterans and their families before the VA, military discharge review agencies and federal courts. For more information go to www.nvlsp.org.
MEDIA CONTACT: Patty Briotta, (202) 621-5698, patty@nvlsp.org