While national efforts and support are crucial, the quality of life for our military families is ultimately shaped within defense communities. Too often, discussions and decisions about important issues like housing, education, and childcare exclude the very groups most impacted – our military spouses and families. We believe spouses should have a seat at the table, with opportunities to become leaders and active participants in local decision-making that directly impacts their lives.

ADC’s Military Spouse Leadership Initiative fosters a new approach to defense community leadership by integrating military spouses at every stage of their military journey. This initiative is redefining the role of military spouse-leaders by creating opportunities for them to engage with communities at both local and national levels. Our vision is a future where spouse-leaders are fully integrated into the leadership of our defense communities and are equipped to become advocates and change agents in every defense community they will call home.

This initiative is made possible through ADC’s partnership with Liberty Military Housing.

Defining Homefront Readiness:

The Role of Military Families in National Security

This paper addresses how stability of the homefront is a critical and under-recognized component of national defense, and military families and spouses are at the heart of homefront readiness. Its authors suggest that the gaps in military family support require a whole-of-nation approach, engaging DoD, state and local governments, chambers of commerce, and military families.

Questions? Want to schedule a meeting with the authors?

Program Timeline

June 2, 2025

Nomination period opens

June 30, 2025

Nomination period closes

July 18, 2025

2025-2026 cohort of spouses announced

August 1, 2025

Cohort orientation and training begins

Oct 27 – 29, 2025

Spouses attend Installation Innovation Forum 2025, Monterey, CA

Nov – Dec 2025

The Installation Innovation After Action Report is created and shared.

Dec 2025 – April 2026

Cohort training and Capstone project work

May 10 – 13, 2026

Spouses attend Defense Communities National Summit & ADC 50th Anniversary Celebration

May 30, 2026

2025-2026 cohort final meeting & the Defense Communities National Summit After Action Report is shared.

After Action Reports

Installation Innovation Forum

2023

Defense Communities National Summit

2024

Installation Innovation Forum

2024

Defense Communities National Summit

2025

Initiative Graduates

2024 – 2025

Amanda Berube

United States Coast Guard Sector, NY

Bio

Amanda has been a military spouse in the Navy and Coast Guard for 12 years, during which time she has worked with the CDC and built connections in her community. She serves as the chairperson for the Parent Involvement Board for the CDC on base and has fostered friendships among military families through her program, ‘Lattes and Littles.’ Amanda also manages social media for the NWSE Military/Spouse Facebook page.

Taylor Davis

Ellsworth Air Force Base

Bio

Taylor is the Senior Director of Workforce Development & Partnerships at Elevate Rapid City, where she focuses on military affairs and career advancement for military spouses, veterans, and transitioning service members. She also leads the Ellsworth AFB & Camp Rapid Military Spouse Professional Network and serves as Vice President of the Team Ellsworth Spouses’ Club, continuing her work from her previous base to support military families in career, education, and volunteer pursuits. Drawing on her 12 years as a military spouse, Taylor finds her work advocating for military families to be among the most fulfilling and impactful of her career.

Kaycee Denny

Sheppard Air Force Base, TX

Bio

Kaycee has been a military spouse for four years and served for three years as a board member of the Sheppard Spouses Club. She is a Key Support Liaison for her squadron and works to become the Key Support Liaison Mentor. Professionally, she leads the Military team at the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce, where she connects the surrounding community with the installation and facilitates communication between the two. She has also created the local Thrive Guide, which highlights resources for military families related to childcare, education, employment, healthcare, and housing, both on and off base.

Fadoua Harrabi

Fort Gregg Adams, VA

Bio

Fadoua has been a military spouse for only two years, but she is already committed to making an impact in her community. She volunteers with Marine Corps Community Services to help military families find jobs and is part of the Hiring Our Heroes’ Foreign-Born Spouse Network. Fadoua also serves as the Marine Corps Spouse Ambassador for the Military Spouse Advocacy Network. She finds it rewarding to engage with her community and connect with like-minded people who understand the challenges and rewards of the military spouse lifestyle.

Jennifer Kain

Moving from RAF Mildenhall, UK to Hurlburt Field, FL

Bio

Volunteering as the Lead Spouse for the Air Force Special Operations Command Women’s Initiative Team (AFSOC WIT), Jenni works to decrease women-centric barriers to readiness and service with a focus on Homefront Readiness. Jenni brings a distinctive perspective to the challenges encountered by Air Force families, drawing from her background as an enlisted spouse in the Air National Guard, an Active-Duty officer’s spouse, and her tenure as a USAF Key Support Liaison across six commanders and two Major Commands (MAJCOMS). Jenni is currently in the process of moving from RAF Mildenhall, UK, to Hurlburt Field, FL, and says that working with the barrier analysis group has been both the most challenging and the most rewarding work of her 15 years as a military spouse.

Tiffany Kelley

Robins Air Force Base, GA

Bio

Tiffany is involved in many community groups while living at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. Married for over 16 years of her spouse’s 24 years of service, Tiffany serves as the president of the Robins Spouses’ Club, the team captain of Operation Homefront, and holds several other roles in her local community. She thrives on opportunities to connect communities and create support systems for military families, just as she was supported when she first joined the military community.

Jerad Knight

Buckley Space Force Base, CO

Bio

A former service member himself, Jerad has been a military spouse for 17 years. He actively engages with both LGBTQ+ and male military spouse groups, working to forge connections and address issues affecting these communities. Within his broader community, Jerad strives to uplift voices and build relationships. He serves as an advocate for underrepresented perspectives, determined to reflect their interests and values to the military community.

Kaitlyn Miller

Andersen Air Force Base, Guam

Bio

Living at Andersen Air Force Base, Kaitlyn works as an ambassador for the Military Mom Collective and is the longest-serving Commander’s Key Support Liaison for the 4th Reconnaissance Squadron. In her community, she volunteers at the Rock ‘n Rail Horse Ranch, helping kids create memories and learn to ride horses. Kaitlyn also volunteers at schools on base, assisting with community events for military kids and families. She is proud to build friendships wherever the military community takes her.

Katelyn Nixon

Fort Liberty, NC

Bio

Katelyn has been a military spouse for 12 years. She works as a Career Connection Coordinator for North Carolina for Military Employment, fostering business opportunities for the military community. She is also a member of the Military Spouse Resilience Campaign, an important focus of North Carolina’s Military Affairs Commission. Katelyn is proud to be part of such a resilient and capable community and is grateful for the connections the military life has brought her.

Megan Paone

MacDill Air Force Base

Bio

Megan has been a military spouse for 10 years and has been stationed at various locations across the country, as well as once in Japan. She volunteers with the Secure Families Initiative, which works to amplify the voices of military families to ensure their concerns are represented in policy decisions. Through this work, Megan has helped register people to vote so their opinions are counted. She values the incredible people she has met as a military spouse and has enjoyed experiencing different cultures with her family.

Bridget Plummer

Fort Leonard Wood, MO

Bio

Having been a military spouse for 22 years, Bridget has spent years working with military schools and now serves as the School Liaison Officer for Fort Leonard Wood. In this role, she works with 10 school districts and two private schools to ensure military families receive the resources they need to succeed. Throughout her time as a military spouse, Bridget has had the opportunity to work with many unique teams and has gained valuable perspective on how to creatively solve problems.

Amanda Scott

United States Air Force Academy, CO

Bio

A dedicated military spouse advocate, Amanda volunteers with Hiring Our Heroes to support career-minded military spouses in maintaining their careers. She is also involved with the Colorado Springs Military Spouse Community Coalition and her company’s Military Employee Resource Group, helping to build a network of military families in both organizations. Amanda deeply admires the tenacity, compassion, and altruism within the military community, and she strives to ensure that the larger civilian population knows how to support this remarkable group.

Varsha Robinson

Fort Knox, KY

Bio

A military spouse for 17 years, Varsha is dedicated to helping her community and building strong bonds. She volunteers at the Committee House, supporting women overcoming addiction focusing on long term sobriety, and mentors young teen girls through her Sorority’s Rhoer program. As a member of the Fort Knox school board, the Fort Knox Spouses and Community Club, and various other community organizations, Varsha works to create strong ties within her community and foster spaces where others can do the same.

Francesca Suarez

Hill Air Force Base, UT

Bio

Francesca has been a military spouse for 22 years, spending time across the country and even in the UK. While pursuing her doctorate in clinical psychology, she serves as the team lead for her school district’s military support team and is a member of the Project One Initiative at Hill Air Force Base, where she works to foster community connectivity and belonging. She has dedicated herself to connecting military leaders with the communities they serve.

Miranda Wright

Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD

Bio

Miranda lives on base at Aberdeen Proving Ground and has been a military spouse for 19 years. She has lived on five different bases across the U.S. and two in Germany, always bringing a willingness to contribute to each community she joins. Miranda currently serves as the property chair for the local Community Spouses Club, working to increase access to services for military members. She volunteers as a research and data assistant with Independent Wellness and at her local church, where she teaches children and trains additional leaders.

2023 – 2024

Janet Driggers

Joint Base San Antonio

Bio

A military spouse for nearly 30 years, Janet is deeply involved in her defense community. With time spent at 12 installations, Janet is very familiar with the joys and difficulties in adjusting to a new location. In her current community, Janet is heavily involved in her local Five & Thrive Team. As part of this team, she gives briefings to multiple base entities to include newcomer’s orientations and advocates for spouses by collaborating with a wide range of organizations – both on and off base.

Lauren Kimball

Ellsworth Air Force Base, SD

Bio

As military veteran and proud Air Force spouse, Lauren is active on base and in the community — most notably working with South Dakota civic leaders to unanimously pass state legislation supporting spouse reciprocity in 2019. Having recently moved back to Ellsworth AFB, she now serves as lead spouse, key spouse mentor for the 28th Operations Group and an advisor to The Ellsworth Spouses Club. She also works full time remotely as the Assistant Vice President for Community Investment and Analytics for United Way of the Midlands.

Maggie Maldonado

Schofield Barracks Hawaii

Bio

Currently stationed in Schofield Barracks Hawaii, Maggie has been a military spouse for 13 years and has called five installations home. Maggie is a mom to three school age children . As a member of the Hui Spouses Club, Maggie is focused on quality of life for the Schofield and local community and the promotion of community spirit through the coordination of revenue-producing projects and events to finance community needs. Maggie also works as an intervention specialist at the local middle school on Wheeler Army Airfield. In this role, Maggie is able to use her background in School counseling and lived experience as a military spouse and mom to better advocate for her students and their families.

Laura Myer

Fort Drum, NY

Bio

Laura has been a military spouse for over 20 years. Currently stationed on the east coast, the Myer family has been served at a multitude of locations, both stateside and abroad. While moves are not without their difficulty, Laura describes them as rewarding, noting that these diverse experiences are deeply enriching for her children. In her current defense community, Laura is involved in programs that help welcome spouses to the installation and to military life.

Maria Quinn

Pentagon

Bio

Maria has served as a military spouse and active-duty officer for 15 years. She is active on the Department of the Air Force Women’s Initiative Team, in Space Spouses of the NCR, and in her local community – as a Sunday school teacher, baseball mom, and neighborhood party planner. Maria is currently assigned to Space Force Headquarters, where she provides strategic-level science and technology program management.

Courtney Flohr

Fort Cavazos

Bio

Courtney has been a military spouse for 14 years and is very dedicated to serving her community. She is involved with multiple organizations at Fort Cavazos, proudly serving as President of the Fort Cavazos Spouses’ Club, and is a regular volunteer at Fort Cavazos’ Operation Deploy Your Dress, Santa’s Workshop, the OTC SFRG, and am a member of the Meadows Elementary School PTA. She is also a peer group leader for REACH—a research study conducted by the University of Texas at Austin; the goal of this study is to gauge the effectiveness of how a curriculum-based, weekly, support group for military spouses can improve spouses’ quality of life, mental health, social support, self-care practices, and knowledge of health conditions impacting service members.

Vanessa Errico

Austin, TX

Bio

As a military spouse of 21 years, Vanessa has been stationed at four different bases. Throughout this time she has been involved in a number of organizations including University of Texas Veterans Spouse Network, Dress for Success, Hiring Our Heroes/Amplify, USAA-MilSpouse Fest, Second Service Foundation, and most recently working for Austin Community College to help veterans and military families in Central Texas.

Renee Woodworth

Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

Bio

Renee has been a military spouse for 22 years, is the mother of three children ages 12, 17 and 18 and works as a registered nurse in a local community health clinic. She volunteers in a variety of organizations on base and regularly partners with MCCS on the development and utilization of programming for our military families. Additionally, Renee serves in her local community by coaching girls high school lacrosse and has spent several years volunteering with the Medical Reserve Corps.

Andra Reventlow

Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany

Bio

As a military spouse for over 30 years, Andra has called 10 installations home. Andra is involved in a variety of organizations within her community, including the local Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee, Military Spouses Club and more. She volunteers on base and hosts quarterly roundtable meetings with spouses to discuss issues families face on base and within their community.

Torry Beaven

Marine Corps Base Hawaii

Bio

Torry has been a military spouse for 25 years. During this time, she and her family have been stationed at over 10 installations. Throughout this time, she has participated in a variety of community organizations – both on and off base. For Torry, the most rewarding part of being a military spouse has been the places her family has seen, adventures they have had, and the people they have met. However, the frequent relocation isn’t without difficulty. Torry said the most challenging part of being a military spouse has been distance from family. For the past 21 years, Torry has been a homeschool educator.