Danielle Alford is a military spouse, community advocate, and emerging leader with more than a decade of experience supporting military families across overseas and state-side communities. Having experienced multiple overseas assignments and the unique challenges that come with frequent transitions, Danielle has developed a deep understanding of the gaps military families can face when navigating new communities, resources, schools, healthcare systems, and cultures.

A 2024 Armed Forces Insurance Air Force Spouse of the Year, Danielle currently serves as an OCONUS Advocate with the Military Spouse Advocacy Network (MSAN), where she works to elevate the voices and experiences of military families living overseas. Through roles, including key support liaison, PTA volunteer and grant writer, Student Advisory Council vice president, Patient and Family Partnership Council member, and American Red Cross volunteer, she has built a reputation for connecting people with resources, strengthening community relationships, and ensuring military families feel seen, supported, and empowered to advocate for themselves.

Ella Armstrong is a 27-year-old stay-at-home mom, military spouse of four years, and proud Army brat. Her husband is currently stationed at Fort Hood, and military life has been a part of my world for as long as she can remember.

Armstrong the owner of Uncle Sam’s Soda, a military-inspired dirty soda business and the first Garrison approved dirty soda shop at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Through her business, she’s had the opportunity to help pave the way for fellow military spouses interested in starting their own ventures.

Allison Garner is a proud military spouse and an advocate for military families. She currently serves as the director of military relations and strategic partnerships for the Armed Services YMCA San Diego, where she strengthens relationships among military leadership, community partners, and supporters to enhance programs that improve the quality of life for service members and their families.

Allison is deeply committed to advocacy shaped by the realities of military life, especially the resilience required of spouses and children through frequent moves, transition, and uncertainty. In her work, she brings that perspective into partnership building and outreach, ensuring military families remain connected to the resources and support they need.

She is the wife of Travis Garner (Active Duty, E-6) and the proud mother of one child, Dylan. Allison lives in San Diego, California. She also serves as ombudsman for TACCOM, where she leads family-centered support, strengthens communication, and helps connect service members and families with meaningful resources.

Allison was recognized for her leadership and community impact through a Women of Distinction (2026) award, reflecting her dedication to bringing the San Diego community together to support military families.

She believes advocacy works best when it’s personal, consistent, and community-driven and she is committed to using her experience and relationships to amplify the voice of military families.

Trisha Montoya is a 14-year Navy spouse, mother, registered nurse, Navy Family Command Ombudsman, Certified Ombudsman Trainer, and passionate military community advocate. For more than nine years, she has dedicated herself to serving military families—building connections, amplifying their voices, navigating challenges, and turning needs into action.

Her leadership reaches far beyond her official roles. Through youth sports, education, faith, family support, and community service, Trisha leads by showing up, especially when it matters most. She believes leadership is not a title; it is a responsibility. Service is not about recognition; it is about impact.
As a member of the 2026–2027 Association of Defense Communities Military Spouse Leadership Initiative,

Trisha is committed to using her voice, experience, and passion to strengthen military communities and create meaningful, lasting change. She doesn’t just serve her community; she builds it, advocates for it, and empowers others to believe they can make a difference too.

Emily Prueitt is a public-sector professional with extensive experience in community engagement, public administration and municipal operations. She currently serves as the community relations manager/public information officer and acting administrative analyst for the city of Lompoc, California, where she strengthens community relations and maintains public communications. Emily holds an MPA from Indiana University, with a focus in public management. She loves to focus on policy development, clear and concise communication and is a master copy editor.

As a military spouse of 10 years, she is passionate about strengthening partnerships between military installations and their neighboring communities while creating meaningful employment opportunities for military spouses within local government. Drawing on her own experiences navigating employment as a military spouse, Emily is dedicated to helping military families build meaningful careers and stronger connections across the municipalities these families call home.

Amber Sax is a Gold Star spouse, military spouse leader, nonprofit executive, and advocate for military families. Her late husband, Capt. John J. Sax, USMC, was an MV-22B Osprey pilot who lost his life in a 2022 aviation training mishap. John and Amber shared two daughters, and his loss profoundly shaped the advocacy work she leads today.

Amber is now engaged to Capt. Mitchell Teefey, an active-duty Marine Corps infantry officer, and together they are raising her two daughters. She is an analytics leader in Navy Federal Credit Union’s Member Strategy Office and Executive Director of the Capt. Sax Foundation. Her advocacy spans military family quality of life, military spouse employment, support for surviving families, aviation safety and accountability, and federal policy, including the Love Lives On Act.

JoAnn Taft is a Navy spouse, mother of three, and community leader committed to strengthening the connection among military families, installations, and the communities they call home. Her family has been stationed at Naval Station Norfolk throughout their seven years as an East Coast Navy family. They came to the East Coast as a homeport change eight months into marriage. She is the proud mother of Gavin, a First Class Midshipman at the Merchant Marine Academy; Summit, a certified nursing assistant and nursing student; and Hermione, age five. Her family’s military, educational, and service experiences have given her a personal understanding of the opportunities, challenges, and support systems that shape military-connected families.

For the past 14 years, Taft has volunteered with the Naval Sea Cadet Corps from the West Coast to the East Coast. Sea Cadets is the official youth development program of the Navy and Coast Guard, focused on developing young people through leadership, service, and hands-on training opportunities. She has served in operations, training, and unit-management roles, helping develop young leaders and strengthen pathways of service for military-connected youth. For the past three years, she served on the staff of the Sea Cadet National Headquarters team, supporting national training and operational efforts.

Taft brings a practical, relationship-centered approach to leadership by listening to community needs, building partnerships across military, business, and civic sectors, and turning shared priorities into action. She is committed to advancing advocacy, coalition-building, and meaningful local and national engagement so military spouses and families are fully included in the leadership of the defense communities they call home.