TRAILBLAZERS

TRAILBLAZERS: BLAZING A PATH ... RAISING THE BAR BLAZING A PATH...Trailblazers RAISING THE BAR

BY ERICA COURTNEY

Erica G. Courtney is U.S. Army veteran having served over a decade on active duty in various positions to include; military police, scout helicopter pilot and paratrooper. As a trailblazer, she graduated number one in her cadet class, was part of the first group of women to go Cavalry and the first to graduate the Advanced Armor Cavalry Course. She continues to serve as an Army Reservist having been an Adjunct Professor, a NATO Gender Advisor to the Joint Chiefs of Staff working portfolios within Counter Threat and International Cooperation and an operations officer spanning seven states. Erica has owned three businesses growing year-over-year for over 12-years focused on doing business with the government, logistics, PPE products during COVID-19 and most recently diversity, inclusion and equity consulting. In addition to her professional career, she is heavily involved in women and veteran advocacy efforts having chaired Boards, Committees and currently holds public office as Governor and Senate appointed Commissioner in California representing approximately 20M women and girls. She is a co-founder of Zulu Time, Inc., a veteran transition center focused on community integration ultimately providing the veteran a livelihood and purpose. Erica’s husband also served for the Army and the Coast Guard for 20-years and they have two teenage sons. She holds a B.A. in Communications and an Executive MBA. Erica has received numerous awards as a military officer, business owner and change-maker. More at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericacourtney

1) WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO BE A "TRAILBLAZER"?

Being a trailblazer can be thought of quite literally. You either take the path less travelled not being able to see what is around the corner or the path that is well used by many others before you with the ability to see forward in a more predictable way. The path less travelled is often filled with sharp objects and things that can sting. You must be able to withstand those distractions and work through the pain to get to a place that may lead you to a view that far surpasses the path most travelled.

2) AS A WELL-RESPECTED FEMALE, NOT ONLY IN THE HOUSING INDUSTRY, BUT ALSO IN THE MILITARY, CAN YOU PROVIDE EXAMPLES OF HOW YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO UTILIZE YOUR POSITION AND INFLUENCE TO EFFECT POSITIVE CHANGE IN THESE SPACES?

It was never my intent to break glass ceilings for the sake of accomplishing many ‘firsts’. I just saw things I wanted to participate in and did. Not that it was easy; often it was persistence and performance that made it awful hard for my supervisors to say no. When doors opened a crack, I kicked them in without realizing that each time the door was opened just a tad more for the women behind me. By doing so, I was creating change.

In my teens and twenties, I never thought about barriers. I was raised by a single mother and I was taught to believe there was nothing I could not do. Having been adventurous and athletic, I thought I would give the Army a try. I can give you 100 examples of how men did not like to see a woman who could run in the fast group, who could outperform men physically as my mind was powerful, who would not teach me to fly on the flight line, who threw me up against a wall saying I did not belong, and so on. At first it was baffling. Then I came to expect it. A woman going into combat arms positions (less that .1 percent of 1 percent at the time) was an integration challenge. I learned by living, by doing. I realized that this was not my problem, but theirs. Their bias. Their hate. It was not my job to teach them inclusion. just did my job and did it well, and, eventually, those same guys who discredited me were the same ones that did not want to see me go.

Through these experiences, I decided to give back. To teach the men and women behind me in the military at a time when women can go into just about anything they want but still have to deal with integration. The military has changed a lot, for the better, but gender bias still exists in society and therefore carries over to the military. I made sure my voice was heard. My work was valued. I made sure that I had a seat at the table to influence positive change whenever necessary. I did not ask, I went. After 11 years active duty, I faced what

most women do - a choice. To be alive for my two baby boys or continue to put myself in harm’s way. I chose my babies. I am alive and do not regret this decision as some of my friends were not as lucky to live out their lives. My heart is with them forever.

3) HOW ARE WAYS THAT PEOPLE CAN GET MORE INVOLVED WITH THE NON-PROFITS YOU ARE INVOLVED IN, INCLUDING ZULU TIME?

It stems for passion. What makes you happy? What makes you mad? What do you see that needs changing? When I got out of active duty, I kept encountering veterans that would offload their stories, and, over the years, I just could not ignore the fact that we are not approaching their transition (the first three years after discharge) in a way that resonates with them. Tough love, straight talk, and peer-peer guidance was worth more than the billions we continue to spend on white coats. So, I joined a national board that deals with veterans and entrepreneurship, which gives a veteran a livelihood and a purpose. They are well suited for this role. Then I became Board Chair. Throughout this process, I noticed the lack of women veterans in attendance. They got tired of the good ol’ boy network, so I started focusing on them. This led to women’s issues in general, so I became a Commissioner in Florida and now in California focusing on women and girls. I recognized how impactful policy is and if you don’t know policy, you don’t know business. Therefore, I became involved in groups that focused on women and policy. This is my journey. You have to start somewhere, and, as you go, you head in various directions. I would ask people to get involved in an organization that speaks to their passion. There is plenty of need out there.

4) WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR LEGACY TO BE? WHAT KIND OF WORK IN THE HOUSING SPACE ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

To leave it better than I found it. It sounds cliché but if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. It is easy to judge and complain. It is hard to get your hands dirty and peak behind the curtain. I want women in their twenties to learn from us that faced bias and overcame. Save them time. I have heard many young women say to us that they don’t need us to march for them. They don’t need us to advocate for them. You know, I thought the same thing until I lived life. Now more than ever as women’s rights continue to be picked at, we must come together as a sisterhood and work to make it better for all of us. The statistics don’t lie. Inequities exist. I have had the privilege to work at the highest levels to affect positive change from NATO, the Pentagon, to national boards, to state Commission appointed positions. I have seen much change in the military and corporate environments. People can speak more freely about sexism, racism, etc. Differences are starting to be celebrated; yet, we have much work to do. If you do not have a seat at the table, you are on the menu.

5) AS A FEMALE WHO HAS BROKEN THROUGH SO MANY BARRIERS IN THE MILITARY, CAN YOU SHARE ONE OF YOUR LARGEST MILITARY ACCOMPLISHMENTS?

I was part of the first group of women that were allowed to join the Cavalry, as old of a tradition as the Army itself. We were the first to go into a combat arms branch; most jobs are in support of the forward troops which we were. Our airframe was the last, of any service, to allow women to fly. When that mission came available, I thought it was the coolest mission in the Army: reconnaissance and security in the fight with the troops. As old as cavalry horseback goes except our horses were aircraft. When I got through basic flight skills and moved to airframe training, my instructor (Vietnam era) took one look at me and walked away stating he would not train a woman. You would think I was used to this kind of thing by now, but it stung. However, if I allowed myself to get angry, they win. I always look to these experiences as their problem. Not mine. I plowed through and was grateful for the opportunity to be Cavalry. I later became the first woman to complete the advanced cavalry course, which I fought to get in. Not for my ego, but to be the best, most trained leader I could be to my troops.

6) PIVOTING BACK TO HOUSING, WHAT DO YOU FEEL ARE THE MOST DIFFICULT ENTRY POINTS FOR FELLOW VETERANS WHO WANT TO PURCHASE A HOME?

The military does a terrible job teaching soldiers how to invest. They get paid every two weeks, money is automatically taken out and

put into an investment savings account and bills are usually automatically withdrawn. Not much thought. Designed on purpose this way; thanks to deployments and things must work while you are unplugged. When they get out, they do not have housing automatically provided for them. Most likely, they have little in savings. They get a quick class on the way out but, within the first years of transition, often move job to job due to veterans not able to fit in and deal with the lack of leadership often found on the ‘outside’. It is a major cultural shift. I have moved 13 times over 20 years. I have owned homes and rented. Going through the VA to get the VA loan paperwork going is often laborious and confusing. Many give up. Many don’t have great credit as they run up their credit cards upon leaving the military. However, data shows they pay back debt much better than their civilian counterparts and make good clients.

In a time of COVID, depending on where you live, buying a home is difficult. Many are looking for more space and leaving cities. Buyers come in with full cash offers and competing with a VA loan is hard. Also, not having hundreds of thousands of dollars to put down as payment is a challenge. The VA loan program is a great tool and veterans need to go through the process of getting pre-approved. They also need classes on how to manage their finances. If banks and lenders could work with veterans on investing, saving, and debt, it would be a great service to our veterans.