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Writer Shar-Lee Davis Department of Defense has historically been a predominantly male environment including hierarchy. However, with policies implemented to foster diversity and inclusion, we have seen positive changes to this atmosphere over the years. DyNAMC speaks with Dr. Vicki Brown about what it is like to be a female in a one of the key leadership roles in the department and how the programs she implements fuel progress.

Native to a small town in West Virginia, Dr. Vicki Brown tells DyNAMC that almost everyone in her neighborhood was black. However, she believes diversity existed in the form of the multi-faceted tapestry created by the different skills, views, voices and talents that existed there. For Brown, she had quite the culture shock when she moved to middle school and high school where the populace was mostly white, but she never once lost sight of herself and what her difference could bring to the table.

Dr. Vivki Brown

As the current Chief Learning officer for the Department of Defense (DoD), Dr. Brown is “responsible for building a world class learning organization to enhance the capabilities and the competencies of the department’s more than 800,000 civilian workforce.” She is responsible for developing plans, policies, strategies and initiatives to support the vision and mandate of the DoD across all the military forces. The DoD is the largest federal organization, serving the country in a multi-dimensional way with people deployed across the globe, and not just in active military duty. To this Dr. Brown advises those hoping to serve to think about the impact serving can have before choosing where you serve.

“Within the DoD there are more than four hundred occupational specialties”, she points out to DyNAMC. She advises that prospective employees should explore their options before settling in any particular area of service. She also highlights that the DoD provides opportunities to work just about anywhere in the world, and also has a significant amount of opportunities for advancing. In light of all this, Brown believes that this branch of government is an excellent place to combine skills and interest to see long term success.

The DoD, she proudly states, is an organization that excels at training military personnel, and readiness is important. Her position is one which gives credence to the fact that the department is heavily invested in this. “Training ensures that our DoD civilian employees remain relevant and proficient in their technical and functional aspects of the job.” Brown conveys that times are always changing and technological advances are always being made. The educational and training programs implemented ensure that the DoD does not fall behind- whether it be training active service men and women or civilian employees in other areas of defense.

We don’t accomplish anything in this world alone. And whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one’s life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that creates something.” -Brown Having served in the Department of Defense for over thirty years, Brown describes it as a very hierarchal organization. Within the enlisted officers ranks, she points out that the populace tends to be mostly minority. This is not the case for commissioned officers, who have more authority and generally tend to be in positions of leadership. Commissioned officers “are traditionally less minority. That’s where you see the differences in diversity.” Nevertheless, she is quick to support the strides the DoD has made to foster diversity and inclusion over the years “even within its hierarchal constraints.”

Even though the military still has a lot to be done by way of diversity, Brown feels they have “surpassed many civilian organizations”, and since the 1970s has “made serious efforts at racial integration.” She draws DyNAMC’s attention to the repealing of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ in 2011. And also shares with us that the military recently made an announcement to open up all combat jobs to women. This, she hopes, will see more women moving up the ranks to positions of leadership that might have

previously been out of their reach. At the same time, Brown believes more can be done to attract millennials to the service and keep them there, by showing them the many opportunities the DoD has to offer.

As a woman in one of the key leadership roles in the DoD, Brown says, “Over the years I can honestly say that I have faced my share of problems personally.” She has dubbed one such issue as ‘making a choice’. “The balance between being a wife and a mother and having a career” is a tenuous one, which has placed her in a position where her ability to advance is sometimes limited. As a military wife she tells DyNAMC that every time her husband moved she “had to start all over again”. Then there is the networking paradox where she finds women are not like men. “In a predominantly masculine field, women are treated differently than men. I get that”, she says. “Women are good, confident relationship builders, but we don’t use our contacts to get promoted to the degree that men do.” She points out that men will put in a good word for each other here and there, or even make a call on behalf of one another. However, “women haven’t taken advantage of the networking opportunities that they have.” Another issue she has faced is that of validation. “In a room full of men, my voice tends not to be heard.” Men often seek validation for her expertise from other men, and for Brown this is a frustrating fact- since receiving her doctorate this has improved somewhat.

It is on this note that she believes it is important for women to have mentors. Quoting Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Brown ferments this point by saying “We don’t accomplish anything in this world alone. And whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one’s life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that creates something.” Brown tells DyNAMC that for her this quote “describes the richness of what it means to be in a positive mentoring relationship.” Though she has had many influences, both formal and informal throughout her life and career, she credits her mother for being her very first mentor and role model. She insists that women need to be strategic in who they choose as mentors as these relationships are very impactful.

“I think that was probably one of my most rewarding experiences personally” Brown says with regards to working in the Office of the Secretary of Defense after the 9/11 attacks. She shares with DyNAMC that she led a team to set up an assistance center after the Pentagon had been attacked. Realizing that survivors and families would need some form of comprehensive assistance, she was charged with setting up an infrastructure to facilitate this. Though she earned a civilian award for her service, she does not think “anything could ever replace the personal fulfilment” she felt while serving those families.

Brown is grateful that as the Chief Learning officer for the DoD, she has a platform to effect change, and hopes that she will be remembered for having “made a difference in the lives of the DoD employees through areas of training, education and professional development.” Her favourite quote is from late educator and Philosopher Maxine Greene, who said “I am what I am, not yet.” This

embodies her belief that we must always be in pursuit of ourselves, seeking only to be better than we were the day before.

In the coming years, Dr. Vicki Brown intends to hone her skills in her current capacity and as a thought leader. She intends to also publish her dissertation on the transformative experiences of spouses of wounded warriors, and maybe start a miniseries to tell these powerful stories.

In a predominantly masculine field, women are treated differently than men. I get that Women are good, confident relationship builders, but we don’t use our contacts to get promoted to the degree that men do. -Brown