Stronger Together

ODVA and its Women Veterans Coordinator are working hard to connect with and serve Oregon’s women veteran population throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

By Tyler Francke, Veterans News Magazine

The theme of the 2020 — later, 2021 — Oregon Women Veterans’ Conference was selected months before the coronavirus pandemic hit.

And yet, the theme, “Stronger Together,” couldn’t have been more appropriate for addressing the need for women veterans to band together and support each other in the midst of the challenges wrought by COVID-19.

After being canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, the Women Veterans Conference was held earlier this summer in a purely virtual format, and by all accounts, it was a smashing success.

“I think the conference exceeded everyone’s expectations,” said ODVA Women Veterans Coordinator Jessica Bradley. “It was such an amazing opportunity for women veterans to connect and share their stories.”

While the virtual environment presented some challenges, it also had its benefits. For one thing, it made following up with, and connecting women veterans with needed resources and online applications for benefits, far easier than it would have been at a traditional conference.

More than 400 women veterans registered for the conference, with the largest group in the over55 demographic, Bradley said. The event featured keynote remarks by three outstanding women veteran leaders (Maj. Gen. Tammy Smith, Brig. Gen. Donna Prigmore, and Dr. Betty Moseley Brown), breakout sessions on topics such as access to health care, employment and education resources, and a virtual listening session with Bradley and Director Kelly Fitzpatrick — the first woman to lead the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

“I think it was extremely important for this community to come together, even if we had to do it virtually this time,” Bradley said. “We had so many women veterans connecting across generations and eras of service, offering advice, and sharing experiences and resources. I think it was really important to give them a place connect and to share those stories.”

Bradley was still in her first few months as ODVA’s new Women Veterans Coordinator when she began planning the first-ever virtual conference. Using the valuable information gained from the conference, she will now transition to focusing on other aspects of her role: working to improve advocacy and outreach to women who have served in the military, ensuring access to earned benefits, and helping to advance the level of care and support provided to Oregon’s women veterans.

For more information, visit www.oregon.gov/odva/resources/pages/women-veterans.aspx.