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Bianca Soler
Vice President, Executive Office & Brand
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SPC Hosts a Panel of Women Veterans for 2024 Women's Month
Join the conversation on March 27 and hear from women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
March is Women’s Month and SPC is recognizing the achievements of women in the U.S. Armed Forces with a panel moderated by Courtney Robinson, award-winning 10 News Tampa Bay news anchor.
Robinson will lead the panel who will share their experiences of a life spent in military service. Panelists include retired Army 1st Sgt. Valerie Ellis Lavin, retired Lt. Col. Laurell Jones, and social worker Donna Sherman.
The U.S. Department of Labor reports women are the fastest-growing group in the veteran population, accounting for 30% of new patients, according to the Veterans Health Administration. They differ from veteran men and their nonveteran counterparts in the issues that they face.
Moderator and panel information
Robinson is a Gold Star daughter who grew up on Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Her father served with Special Operations before he died while in service to the United States. From her military upbringing, Robinson developed immense respect for the service and sacrifice that military families and veterans make.
Lavin is the Founder and CEO of Luminary Global, a company dedicated to delivering vital emergency solutions that bridge the gap between life and medical care. Her collaboration with fellow veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs led to the establishment of Action Zone, Inc., an organization that nurtures the entrepreneurial aspirations of the military and veteran community.
After leading squadrons supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom and multinational teams, Jones worked as a Senior Managing Consultant with IBM for 14 years. Since 2018, she has been involved with Dress for Success Tampa Bay and currently serves as the President of the Board of Directors. She also serves on the Board of Directors as the Treasurer for the Ivy Enrichment Foundation.
Sherman is a licensed clinical social worker. She serves Florida’s women veterans by equipping staff with tools for success in their professional development and provision of care. She has worked with the VA for the past 15 years, and since 2020, has served as the Women Veteran Program Manager at the Bay Pines VA Health Care System.
Date: Wednesday, March 27
Location: SPC Seminole Campus, Room UP 303, 9200 113th St. N., Seminole
Time: 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Webinar Registration: stpe.co/WomensMonth
