
Campaign for Inclusion
Our Campaign for Inclusion addresses the inequities military families of color face in the areas where they live and work.
LEADERSHIP
To root the Campaign for Inclusion in strong leadership, Blue Star Families enlisted the support of an extraordinary group of leaders and trusted advisors—men and women who have experienced life in a military family and who have important perspectives to share.
The following committee of established leaders, composed of high-ranking military leaders from all branches, wounded warriors, caregivers, and military spouses, helps inform strategies, programs, and outcomes of the Campaign for Inclusion, as well as provide thought leadership on racial equity and inclusion to the entire military and Veteran family support sector.

Sheila Casey
Chair, Blue Star Families Board of Directors | Chief Operating Officer, The Hill

Kathy Roth-Douquet
Blue Star Families, CEO and Board President

Carlandra “CT” Moss
Director of Racial Equity & Inclusion Initiative

Lieutenant General Gwen Bingham, U.S. Army (Ret.), Co-Chair
Former Army Staff Principal for Installation Management

Staff Sergeant Charles Eggleston, U.S. Army (Ret.), Co-Chair
President & CEO, Three Seven Consulting

Ingrid Herrera-Yee, Ph.D., Co-Chair
Military Spouse and Suicide Prevention Expert

Major General Juan G. Ayala, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.)
Director, Office of Military and Veteran Affairs, City of San Antonio

Lt. General Thomas P. Bostick, U.S. Army (Ret.)
53rd Chief of Engineers of the United States Army, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Michelle Brito
Financial Specialist, Military Family Program Advisor, and Army Spouse

Brigadier General Carol Eggert (Ret).
Comcast NBCUniversal, Senior VP Military and Veterans Affairs

Colonel Robert Gordon, U.S. Army (Ret.)
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy

Rear Admiral Sinclair Harris, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Former Vice Director for Operations to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Vice Admiral Mary M. Jackson, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Former Commander, Naval Installations Command

Koby Langley
Senior Vice President, American Red Cross

Val Nicholas
Senior Vice President Creative Director at SummitMediaCorp

Patricia Ochan, Ph.D.
Senior Consultant Cyber Policy and Military Spouse

Sergeant Major James K. Sims, U.S. Army (Ret.)
Former Army Materiel Command, Command Sergeant Major

Staff Sergeant Fernando Snowden-Lorence, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.)
Vice President and Regional Director, Corporate Responsibility at JP Morgan Chase

General Larry Spencer, U.S. Air Force (Ret.)
Former Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force

Major General Antonio Taguba, U.S. Army (Ret.)
President, TDLS Consulting, LLC

Major General Suzanne P. Vares-Lum, U.S. Army (Ret.)
President, East-West Center

Master Sergeant Rob Wilkins, U.S. Air Force (Ret.)
Military Evangelist/Community Outreach at MilitaryTimes

Karla Ballard Williams
CEO & Co-Founder, YING, Inc.

Captain Anthony Woods
Iraq War Veteran, Army Reservist

Brigadier General Irene M. Zoppi (Rodríguez), Ph.D., U.S. Army Reserve (Ret.)
Former U.S. Army South, Deputy Commanding General & Director, U.S. Army Reserve Engagement Cell for Mobilization

Lieutenant General Lee Quintas
U.S. Army (Ret.)

Sheila Casey
Chair, Blue Star Families Board of Directors | Chief Operating Officer, The Hill
Sheila Casey is the Chief Operating Officer of The Hill, a top U.S. political publication available in print and online with a focus on The White House, Congress, policy, campaigns, lobbying, business and international news. It is widely recognized as the leading source of congressional news. Prior to joining The Hill in 1997, she was the Director of Finance at the Texas Council on Family Violence in Austin, Texas. Additionally, Sheila spent 7 years at Grant Thornton, a national CPA firm, where she was an audit manager. She graduated with honors in accounting from the University of Colorado.
Sheila was a military spouse for over 41 years. She has lived throughout the United States, Europe and Egypt and had been an active member of military spouse organizations throughout her husband’s military career and since his retirement.
Sheila is the Chair of the Board of Governors of Blue Star Families, and the Washington Press Club Foundation. Additionally, she is a member of the Board of Advisors for ThanksUSA, The Bob Woodruff Foundation, and The Military Child Education Coalition. She is published in several national news outlets and speaks to audiences on military spouse and family issues.

Kathy Roth-Douquet
Blue Star Families, CEO and Board President

Carlandra “CT” Moss
Director of Racial Equity & Inclusion Initiative

Lieutenant General Gwen Bingham, U.S. Army (Ret.), Co-Chair
Former Army Staff Principal for Installation Management
Lieutenant General (LTG) Gwen Bingham is a US Army retired 3-star General and a native of Troy, Alabama. She graduated from Army ROTC as a Distinguished Military Graduate from the University of Alabama in August 1981 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce and Business Administration. She was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Quartermaster Corps. Lieutenant General Bingham has a Master’s degree in Administration from Central Michigan University and a Master’s degree in National Security Strategy and Resources from the National Defense University.
LTG Bingham has served in a myriad of staff and command positions throughout her 38-year Army career from Platoon Leader to Two-star Commanding General. She has deployed in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, and has served in assignments both in CONUS and overseas. She has been a trailblazer serving as the first woman to hold numerous positions as a General Officer. They include: The Army’s 51st Quartermaster General and Commandant of the US Army Quartermaster School; Commanding General, White Sands Missile Range; and Commanding General, Tank-automotive and Armaments Life Cycle Management Command. On 30 June 2016, she was confirmed by the Senate for promotion to Lieutenant General and assignment in the Pentagon as the Army Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management. She retired from the Army in 2019 having served more than 38 years.
LTG (R) Bingham’s professional affiliations include: Council on Foreign Relations, member; National Association of Corporate Directors; Blue Star Families Board of Directors (Vice-Chair); Owens and Minor, Incorporated Board of Directors; Military Child Education Coalition, Life Member; Association of the United States Army, Life Member; ROCKS, Incorporated, Life Member; and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, Life Member.
LTG (R) Bingham is the recipient of the 2019 White House Correspondents “Be Fearless” Award; the 2019 Joint Women’s Leadership in Excellence Meritorious Service Award; the 2018 Ellis Island Medal of Honor; the 2018 Women in Defense Service to the Flag award and the 2014 Rock of the Year award. She and her husband, Dr. Patrick J. Bingham, have two adult children: Dr. Tava M. Bingham and Mr. Phillip J. Bingham. She resides with her husband in Leander, Texas.

Staff Sergeant Charles Eggleston, U.S. Army (Ret.), Co-Chair
President & CEO, Three Seven Consulting

Ingrid Herrera-Yee, Ph.D., Co-Chair
Military Spouse and Suicide Prevention Expert
Dr. Ingrid Herrera-Yee received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in trauma from the University of Vermont and served as a clinical fellow for several years at Harvard University. Her pre- and post-doctoral work with Harvard University's mental health team allowed her to sharpen her skills in trauma-focused-therapy, in both Spanish and English, with a diverse community. Since that time, with her family's frequent military moves, she has worked as an educator, speaker, policy wonk, writer, and researcher. Her research has focused on preventing suicide among military service members as well as in resiliency among domestic violence survivors.
Ingrid is a military spouse and the founder of Military Spouse Behavioral Health Clinicians (MSBHC). MSBHC connects military spouse mental health clinicians with information and resources to support them through their journey toward their career in mental health. She was named the National Guard Spouse of the Year in 2014 and received the Edith Hendley Award for outstanding contributions to the lives of women through her clinical work, teaching, research, and advocacy. She serves on several advisory boards, including those for Give an Hour, Blue Star Families, and the Military Family Advisory Network. She has been published extensively and has been asked to speak on military and family mental health issues.

Major General Juan G. Ayala, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.)
Director, Office of Military and Veteran Affairs, City of San Antonio

Lt. General Thomas P. Bostick, U.S. Army (Ret.)
53rd Chief of Engineers of the United States Army, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Michelle Brito
Financial Specialist, Military Family Program Advisor, and Army Spouse
Michelle Brito is a seasoned financial specialist, military family program advisor, and spouse of a career Army soldier. Ms. Brito has worked in the fields of accounting, income tax preparation, mortgage lending, military finance, and government contracting. She currently serves as a member of the External Advisory Council for the Department of Military and Veteran Affairs of JP Morgan Chase & Co.
During her 34 years of marriage and 17 military moves, Ms. Brito has transported her career building skills and experience with each new opportunity. Recognized for her leadership as a thoughtful senior advisor, Ms. Brito dedicates volunteer time to building awareness and advancing networks which enable military families to engage and grow within their local communities. Michelle holds a degree in Economics from Penn State University and currently resides at Fort Myer, VA with her husband, Lieutenant General Gary Brito, Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1, Dept. of the Army. As a senior spouse, Michelle has devoted much of her time to advising and mentoring younger spouses as they travel their Army journey.
The Britos have two sons -Matthew, a Finance Manager, and Patrick, an active duty Captain, Apache helicopter pilot.

Brigadier General Carol Eggert (Ret).
Comcast NBCUniversal, Senior VP Military and Veterans Affairs

Colonel Robert Gordon, U.S. Army (Ret.)
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy

Rear Admiral Sinclair Harris, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Former Vice Director for Operations to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Sinclair Harris serves as LMI’s director of business development for the Department of the Navy. He retired as a rear admiral after a 34-year career in the U.S. Navy. His service culminated as the vice director for operations to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. During his distinguished career, he led joint, combined, multinational, and interagency organizations both at sea and ashore across all aspects of defense, including full spectrum operations, program management, strategic planning, and execution. He was also commander of the U.S. Fourth Fleet, leading U.S. Naval forces assigned to U.S. Southern Command.
Mr. Harris has been published in numerous journals on the topics of surface warfare, combat logistics, irregular warfare, and leadership. He earned a BS in economics from James Madison University, an MS in operations research from the Naval Postgraduate School, and an MS in defense and strategic studies from the University of Madras, India.
Mr. Harris voluntarily serves as president of the National Naval Officers Association, national vice president of the Navy League of the United States, past chairman of the National Defense Industrial Association Expeditionary Warfare Division, member of the board of directors for the Surface Navy Association, and member of the Northern Virginia Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association.

Vice Admiral Mary M. Jackson, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Former Commander, Naval Installations Command

Koby Langley
Senior Vice President, American Red Cross
Koby Langley serves as a Senior Vice President at the American Red Cross, overseeing worldwide operations of Services to the Armed Forces. He previously served as the Director of Wounded Warrior, Veteran and Military Family Engagement at the White House and the Senior Advisor for Wounded Warrior, Veteran and Military Family Initiatives for CNCS, leading their largest expansion of services to veterans and military families.
In 2010 he was appointed to the Senior Executive Service at DoD, where he worked as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary and Senior Advisor for the Office of Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy. In 2009, Langley worked as a Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Department of Veteran Affairs, leading strategic communication and strategic planning portfolios for offices reporting directly to the Secretary.

Val Nicholas
Senior Vice President Creative Director at SummitMediaCorp
From his start in local television to his two decades at NBC Entertainment and NBC News, Val Nicholas has extensive experience in all aspects of media and marketing, with a unique talent for creative innovation designed to fit the audience, the product, the time and the place.
Nicholas is known in the industry for his vision and craft and his use of various media to attract attention in unique ways. He has produced a wide range of programming including news, talk shows, news magazines, syndicated programs, sporting events and live primetime specials for television on both the local and national level.

Patricia Ochan, Ph.D.
Senior Consultant Cyber Policy and Military Spouse

Sergeant Major James K. Sims, U.S. Army (Ret.)
Former Army Materiel Command, Command Sergeant Major
James K. Sims retired as a Command Sergeant Major in the United States Army. Under his tutelage, he has accumulated over 33 years of active military service, which included more than 5 combat deployments. During his position as Command Sergeant Major, James never shied away from his duties and in fact, ensured that they were executed on every level. This included culminating as the former Senior Enlisted Advisor for the Commanding General of the Army Materiel Command, a multi-billion dollar enterprise, and the Army’s Senior Enlisted Logistician.
His extensive strategic leadership and logistics experience afforded him the ability to align personnel and resources with organizational initiatives. These initiatives delivered top-notch supply chain management and distribution solutions to improve standards in productivity, efficiency, and quality. James is the first Command Sergeant Major in the history of the Quartermaster Corps to rise from private E-1 to E-9 at the four-star level. His notable assignments ranged from 3rd U.S. Infantry “Old Guard”, 82nd Airborne Division, and 7th Special Forces Group.

Staff Sergeant Fernando Snowden-Lorence, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.)
Vice President and Regional Director, Corporate Responsibility at JP Morgan Chase

General Larry Spencer, U.S. Air Force (Ret.)
Former Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force

Major General Antonio Taguba, U.S. Army (Ret.)
President, TDLS Consulting, LLC
Major General Antonio (Tony) Taguba retired on January 1, 2007 having served 34 years on Active Duty.
He is President, TDLS Consulting, LLC which provides business consulting services to corporate and nonprofit organizations. He is Chairman, Pan Pacific American Leaders and Mentors (PPALM), a 501(c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit national, all volunteer, charitable, educational organization committed to mentoring and leadership development of military and civilian leaders. He also serves as Chairman, Filipino Veterans Education and Recognition Project, 501(c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit, national, education, charitable group advocating for and supporting the Filipino and American Veterans of World War II.
He also serves as an AARP Community Ambassador for Military and Family Caregiving.
He was a former Vice President, Army Services, SERCOInc., a global services company based in North America and Great Britain.
Born in Manila, Philippines on October 31, 1950, Major General Taguba was commissioned as an Armor Officer and distinguished military graduate from Idaho State University in May 1972. He has served in numerous command and staff positions from infantry platoon to General officer level. His service tours included assignments in the United States, South Korea, Germany, and Kuwait.
During Operation Iraqi Freedom, he served as Deputy Commanding General for Support, Coalition Forces Land Component Command/Army Central Command/Third U.S. Army, forward deployed to Kuwait and Iraq. He was responsible for logistical support services to U.S. and Coalition Forces totaling over 150,000 troops conducting combat operations. His duty included support of U.S. troops and coordination of host nation support from the Government of Kuwait, and security/training support in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, and Qatar. Prior to his deployment, he served as Acting Director of Army Staff, Department of the Army, Pentagon.
Upon his redeployment, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Pentagon. He later served as Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Command on his last assignment on active duty.
His military awards and decorations include the Army Distinguished Service Medal (2 awards), Legion of Merit (4 awards), Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (6 awards), Office of Secretary of Defense Identification Badge, and Army Staff Identification Badge.
He received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of San Francisco on May 17, 2008. Major General Taguba graduated from Idaho State University with a BA degree in History; Webster University with a MA degree in Public Administration; Salve Regina University with a MA degree in International Relations; and U.S. College of Naval Command and Staff with MA degree in National Security and Strategic Studies. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and U.S. Army War College.
He and wife of 40 years, Debra, have 2 adult children –Lindsay T. Keys and Major Sean T. Taguba, US Army. They have 3 granddaughters.

Major General Suzanne P. Vares-Lum, U.S. Army (Ret.)
President, East-West Center

Master Sergeant Rob Wilkins, U.S. Air Force (Ret.)
Military Evangelist/Community Outreach at MilitaryTimes
The Honorable Rob Wilkins, appointed by President Donald J. Trump to the President's Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition (PCSFN) is a retired US Air Force Master Sergeant and a fitness expert. A native of Linden, New Jersey, Wilkins serves as the Military Evangelist at Sightline Media Group, the leading news organization covering military, defense, public sector, federal technology, C4ISR and cyber defense. Some of his key military assignments included serving on the staff of The Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) and Legislative Liaison Office, Secretary of the Air Force, where he was responsible for organizing, coordinating, and escorting Congressional delegations worldwide.
An avid advocate for military veterans, Wilkins is a lifetime Air Force Association member, lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), lifetime member of the American Legion and serves on military focused boards to include the American Veterans Center, Boulder Crest (retreat for military veterans) and Blue Star Families. In addition, he is the President of Rolling Thunder Washington, DC and President of the RedCon1 Foundation, focused on assisting military families in need of financial assistance.

Karla Ballard Williams
CEO & Co-Founder, YING, Inc.

Captain Anthony Woods
Iraq War Veteran, Army Reservist

Brigadier General Irene M. Zoppi (Rodríguez), Ph.D., U.S. Army Reserve (Ret.)
Former U.S. Army South, Deputy Commanding General & Director, U.S. Army Reserve Engagement Cell for Mobilization

Lieutenant General Lee Quintas
U.S. Army (Ret.)
LEARN MORE
“After a career of breaking barriers in the Army, this retired General is now fighting for military families of color. CNN's Brianna Keilar, whose husband is an Army Special Forces Officer, introduces us to Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Gwen Bingham, co-chair of Blue Star Families' Racial Equity and Inclusion Initiative that strives to support military families of color.” Source: CNN
Watch the video about our Racial Equity and Inclusion Committee that was featured during our 2022 Blue Star Families on Facial Inclusion: Understanding Experiences of Military Families of Color event.