White Oak Collaborative - Blue Star Families

“Change happens at the speed of trust”

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Practitioners Forum Steering Committee

Matthew Amidon, Director, Military Service Initiative, George W. Bush Institute
Bonnie Carroll, President, and Founder, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)
Maureen Casey, Chief Operating Officer, Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University
Mark Elliot, Global Head of Military and Veteran Affairs, JP Morgan Chase & Co
Donna Hoffmeier, Senior Vice President of Strategic Communications, TriWest Healthcare Alliance
Pete Jeffries, National Engagements Director, AARP
Koby Langley, Senior Vice President, International Services, and Service to The Armed Forces, American Red Cross
Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, Director, The Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University
BG (ret) Michael Meese, Ph.D., President, American Armed Forces Mutual Aid Association (AAFMAA)
Rebecca Porter, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC)
Jose Ramos, Vice President of Government and Community Relations, Wounded Warrior Project
Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO and Board President, Blue Star Families
Steve Schwab, CEO, Elizabeth Dole Foundation
Caitlin Thompson, Vice President, Community Partnerships, Cohen Veterans Network
Candace Wheeler, Senior Advisor, Policy Director, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)
Doug Wilson, Board Chair, Vets’ Community Connections

Mission Statement

The White Oak Collaborative seeks to address the challenges faced by military- and Veteran-connected communities through data-driven, cross-sector collaboration—while applying a whole-of-family lens. The Collaborative seeks to encourage explicit partnerships among its members for direct service and/or policy-level solutions.

Description

The White Oak Collaborative is a cross-sector coalition of organizations committed to supporting service members, veterans, wounded warriors, caregivers, survivors, and their families.

Blue Star Families is the convening authority and secretariat for the Collaborative, WITH 200+ members representing military and veteran support organizations, other non-profits, private, philanthropic, government, and community sectors. The work of the White Oak Collaborative is non-partisan.

The Collaborative is lead by a rotating steering committee of member organizations. Current steering committee members are listed below.

The White Oak Collaborative hold partners’ calls approximately every two weeks, where members hear partner updates, share relevant data, and learn about government and military priorities for the purpose of better serving our constituencies. The meeting is off the record.

Participation in the Collaborative is by nomination and invitation.

For more information, please contact [email protected].

Steering Committee

The WOC is presided over by a steering committee which rotates its membership every six months. Current members of the steering committee include:

Matthew Amidon, Director, Military Service Initiative, George W. Bush Institute
Maureen Casey, Chief Operating Officer, Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University
Donna Hoffmeier, Senior Vice President of Strategic Communications, TriWest Health Alliance
Pete Jeffries, National Engagements Director, AARP
Koby Langley, Senior Vice President, International Services, and Service to The Armed Forces, American Red Cross
Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, Director, The Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University
BG (ret) Michael Meese, Ph.D., President, American Armed Forces Mutual Aid Association (AAFMAA)
Rebecca Porter, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC)
Candace Wheeler, Senior Advisor, Policy Director, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)