Chair’s Corner
Dear WIA Members,
Jennifer L Hanley, Chair
It is an honor and a privilege to kick off 2025 as Chair of Women in Aerospace. Since joining WIA’s board, I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside many talented individuals, and I am excited to lead this dynamic organization over the next few years.
My fantastic boss introduced me to WIA years ago and I’ve never looked back. WIA plays an invaluable role in fostering connections, growth, and mentorship for women leaders and allies in the aerospace community. I’m an internationalist who is passionate about the intersection of aerospace, national security, and policy…but I’m not an engineer, pilot, or rocket scientist. When I left government over a decade ago for the private sector, it took some time to understand how exactly I “fit” into this vast industry. WIA helped me find my community alongside women who contribute to all facets of aerospace, whether in the hard sciences or through vital roles in related fields.
I jumped at the opportunity to serve on the board in 2019 and have seen WIA grow and evolve so much over the past 6 years. From navigating the challenges of the pandemic to advancing gender and racial equity discussions, WIA has consistently risen to new heights. Our efforts have led to notable accomplishments, including our appointment to the National Space Council’s User Advisory group and our role as a founding partner in the nation-wide Space4All campaign.
As Chair, my primary goal is to bring a sharp focus on enhancing WIA programming. I am committed to delivering high-quality, unique opportunities for members to engage with top industry and governmental leaders and build lasting professional relationships. I’ll be working with my fellow board members to achieve this goal and am grateful to have their support.
We’re excited to kick off our 2025 program calendar with this year’s Career Empowerment Webinar Series – the first of which is scheduled next month. The first half of this series will focus on Leadership and Career Advancement, while the second half of the series will focus on Communication and Influence. Whether you join us for a single session or attend all four to earn WIA’s 2025 Career Empowerment Certificate, we look forward to your participation. To register for the first webinar on February 27th titled, “Foundational Leadership Skills”, and to view the full list of topics for this year’s series, please click here.
WIA is working hard to put together a strong line-up of programs this year – all of which will be shared as they are confirmed. Please keep an eye out for our emails and continue to visit WIA’s events page for more information.
As your new Chair, I will continue to advance WIA’s mission across the aerospace community. I look forward to our upcoming events this year and working with you all to cultivate the next generation of women leaders in space, aerospace, and across STEM fields – enhancing their professional growth and celebrating all our successes.
Kind regards,
Jennifer L. Hanley
Chair
Women in Aerospace
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