Women of Accelerent tour CGSC, Fort Leavenworth

The CGSC Foundation has hosted many “Walk and Talks” in the past year, but none that focused solely on women. That changed on Jan. 12 when Foundation Director of Development Joan Cabell brought in nine executive women from Accelerent – a networking platform where decision-makers can build relationships with other decision-makers for the sole purpose of growing their respective companies – to tour the Fort and the College.

The group got the standard “Walk and Talk treatment” with a tour of the historical aspects of Fort Leavenworth and a walk-through of the Lewis and Clark Center, home of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. After the tour, this group was treated with an opportunity to meet with two officers who could speak to them about women’s issues in the Army and the workplace – not the typical conversation these walk and talk visits usually spawn.

Col. Norma Bradford, a logistics officer who is now assigned as the chief of staff for the U.S. Army Reserve element at the Combined Arms Center, and Lt. Col. Sherri Sharpe, a Chinook helicopter pilot who is now an instructor in CGSC’s Department of Command and Leadership, sat down with the women and discussed a broad range of issues.

“The women asked the officers many questions ranging from their role in the military, their role in relationship to men in the Army and how they lead, to how the military affects their spouse and their family, and even if uniforms are tailored for women,” said Cabell. “It was a lively and interesting discussion and left the women of Accelerent empathizing and understanding more the role of women in the military.”

Cabell noted that the conversation was very interesting because several of the women in the group run their own businesses and are used to being leaders and working in high stress positons with mostly male colleagues.

“One of the participants told me that she thought this was a unique look at women in leadership positions and that the opportunity to talk with these two outstanding leaders was eye opening and worthwhile,” said Foundation CEO Doug Tystad.

The CGSC Foundation hosts “Walk and Talks” typically on the second Thursday of the month. Contact Joan Cabell, the CGSC Foundation director of development – joan@cgscf.org, to schedule your own group’s “Walk and Talk” tour of CGSC and Fort Leavenworth and learn about the education of leaders for the nation.

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