Women In Defense - Tennessee Valley Chapter

10/21/2026

Congratulations to our Chapter President, Gayla Suddarth, and Director of Programs, Allison Rhen, on being named to the 2027 Engage Defense Innovation 150! 🎉 This peer-nominated honor from Orange Slices AI recognizes defense leaders for how they listen, collaborate and drive innovation. We're so proud to have them leading WID-TVC!

Innovation across the Federal defense community is accelerating. Heading into 2027, emerging technologies, AI, new acquisition approaches, evolving threats, and rapidly changing mission requirements are creating new opportunities and new challenges for government and industry alike. But technology a...

10/21/2026

Your October update from WID Tennessee Valley -

This fall has been one of our busiest seasons yet. We installed our newly elected officers, welcomed our first official event sponsor, showed up at conferences across Huntsville and in DC, and celebrated award winners from our own board. Here is a look back at what we've been up to, and what's comin...

10/19/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us last Wednesday for our October Mentorship Lunch and Learn!

Our Mentorship Director, Dr. Debra Straniero, kicked off the series as our first speaker. Debra is a systems engineer, a proud member of our local community, and a true servant leader who also serves on the boards of the YMCA, Heart of the Valley, and Girl Scouts of North Central Alabama. She shared her story and opened the conversation on how our members can connect with one another and help shape the support Women In Defense provides to our community.

A big thank you to Davidson Technologies, Inc. for hosting us.

Mentorship is at the heart of what we do. Watch for details on our next Lunch and Learn, and if you're not yet a member, we'd love to have you: https://www.wid-tvc.org

10/11/2026

✨ Women in Defense–TVC | October Mentorship Lunch & Learn ✨

📣 Mark your calendars! Our next Mentorship Lunch & Learn is officially on the books, and we’re excited to welcome our very own, Dr. Debra Straniero as featured speaker!

Join WID-TVC for an engaging afternoon of connection, conversation, and mentorship. Enjoy lunch, ask questions, and gain insight into Dr. Straniero’s mentorship style and approach. 💬🤝

📅 Date: October 14
🕦 Time: 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
📍 Location: Davidson Technologies, Inc.
5300 Redstone Gateway
Huntsville, AL 35808

🔗 Register today: https://lnkd.in/eSART-U8

We look forward to connecting with our WID-TVC community, sharing experiences, and continuing to grow through mentorship!

10/02/2026

You're invited to a Women in Defense Tennessee Valley Chapters VIP Thirsty Thursday event! This month, join us at Kendra Scott in Bridge Street for a special happy hour event. This will be a Kendra Scott Gives Back - Shine Bright Do Good event... so bring your wallets and shop til you drop and support WID-TVC in the process! Grab a friend and we hope to see you there.

REGISTRATION LINK IN COMMENTS

09/24/2026

Celebrating WID-TVC at the 2026 HATS Awards! 🎉

Women in Defense – Tennessee Valley Chapter is proud to celebrate these outstanding recognitions:

👏 Gayla Suddarth, WID-TVC President, was nominated for Professional of the Year.

🏆 Jaden Pointer, WID-TVC Scholarship Chair, was named 2026 Young Professional of the Year!

👏 WID-TVC was also nominated for Chapter of the Year.

We are proud to see our members and chapter recognized for their leadership, service, and contributions to the Huntsville defense and technical community.

Congratulations, Gayla and Jaden! We are proud to celebrate you! 🇺🇸

09/01/2026

🎉 Congratulations, Gayla Suddarth! 🎉

Women in Defense – Tennessee Valley Chapter is proud to announce that Gayla Suddarth has been selected to serve as Vice Chair of the Women in Defense National Executive Committee!

In this national leadership role, Gayla will support the Chair in advancing Women in Defense’s priorities and mission, help lead special initiatives, and provide leadership continuity for the organization. Her appointment also brings the experience, insight, and perspective of the Tennessee Valley defense community to Women In Defense’s national leadership, further strengthening the connection between our chapter and the broader organization.

As President of WID-TVC, Gayla will also serve on the Chapter Presidents’ Committee, which brings together chapter presidents from across Women In Defense to strengthen communication, collaboration, and alignment between chapters and national leadership.

We are incredibly proud to have Gayla representing WID-TVC on the national stage and look forward to seeing the impact of her leadership! Please join us in congratulating Gayla on these well-deserved national leadership roles! 👏🎉

08/30/2026

🎉 Congratulations, Cynthia Bryce! 🎉

Women In Defense – Tennessee Valley Chapter is proud to announce that Cynthia Bryce has been selected to serve on the Women in Defense National Advisory Board’s Advocacy Council.

In this national role, Cynthia will bring her experience, perspective, and commitment to the Women in Defense community to support the organization’s broader mission and advocacy efforts. Her selection provides an important opportunity for the Tennessee Valley Chapter to contribute to conversations and initiatives that impact women across the defense and national security community.

Cynthia currently serves as Membership Director for Women in Defense – Tennessee Valley Chapter, where she helps support membership engagement, recruitment, and the continued growth of our chapter.

Her dedication to building connections and strengthening our defense community makes this a meaningful opportunity to expand her impact beyond the Tennessee Valley and contribute at the national level.

Please join us in congratulating Cynthia Bryce on her selection to this national leadership role!

Congratulations, Cynthia! We are excited to see the impact you will make on the national stage!

08/27/2026

🚀 Innovation. Collaboration. Impact.

The Tennessee Valley continues to be a driving force in defense innovation. The 2026 Innovate Tech Forum brought together government, industry, academia, and defense leaders in Huntsville this July to explore emerging technologies, missile defense capabilities, and opportunities to accelerate innovation across the defense ecosystem.

Hosted by Women in Defense Tennessee Valley Chapter and NDIA Tennessee Valley Chapter, the forum showcased the power of collaboration in shaping the future of national defense.

We’re proud to have helped bring this community together—and even prouder of the women and leaders who continue to contribute their expertise, ideas, and vision to our nation’s defense.

Thank you to our speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, volunteers, and attendees for making Innovate 2026 such a success. The conversations may have started at the forum, but the impact continues.

📰 Read the Redstone Rocket’s coverage of the Innovate Tech Forum: https://loom.ly/ONK7b7s

To outpace evolving global threats, the Department of War is changing how it builds, buys, and deploys technology. That urgency drove the agenda at the Innovate 2026 Tech Forum in

07/15/2026

🍻 Join Women in Defense Tennessee Valley Chapter & Sign In Solutions for a Happy Hour during the 2026 Space & Missile Defense Symposium!

After a full day of engaging discussions and innovation at the Space & Missile Defense Symposium, take the opportunity to unwind, connect, and expand your professional network.

Women in Defense Tennessee Valley Chapter is excited to partner with Sign In Solutions to bring together professionals from across the defense, aerospace, government, and industry communities for an evening of meaningful conversations and new connections.

Whether you're a longtime WID member, attending SMD for the first time, or looking to grow your network, we hope you'll join us!

📅 During the 2026 Space & Missile Defense Symposium
📍 Huntsville, Alabama

Reserve your spot here:
https://signinsolutions.com/event/smd-happy-hour

We look forward to seeing you there!