2003 DoD SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT CONFERENCE AGENDA

"Expanding Roles of Spouse Employment Professionals"

 

 

The 2003 DoD Spouse Employment Conference is being held in conjunction with the Association of Job Search Trainers (AJST) Annual Training Conference. Click here for more information about the 2003 AJST Conference, including registration and room rates.

Click here for the proceedings of the 2002 Spouse Employment Summit.

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Jean Marie Ward is the Senior Policy Advisor for Spouse Employment and Technology in the DoD Office of Family Policy (OFP). She is responsible for directing DoD spouse employment policy and managing OFP family program technology initiatives.

Erin Walerko is Adecco's Recruitment Director for Career Accelerator Program. Previously she was Program Manager for Transition and Spouse Employment at Marine Corps Headquarters.

Joyce Wessel Raezer
Director, Government Relations:

Joyce was promoted to Associate Director, Government Relations for the National Military Family Association in December 2000. An Association by-laws revision, effective December 2001, changed the position title to Director, Government Relations. Joyce started her volunteer work with NMFA in September 1995 and became Education Specialist in 1996. In February 1998, she was selected for the paid position of Senior Issues Specialist for the Association and was named Deputy Associate Director of the Government Relations Department in June 1999. Joyce monitors issues relevant to the quality of life of the families of the Uniformed Services and represents the Association at briefings and meetings of other organizations, Members of Congress and their staffs, and members of the Executive branch.

Joyce has represented military families on several committees and task forces for offices and agencies of the Department of Defense and military Services, including the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) and the TRICARE Management Activity (TMA). She has been a member of the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) Patron Council since February 2001, representing active duty family members. She is a member of the Army's Youth Education Working Group. Joyce serves on four committees of The Military Coalition and is co-chair of the Personnel, Compensation and Commissaries Committee. She served as a beneficiary representative, from September 1999 to December 2000, on a Congressionally mandated Federal Advisory Panel on DoD Health Care Quality Initiatives. She was a member of the planning committee for the national conference on "Serving the Military Child" held October 1998 in Arlington, VA. From June 1999 to June 2001, Joyce served on the first national Board of Directors for the Military Child Education Coalition.

Joyce was the 1997 recipient of NMFA's Margaret Vinson Hallgren Award for her advocacy on behalf of military families and the Association. She also received the "Champion for Children" award from the Military Impacted Schools Association in 1998.

A Maryland native, Joyce earned a B.A. in History from Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and a M.A. in History from the University of Virginia. An Army spouse of 20 years and mother of two children, she has lived in Washington, D.C. (3 tours), Virginia, Kentucky, and California. She is a former teacher and is an active volunteer school parent.