LDS Biographies

Sandra Williams Ortega
Ph.D., Culture as a Leadership Dynamic/Workplace Human Relations Risk Factors/Socio-Geopolitical Impact of Minorities in the Military

Sandy Ortega is President of the Educational and Management Consulting Firm of Ortega Associates, and Adjunct Faculty member at the Institute for Chemical Dependency, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. She is a social worker and internationally certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor with a B.A. in French and Spanish and an M.S. in Counseling Psychology. She has completed all course work for a Ph.D. in Sociology. In 1958, during the Civil Rights turmoil, a door of opportunity previously closed to women of color was opened when Ms. Ortega was appointed to the United States Air Force Officer Corps by the President of the United States. That historic event paved the way for her lifelong involvement as a community and organizational change agent for the military and for Federal, state, and local governments. As a consultant on individual and organization transitions; human relations assessment and mission-readiness; curriculum design, community outreach and integration; and public health and safety, her clients have included the U.S. Army, the Air Force Space Command, School Districts in New Jersey and the Mojave Desert of California, the Department of Health and Human Services, Campfire Girls and Boys, Inc., the Department of Transportation, the New Jersey Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse and Up With America, International. Prior to founding Ortega Associates, Ms. Ortega was a military officer and executive level civilian in the United States Air Force for 30 years, serving as Federal Women's Program Coordinator, Chief of Education Services and Family and Community Advisor to commanders of major Air Force installations in Europe and the United States. Her many accomplishments have included the creation of service-delivery systems adopted by military and civilian organizations worldwide. In 1982, Sandy created the Family Support Center, a one-stop focal point to address concerns and needs of military family members-called a model program. In 1984, she established the International Spouse Support Group to address unmet needs of the large foreign-born spouse population within the U.S. military and to facilitated their acculturation into military and American life. This approach was presented at the Transcultural Symposium Universities as a conceptual model for institutions of higher learning to aid foreign-born students and their families. In 1987, to counter the expense of frequent relocations, Sandy wrote and negotiated a Memorandum of Agreement with PA and NJ utility companies called the Utility Deposit Waiver Program. This corporate/military collaboration waives the high costs paid by military families for installation of utilities and was so successful it was documented in Airman magazine. Until her retirement, she served as advisor to Women in Uniform, a counseling and educational network of women veterans formed to help new female recruits succeed within the nontraditional, male-oriented structure of the military systems. Her Stress Management Seminars for Executive Spouses allowed spouses of leaders in executive positions to reframe, appreciate and manage varied and busy lives and had a direct impact on organizational satisfaction and retention. Ms. Ortega has received numerous awards and honors. She is an appointed member of the Minority Concerns Committee of the New Jersey Superior Court and sits on the board of such agencies as Children's Services, Philadelphia. She is a founding member of Toastmaster's International and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority in Europe; and a charter member of Women in Military Service for America. She was named Distinguished Alumna of the Year by a consortium of Historically Black Colleges and Universities; honored by the United States Congress for efforts on behalf of veterans' health care; and in 1999, she was inducted into the ROTC Hall of Fame of her Alma Mater, Morgan State University. She is a sought-after public speaker and has held elected office for seven years.

Back to LDS Biography Index

Top of Page

General Information :: About our Courses :: Participant Login :: Agency Partners :: Knowledge Links :: Privacy Policy :: Contact & Help :: Site Map :: Leadership Home