“Professionally, I’ve learned how to better my executive presence, set clear actionable goals, and set boundaries and how to hold myself and those who I work with accountable for those goals”
Called to a life of service, Tracy Pumford joined the Army National Guard over 21 years ago. Since then, she has also served in the Air National Guard where she earned her wings as a pilot, and more recently transitioned to the Air Force Reserve flying the KC-135 Stratotanker. Tracy found our Women Veterans Lead program while looking for opportunities to grow professionally in order to step into the civilian world while continuing her service in the Reserves.
After dedicating two decades to military service, while her experience in aviation and defense was prominent on her resume, her connections in the civilian sector were limited. She knew the value of building such connections for industry insights, career opportunities, and collaborations. Even before the first WVL meetings, Tracy was looking forward to building her network of active-duty, veteran, and civilian women, and was eager to get to know her fellow cohort participants.
Through our WVL programming, Tracy capitalized on the opportunity to do just that. The relationships she built, she reflected on later, were far more than professional resources who could provide industry insight. “This program is a lot more than networking. It’s about forming genuine connections and I’m excited to take those relationships forward with me through my life and the rest of my career.” Tracy acknowledged that “getting to know these amazing, diverse women, getting to know their stories, and learning together” was by far the greatest thing she took from the program.
Connecting with other women who had served, Tracy found that many of them shared experiences and values from their time in the military. Through their conversations, several common themes emerged, and one stood out prominently for Tracy. “Coming from the military, we’ve always put service before self” she shared. After over two decades of service, Tracy had given a lot of herself to the military. “One thing I’ve learned through the cohort is you can’t take care of things at work if you’re not taking care of yourself. You cannot take care of our family if you are not first taking care of yourself.” WVL’s emphasis on self-care resonated deeply with Tracy and her new network of military sisters. As she prepared to step into the civilian sector, Tracy knew she would take this new value for self-care with her onto her next mission.
Since the program concluded, Tracy was selected into a major airline pilot program, she was thrilled to accept the position of First Officer and assigned the 737. While she remains dedicated to her service as a reservist, Tracy has also found new heights to soar to with the support of her WVL Alumni community.
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