CW Speakers: Ask the Experts

Marene Allison – Corporate Executive
Vice President of Global Security, Medco
(USMA, 1980)

Marene Allison is the Vice President of Global Security for Medco. She has an extensive military and investigations background and is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy. In 1980, Marene was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Military Police Branch. She served as a platoon leader and executive officer of the 502 Military Police Company, 2nd Armored Division in Ft. Hood, Texas, and was also the post traffic and safety officer. She was then transferred to Ft.
McClellan where she taught military police tactics to Lieutenants, Captains and Sergeants. In 1986, Marene became a special agent in the FBI, and served in San Diego and Newark working on investigations such as drug trafficking organizations and background checks for Supreme Court judges. In 1988, Marene helped write and participate in Compass Rose 88, an emergency response to a mock nuclear terrorism attack.

In 1992 she became the Vice President of Loss prevention of Security and Safety for the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company. In 2002 she joined Avaya as the Director of Global Security and in 2005 joined Medco as their Chief Security Officer.

She is both airborne and air assault qualified. While in the Army, Marene was awarded the Army Service Ribbon, Humanitarian Service Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, and an Army Commendation Medal. She also won numerous awards for excellent investigative work while in the FBI.

Marene has been a member of American Society of Industrial Security International since 1992, currently serving on their Board of Directors. She has served on the Overseas Advisory Council of the US State Department, and is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. She was appointed to the Defense Advisory Committee of Women in the Services (DACOWITS), 2000-2002, by the Secretary of Defense and is the New Jersey State Congressional Coordinator for the US Military Academy.

Feyi Boroffice – Off/On-Ramping Guru
President, 2Hats Network

Feyi Boroffice is the Co-Founder and President of 2Hats Network an organization dedicated to provide challenging and stimulating opportunities for professional women (and men) who step out of the workforce to raise their children and spend quality time with loved ones. The organization has a two-fold objective. 2Hats provides opportunities for professionals who step out of the workforce to stay connected to the business world. 2Hats provides career counseling, business training and networking support to members from the day they decide to
step out of the workforce until the day they choose to return, no matter how long that may take. Conversely, 2Hats helps progressive companies attract and retain high potential women who want to take time off by keeping them connected to the company while they are out, and ensuring a smooth on-boarding process when they return.

Before establishing 2Hats, Feyi had a career in finance with work experience at Exxon Mobil Corporation and Ernst & Young LLP. She has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Boston University, where she graduated summa cum laude. She is also a Certified Public Accountant. She is married with a young son.

Vice Admiral Vivien Crea – Military Top Gun
Vice Commandant, USCG
(OCS, 1974)

On June 2, 2006, the Coast Guard and one of its women made history. Vice Admiral (VADM) Vivien S. Crea became the Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard, making her the first woman ever to serve as a deputy service chief in any of the US Armed Forces. She serves as the Coast Guard’s second in command and is the Agency Acquisition Executive. Prior to her assignment as Vice Commandant, she served as Commander, Atlantic Area, and concurrently as Commander, Coast Guard
Defense Forces East. She was the operational commander for all Coast Guard activities within the eastern half of the world. Atlantic Area ranges from the Rocky Mountains to the Arabian Gulf and spans an area of responsibility that includes five Coast Guard Districts, 42 states and over 14 million square miles, more than 30,300 military and civilian employees, and almost 30,000 auxiliarists. Previous assignments include Commander, First Coast Guard District, Chief Information Officer and Director of Research and Development for the Coast Guard; Chief, Office of Programs (budget development and advocacy); Commanding Officer, Air Station Clearwater; Executive Assistant to the Commandant of the Coast Guard; Commanding Officer, Air Station Detroit; Operations Officer, Air Station Borinquen; and Military Aide to President Reagan. A Coast Guard aviator, Vice Admiral Crea flew the HC-130 Hercules turboprop, HH-65 Dolphin helicopter, and Gulfstream II jet. Vice Admiral Crea is a Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan Fellow and holds master’s degrees from MIT and Central Michigan University, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas. Personal awards include the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit (four awards), and the Meritorious Service Medal.

Lani Hay – Millionaire Entrepreneur
President & CEO of Lanmark Technology, Inc.
(USNA, 1997)

Lani Hay is the President and CEO of Lanmark Technology (LMT), Inc. Headquartered in Fairfax, VA, LMT is an SBA 8(a) certified, Woman-owned, Service-Disabled Veteran-owned, Small Disadvantaged Business providing the full range of information technology services, program management oversight, and administrative and management support to clients in the federal government and commercial sectors. In 2007, Lani expanded upon her entrepreneurial and philanthropic passions
by incorporating One Voice Solutions, LLC, an innovative technology based directory publishing company, Blak Lava, LLC, a one stop telecommunications solutions provider, and One Voice Hawaii, a Hawaii state nonprofit organization serving the Native Hawaiian community.

Lani has grown LMT from a one-woman consulting firm to a highly regarded, employee oriented, multi-million dollar technology business enterprise providing services and systems strengthening the Federal Government. Under Lani’s leadership, LMT has rapidly become a recognized name that federal agencies and industry leaders have grown to trust to deliver cost effective solutions through sound business practices. LMT’s clients include Federal Defense and Civilian Agencies, State and City Government offices, and several commercial clients to include small businesses and Fortune 500 companies.

Prior to forming LMT, Lani honorably served the United States as a Naval Intelligence Officer and is an acknowledged expert on patrol reconnaissance operations and overhead collection assets. She is also a recognized tactical intelligence expert in European, Middle Eastern, and Far Eastern military operations.

Lani has been bestowed with numerous awards, some of which include: the National Association of Professional Asian American Women’s (NAPAW) 2003 Outstanding Small Business Award; the Asian American Business Roundtable’s (AABR) Service-disabled Veteran-owned Small Business of the Year, recognized as Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 Rising Star (2005). In 2006, the Small Business Administration’s Washington District Office named LMT Minority-owned Business of the Year, and Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) recognized LMT as one of the Top Five Fastest Growing Women-owned Businesses in America. In 2007, the Business Women’s Network (BWN) named Lani its Woman to Watch, Enterprising Women honored Lani with its Enterprising Woman of the Year Award, Office Depot named Lani its Businesswoman of the Year, and the Minority Enterprise Executive (MEE) Council named Lani as one of the Top 25 Most Powerful Minority Women in Business. Lani and LMT have been featured and profiled in many publications to include the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Business Week.

Lani has demonstrated a strong commitment to giving back to her community. She is the founder and Chairwoman of the National Association of Veteran-owned Businesses (NAVOB) and One Voice Hawaii and is an active member of numerous organizations. Lani also mentors inner city youth, socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, military veterans, and military academy students. Her service on a global scale is marked by her personal interest and contributions to rebuilding communities in Darfur, Rwanda, and Afghanistan, her support of and partnership with organizations that are dedicated to the economic empowerment of women entrepreneurs abroad, and her continuous contributions to Tsunami and earthquake relief work.

Lani currently resides in Washington D.C. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the United States Naval Academy, a Master of Business Administration degree from the College of William and Mary's Mason School of Business, and a Master’s Certificate in Government Contracting from George Washington University. Lani has also completed continuing education courses at Hawaii Pacific University, Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and the Esalen Institute.

Kate Kohler – Wall Street Professional
Investment Representative
Private Wealth Management Group, Morgan Stanley
(USMA, 1996)

Ms. Kate Kohler is an investment representative with Morgan Stanley’s Private Wealth Management Group in New York, New York. She develops customized asset management solutions for wealthy families and institutions, specializing in investment strategy, asset allocation, and estate planning.

Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Kate served the United States as an Army Military Police Officer. She served as the Company Commander of the 557th Military Police Company at Camp Humpreys, Republic of Korea, an aide-de-camp at Fort Hood, Texas, and platoon leader in the 1st Cavalry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas, Tuzla, Bosnia, and Udari Range, Kuwait.

Kate is a board member of the West Point Society of New York. She is an active volunteer and mentor for Friends of Army Swimming and the Harvard Business School Alumni Association of New York. She represents Morgan Stanley to the Counsel on Foreign Relations’ Corporate Leaders Program. Kate is a competitive age-group runner, triathlete, and an Ironman finisher. She coaches swimming for the Terrier Triathlon Team in New York.

Kate is a native of Towanda, Pennsylvania. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from the United States Military Academy, a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School, and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Amy Markert – High Tech Professional
Product Sales Specialist, Cisco Systems
(USAFA, 1981)

Amy Markert is a Product Sales Specialist for Cisco Systems, Inc., responsible for the sale of Unified Communications (UC) solutions to Department of Defense customers in the western United States and the Pacific Rim. Amy is a member of Cisco’s Federal organization which is responsible for nearly $2B annually in revenues.
Her 30 years of experience in the telecommunications and information technology (IT) field began when she graduated from the US Air Force Academy in 1981 and became a Communications-Computer Systems officer in the USAF. She served in various leadership roles at bases in the Southeastern US, Korea, and Hawaii, culminating her career with a special assignment to the White House Communications Agency in Washington, D.C. where she traveled in direct support of the President of the United States.

After retiring from the USAF, Amy has worked in IT Sales and support positions at several leading telecom/IT companies to include Space Systems/LORAL, AT&T, Nortel, and Cisco.

Amy lives in El Dorado Hills, CA and enjoys the many outdoor activities available in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and nearby Lake Tahoe. She has retired from sport parachuting (she was the first woman on the US Air Force Academy Parachute team and has just over 1000 jumps) and now prefers gardening, reading, and traveling.

Jana L Reed – Social Innovator
Director of Talent and Partnerships,
Commongood Careers

Jana L Reed is the Director of Talent and Partnerships at Commongood Careers. Commongood is a search firm that connects talented individuals to nonprofit organizations that are dedicated to creating positive social change. Founded and staffed by nonprofit professionals, Commongood Careers offers personalized, engaged services to job seekers and organizations throughout the hiring process, as well as access to a wealth of knowledge about nonprofit organizations. Jana has over 14 years
of experience in the nonprofit, private and public sectors. Prior to joining Commongood Careers, Jana was the Director of Business Development at Building Excellent Schools, a national training program for aspiring charter school founders. While there, Jana successfully designed and implemented an aggressive business plan in cities across the country. In addition, she was the primary recruiter for the organization, successfully identifying aspiring charter school founders to apply to the highly competitive year-long Fellowship. In the private sector, Jana was a founding team member of Advantage Schools, Inc. a national education management company. There she was instrumental in working with educators, parents, local governance, and political leaders to launch urban schools across the country. In the public sector, she worked for Governor William F. Weld of Massachusetts. Jana is an active volunteer with political, civic and cultural concerns. She holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Simmons College .