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Veterans in Business Breakfast

Event Sponsors

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Meritum Credit Card Processing

REGISTER TODAY!

Join us for this event designed to connect veteran business professionals in our community! Presented by the Veterans Business Council, attendees will enjoy breakfast and networking, a featured speaker, and a facilitated table topic to better understand you and your business!

This event is open to all professionals - veterans, veteran advocates, and civilians. 


ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

Tanya Wheeless is the inaugural President & Chief Executive Officer of the USS Arizona Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit established to support the future USS ARIZONA (SSN 803) Virginia-class nuclear submarine, the fourth ship in U.S. history to be named for the great state of Arizona. The Foundation will also honor the memory of the USS ARIZONA (BB 39) battleship lost on December 7, 1941, in Pearl Harbor through public outreach and education. 

As the key management leader of the Foundation, Tanya has overall strategic and operational responsibility for executing the organization?s purpose and overseeing its administration, programs, and strategic plan. A native of Arizona, Tanya has twenty years of senior leadership experience. She practiced law before being named President & CEO of the Arizona Bankers Association. She then joined the Phoenix Suns as a Senior Vice President before leaving to start her own consulting business. Most recently, Tanya served as Deputy Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Martha McSally and even took her own run at elected office. 

Tanya is proud to belong to a family of veterans. Her husband, Steve, graduated from the United States Air Force Academy and served as an F-16 pilot. Both of her grandfathers served: one in the Army during WWII and the other retired from the Air Force right here at Luke AFB. Her Great-uncle Gilbert served in the Army during WWII. He was killed in the Battle of Okinawa and received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Her Great-uncle Louie retired from the Army after serving in combat in WWII and Korea. As a dedicated volunteer, Tanya has served on a number of civic and community boards including the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, Phoenix Suns Charities, and the Girl Scouts Cactus-Pines Council. She is a member of ASU?s Women and Philanthropy and Charter 100.

Tanya is a proud ASU Sun Devil who enjoys travel, the great outdoors, and Sunday dinners with family. She lives in Tempe with her husband, son, and their two pups.
 


Christopher Woodard is a member of the Gila River Indian Community who was born and raised in Chandler, Arizona where he attended elementary through High School before enlisting in the United States Army at the age of 17. He followed in his father?s footsteps and chose Infantry as his branch and completed Basic Infantry Training, Airborne School, and Ranger training before being assigned to B Company, 2nd Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment. His military assignments included various tours of duty in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other areas of operation while assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment and the 5th Special Forces Group. 

Upon retirement, he earned his Arizona General Contractors license in Residential and Commercial construction and created Woodard Construction. He earned his international Project Management Professional certification from the Project Management Institute and has provided construction services to various clients and built and managed projects in Arizona, Texas, California, and Germany where he worked on a project that housed Ukraine war refugees. He also built the first Sprung structure in Phoenix, Arizona known as the Respiro shelter which currently houses 100 homeless community members on the Human Services Campus.

Chris is an active member of his community and was named Citizen of the Year 2012 on behalf of the Mesa Fire and Medical Department for the City of Mesa, Arizona,  the Gilbert Chamber Volunteer of the Year 2021, and currently sits as a Board Member of the Feeding Our Students USA Organization while being a current member of the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce where he is an Ambassador Committee member, Veterans in Business Committee Member and sponsor of Chamber Connections and sponsor of the Annual Golf Tournament Dinner.

Chris is also a Motorcycle Safety Foundation certified motorcycle instructor and works with Team Arizona at their headquarters in Gilbert, Arizona to provide instruction to students earning their motorcycle endorsement. He enjoys spending time with family and friends while still trying to define what slowing down looks like for him.

Event Sponsors

Tier I
Meadows Bank
San Tan Ford
SRP
Valley Hope
Woodard Construction
Tier II
Park University
Wells Fargo Bank-Gilbert
Tier III
Floor Coverings International
Senior Helpers of Gilbert & Chandler
Wallick & Volk, Inc.
Veterans in Business Breakfast

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Date and Time

Tuesday Sep 26, 2023
7:45 AM - 9:30 AM MST

Location

Modern Moments
3335 E Baseline Rd, Suite A
Gilbert, AZ 85234

Additional parking available at the nearby church.

Fees/Admission

Admission: $20

Advance registration is required. Cancellations must be received no less than 72 hours prior to the event to be eligible for a refund.

Website

REGISTER TODAY!

Contact Information

Sarah Watts
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119 North Gilbert Road,Ste 101
P.O. Box 527
Gilbert, AZ 85299-0527

  • Phone: (480) 892-0056

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119 North Gilbert Road,Ste 101
P.O. Box 527
Gilbert, AZ 85299-0527

  • Phone: (480) 892-0056

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