Oct. 9, 2023
By Amber Hoepner, Elbit America HR Business Analyst

Women across Elbit America attended the annual Women in Defense (WID) National Conference on Sept. 26, in Arlington, Va. This year’s theme was Tools and Ideas for Asymmetric Advantage. During the conference, which had more than 500 registrants, the nation’s leading women and men in defense gathered to share ideas on how to maximize professional opportunities and collaborate to deliver our Warfighters decisive competitive advantage across the spectrum of conflict in all domains.

Elbit America was the proud Networking Sponsor at the conference and had a booth to showcase the work we do to protect and save lives.

Two employees took on leadership roles at the conference. Amy Hartley, a communications professional at the company, represented Elbit America by serving as a networking break speaker. During her remarks, she stated that Elbit America is a consistent advocate for WID because we value the same tenets. WID’s mission is to create a diverse national security workforce equipped with the knowledge, leadership skills and connections necessary to best serve our nation. At Elbit America, we also strive to best serve our nation—by providing innovative solutions that protect and save lives.

“We believe that when you’re open and bold, great things happen no matter who you are,” Amy shared during her speech. “By championing the strengths of women and men in the Defense industry, by providing opportunities for growth, and setting a premium on a multitude of viewpoints and experiences, we all help to create an industry that is welcoming, supportive, diverse, and most especially, innovative.”

Principal Algorithm/AI Engineer Alexandra Levinson also represented Elbit America at the event by serving as a panelist during a young professional session. As a panelist, Alexandra got to share her unique perspective on how she’s created a career path and made her mark on the industry. On the topic of career advice, she spoke on the importance of asking for what you want, while taking advantage of all opportunities that are presented to you.

“Both the panel and the conference were excellent opportunities to learn different perspectives and to connect with peers internal to Elbit America and external across industry,” shared Alexandra. “It was an honor to represent Elbit America on the young professional panel and rewarding to have my voice elevated amongst the community!”

The WID National Conference included multiple panel discussions, keynote speakers, breakout sessions, networking opportunities and more! In total, 10 Elbit America women from across the country traveled to engage and connect at the conference. They also took the opportunity to network with one another by gathering for dinner and taking a self-guided walking tour near the White House and National Mall the day prior.

“The conference itself was a cool experience, but even better was the chance to meet the other Elbit America attendees who I may not have had an opportunity to get to know otherwise,” shared Laura Hunt, an executive assistant for the company's Washington Operations facility.

Each employee was able to take away valuable knowledge from the conference that they can now apply in their day-to-day activities at work. Several participants shared that topics discussed at the conference were directly applicable to their career journey, and that they were excited to apply the knowledge learned.

Melissa Bentley, Engineering Project Manager at Sparton, immediately jumped into action after returning from the conference. Empowered to make a difference, she plans to ignite a mentoring network at the Florida facility.

Learn more about WID and their mission by visiting their website at www.womenindefense.net. There, you may register for a free account to stay up to date on the latest industry news, WID events and more.