Faces of the Mission


Have you heard the good news? 

Julie Bright is back on the team at WAA HQ! 

She just couldn’t stay away, and man, are we happy about it. After nine years with WAA, Julie took a brief 1.5 year hiatus to focus on her young family. She re-joined the staff as the new SWAT Team/Volunteer Supervisor in September.  

In her new role, she oversees a group of core volunteers who provide support and help mentor other volunteers. In addition to that, she provides support and help to all volunteers as needed. This is a position Julie has long dreamt would become a reality with the organization because, at the heart of the program, is our volunteers. “I am excited to be in a role where I am able to focus on our volunteers making sure that they have the support they need from WAA HQ to be successful in carrying on our mission,” she said.

Julie first became involved with WAA in October of 2009 when she took a seasonal job in the accounting department. She was one of the two employees in that department, and one of five overall. Knowing very little about the organization at the time, it only took one season for Julie to be hooked and for the mission to become part of her life. In her own words, “There is just something powerful and moving about the stories you will hear from the volunteers and supporters that make you want to be involved, that make you want to help grow the mission, that make you want to make sure no veteran is forgotten.”

As Army wife and granddaughter of a WWII veteran, Julie takes solace in knowing that she is a part of something bigger that will be around long after she is gone and that those she loved who served will not be forgotten. “WAA does not just honor the veterans we take it a step further and make sure that their stories are remembered as well!”