This week’s Monday spotlight is on Jen Wilson, the COO of Army Week Association.
Jen Wilson grew up in Monroe, Louisiana, then attended LSU where she graduated with a degree in Kinesiology in 2002. Before graduating, she had to decide where to fulfill the internship portion of her degree requirements. While sitting in her Miller Hall dorm room on LSU’s campus, she watched the tragic events of September 11, 2001 unfold. She says “I knew then that New York City was where I was going.” She applied for only NYC internships and was lucky enough to receive one at the NBC Health and Fitness Center. She moved to New York having never visited the city before and knowing no one, completed her internship, and was offered a position where she’s been for 11 years.
Although Jen is a civilian, she’s always felt pride for the men and women that serve our country. She said she feels this way because of her grandfather, SGM Ernie Lucien, who was an Army engineer in WWII. He survived the onslaught of Omaha Beach on DDAY and drew up the battle plans for the Battle of the Bulge. He was awarded the Bronze Star for heroism and service in combat. She reveals, “ When I think of the things that must have been going through his mind as the door to his boat opened and he literally had to look death and destruction square in the eyes and proceed with the mission, I don’t think there’s anything I can’t accomplish. I find a lot of strength and inspiration knowing that fearlessness and commitment to cause runs through my veins.”
After watching numerous friends she grew up with enlisting and serving over the last 12 years and knowing it was time to do her part, she decided to join NBC’s Veterans Network in 2011 where she began getting involved with the veteran cause in New York City. She says, “Some of us are born to serve, and the rest of us are born to serve them. We all have a part in this together.” Throughout 2011-2012, Wilson became more and more involved with activities, events, and outreach in NYC. In early 2013, the CEO of Army Week Association Chris Page, asked her to be a part of AWA and help him build the next great service organization. They’ve built it from the ground up together, and although its early, Jen says AWA has the potential to be a big player in the veteran space. Shes convinced that between herself and Chris Page, that they’re unstoppable, “ There is so much to be done and so much assistance needed for our veterans and their families. Chris and I have big dreams for this company, and we won’t stop until we’ve reached them.” Jen has always had a passion and drive to help our veterans. Her main goal and dream for Army Week Association is to become the facilitator and purveyor of help, hope, and education for our veterans and their families.
Since coming aboard at Army Week Association, she’s taken part in many different events. She counts her most memorable “being in the Pentagon for the first time and having meetings in the area that was destroyed on 9/11, hosting and escorting Medal of Honor Awardee Ty Carter and his wife Shannon Carter in New York City, and hosting the US Army 238th Birthday Gala in June.” Out of all them though, the one that sticks out the most was taking part in the ceremony with Purple Heart Homes in Manchester, Ct, handing over keys to the home they’d built for wounded SSG Sandra Lee. Jen says, “that was tangible, immediate feedback of the “good” we had accomplished.”
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