Speakers for 2024
Veterans Talking To Veterans
@National Museum of Military Vehicles
Mark Gordon
Governor
State of Wyoming
Mark Gordon grew up on the family ranch in Kaycee, Wyoming, where he learned the values of hard work, integrity, and the importance of working together. As Governor, he brings those values to the table, maintaining his commitment to a Wyoming where her citizens can pursue their dreams while the state retains her unique character. He strongly believes that Wyoming must chart its own course and is a steadfast defender of its interests to do so.
As a conservative, Governor Gordon has worked tirelessly to set Wyoming on a sustainable fiscal path. He is committed to making government more transparent, accessible, productive, and efficient. He believes government is best when it is closest to the people and is committed to giving local communities the tools they need to thrive. He is a staunch advocate of quality education in all modes, public and private, and for all children.
Governor Gordon served as Wyoming State Treasurer from October 2012 until January 2019, when he was sworn in as Governor. During his time in office, he was ranked in the top 100 "most significant and impactful public investor executives." In addition, under his guidance, Wyoming's sovereign funds earned a No.1 ranking for the United States and No.3 in the world for transparency by the Peterson Institute.
First elected Governor in 2018, he successfully led Wyoming through some historically difficult times. Consistently rated as one of the top ten governors in the country, he has spearheaded efforts to diversify Wyoming's economy from technology and finance to agriculture, energy, research, and tourism. He and his wife, Jennie, are dedicated to making Wyoming the best place to raise a family.
Shortly after becoming First Lady, Jennie called on her upbringing and management acumen as a rancher and mother to establish the Wyoming Hunger Initiative, which has meant so much for many in Wyoming suffering from food insecurity.
Governor Gordon and Jennie have four grown children - Aaron; Anne; Bea with husband Austen and their son Crawford; and Spencer with wife Sarah, their son Everett, and twin daughters Violet and Eloise.
Henry L. Huntley
Brigadier General (Retired), U.S. Army
Executive Director
State, Local and International Engagement
Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs
Brigadier General Henry Huntley started his career as an Army infantry officer and retired after 31 years of honorable service (1983-2014).
Huntley has held many command, operational and staff assignments in a variety of stateside locations, which included two tours in the Pentagon. He has spent considerable time overseas, but his favorite assignment, with his family, was in Stuttgart, Germany.
As well as serving in Germany, Huntley served a considerable amount of time on the Continent of Africa, Germany and had service in Southwest Asia/Middle East.
In 2003, He deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as the Deputy Chief of Communications and Public Affairs for Coalition Forces Land Component Command and Combined Joint Task Force-7. He deployed again in 2007 in support of Multi-National Forces Iraq.
Later in his career, he served as the Deputy Commanding General for The United States Army’s Recruiting Command also known as USAREC. He completed his final assignment in the US Army as director for Human Resources Policy Directorate (transforming it to the now) Army Resiliency Directorate (ARD), with Headquarters, Department of the Army- G1.
Following retirement, and in 2015, Huntley started his journey with the Department of Veterans Affairs, seeking through “ALTRUISM” the best path to serve our nation’s finest treasure.
Today, as an Executive Director in the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, Huntley continues to advocate for Veterans, Families, Caregivers, and Survivors through state and local partnerships. His office, in concert with the Department of State and the White House, collaborates and facilitates government-to-government relations regarding Access and Education of VA benefits, Services, and Programs. And we “fight like Hell,” everyday, on behalf of those who have given so much of themselves on behalf of a grateful nation!
He is an ardent advocate of the nation’s inner-city at-risk youth and is a mentor kids and young adults — advising them to seek their fullest potential.
As a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Huntley still finds time to remain committed to the community and the Fundamental Purpose: “Achievement in Every Field of Human Endeavor.”
Brigadier General Huntley’s military education includes Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, The Defense Information School, Command and General Staff College, Joint Professional Military Education Phase II (JCWS), Pentagon Staff Officer Course, and the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, PA. Huntley also attended Kentucky State University for his undergraduate degree. He earned two Master’s Degrees in Public Administration from Central Michigan University, and Strategic Studies while a student at the United States Army War College, and is a graduate of the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Executive Strategic Leadership Course.
Huntley is greatly passionate about his family and Baseball! He and wife, Faye, have two wonderful children who have provided the Huntley family with a son-in-law and a daughter-in-law, and four BEAUTIFUL grandchildren, and he’s extremely proud of them.
Conrad Washington
Executive Director
Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships (CFBNP)
Conrad Washington serves as the Director, for the VA Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships (CFBNP). In this capacity, he provides collaborative strategic leadership to develop and cultivate partnerships with faith-based, non-profit, and community organizations. These partnerships assist to increase awareness and enrollment in VA programs and services for Veterans, their families, survivors, caregivers and other beneficiaries.
Previously, Mr. Washington served in the VA Corporate Senior Executive Management Office (CSEMO) administratively supporting CSEMO’s mission of delivering an enterprise-wide approach to executive personnel management for the VA’s nearly 600 senior executives and equivalents. He also served in the Office of the Secretary supporting senior leadership. Prior to joining the VA, he served as the Information Security Specialist supporting the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) in security education. Mr. Washington retired from the United States Marine Corps with 20 years of active duty service to include a combat tour in 2004 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II (OIF-II). Positions during his military career include; Administrative/Personnel Chief, USMC Senior Drill Instructor, Formal Schools Instructor, and Adjunct Faculty.
Mr. Washington is a licensed Minister actively serving. He received his MDiv in Pastoral Studies from Moody Theological Seminary, MA in Business Management from the University of Redlands and a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Education from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. Additionally, he was a participant in the VA’s Secretary Leadership Forum 2023 and a graduate of VA’s class of 2017 Virtual Aspiring Leaders Program (VaLP).
David "Clay" Ward
Director, Office of Rural Engagement
Acting Director, Office of Tribal Relations
VA Office of Intergovernmental and Public
David “Clay” Ward serves as the Director, Office of Rural Engagement (ORE), an office within the Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs. As the Rural Desk Officer, Clay leads the VA in collaboration with the White House Domestic Policy Council, Rural Partners Network (RPN) and the Rural Prosperity Inter-Agency Policy Council. Through the RPN, Federal agencies are renewing their commitment to rural communities by providing targeted staffing, tools, and resources. For VA, the ORE engages with internal and external stakeholders to deliver outreach, communications, and coordination with rural communities so that Veterans can more easily access the health care, benefits, and other resources they have earned.
Clay also serves as the Acting Director for the Office of Tribal Government Relations (OTGR). OTGR works to strengthen and build closer relations between VA, tribal governments, and other key federal, state, private, and non-profit partners to respectfully serve Veterans across Indian Country.
Clay’s father was a combat Vietnam Veteran and so he brings a special enthusiasm to his work at VA. He shares what he knows from personal family experience and the positive impact VA services and benefits make on the lives of Veterans and their families. Clay has extensive experience working in the Indian Health Service, tribal health programs, urban Indian health programs, and rural communities. He recently served in OTGR as a program analyst and the Designated Federal Officer for the Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs.
Clay is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and received a Master of Science in Human Resources (Counseling) from East Central University and a Bachelor of Arts from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. In 2022, he completed the Public Health Graduate Training Certificate in American Indian Health from the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health.
Leigh-Ann Webster
Executive Director
National Board for Health & Wellness Coaches
Leigh-Ann Webster is an influential leader in the field of health and wellness coaching, currently serving as the Executive Director of the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) since 2015. Under her guidance, the NBHWC has established itself as a beacon of professional training and education standards, nurturing a thriving community of over 10,000 National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coaches globally.
Before her tenure at NBHWC, Leigh-Ann honed her expertise as the Director of Business and Partnerships for professional triathlete, Lesley Paterson. She also founded 52 Healthy Weeks; a venture dedicated to empowering women striving for healthier, more active lifestyles. As a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach, Certified Personal Trainer, and DPP Lifestyle Coach, Leigh-Ann's dedication to advancing the field is evident through her contributions as a speaker at various health and wellness conferences, seminars, and podcasts.
Leigh-Ann is an alumna of the University of California San Diego (UCSD) and actively contributes to the community as a board member of the San Diego Mission Valley YMCA. She also lends her expertise to the advisory board of the National Wellness Institute and serves on the Global Wellness Institute’s Wellness Coaching Initiative team. Additionally, Leigh-Ann volunteered with Civil Air Patrol from 2020 to 2022 and currently sits on the advisory council for Preventia. Leigh-Ann is deeply committed to helping individuals lead healthier more active lives and believes strongly in the power of social connection. Beyond her professional pursuits, Leigh-Ann finds joy in family time, exploring National Parks, tackling endurance events, culinary creativity in the kitchen, and nurturing the next generation of business leaders through mentoring.
Tim Sheppard
Executive Director
Wyoming Veterans Commission
Tim retired from the Army after a 40-year career which included serving as the Chief of Staff for the Wyoming Army National Guard. As an Army Engineer, he enjoyed completing construction projects throughout Wyoming and the world. Currently, he serves as the Executive Director of the Wyoming Veterans Commission. Along with serving as the distinguished past governor for the Rocky Mountain District of Kiwanis; president of the board of directors for Raising Readers in Wyoming; vice-president of the board of directors for the Cheyenne After School for Kids program and as past-president of the board for the Cheyenne YMCA. He's also a regional director for the First Lady's Wyoming Hunger Initiative (WHI). He holds an MS in Strategic Studies from the Army War College. Tim graduated from Leadership Wyoming in 2007 and currently serves as its chairman of the board. He's also participating in the Wyoming Academy 2024--a collaboration between Leadershipship Wyoming and the Wyoming Business Council. He is married with seven children, including two sets of back-to-back twins.
Dr. Julie Elledge
CEO
Mentor Agility & Founder of Veterans Talking To Veterans
Dr. Julie Elledge has enjoyed a successful, diverse career as an educator, a therapist, an entrepreneur and a world-class coach. It is as a master certified coach (MCC), the highest certification in the coaching community worldwide, that she found her calling sharing her passion for innovation and storytelling with others.
As an educator, with her PhD in Education, Julie specialized in creativity and organizational dynamics, collaborating to build education and training programs for Apple Education, Twentieth Century Fox, NOAA, BP and INEEL, often using her gifts for storytelling to advance client goals.
Dr. Elledge, as a licensed therapist, has helped clients of every social and economic level navigate the challenges clients face when they’ve experience trauma while maintaining their dignity and self esteem.
Her coaching practice has grown from those foundations of creativity, storytelling, and the importance of self. The creator of the Hero’s Journey® Change Model, Julie pioneered such techniques as trauma informed coaching, cinema coaching, nature coaching, and Financial Well-Being coaching to guide clients through challenges by integrating story to project a clients’ challenges as parts of their story. Her method puts clients on the path to a life that engenders heroic achievement and satisfaction.

The formation of Mentor Agility has allowed Julie to use her creativity and diverse skill set to broaden the skills and perspectives of professional coaches, to become proficient and creative in the applications of their creativity to arouse in their clients the ability to become the heroes of their own stories. She has sought out the best, both in the coaching industry and in other realms of expertise, to create a company steeped in story.
Her work with veterans and our protectors are near to her heart. Being a part of their healing journey is a great privilege, especially as those that serve do what gives them the most pleasure — to serve others.
Julie and her family have lived for over 20 years in the natural world and the grandeur of Jackson Hole, where health and a rousing story are all part of the life and the ethos she inspires at Mentor Agility.
