Air Force Featured Stories

2015 visionary leadership award winners announced

  • Published
  • By Janis El Shabazz
  • Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs
Air Force officials recently named the winners of the 2015 Brigadier General Wilma Vaught Visionary Leadership Award.

Named in honor of Vaught, the award recognizes service members and civilians who have exhibited innovation, commitment and a selfless spirit of service to others while inspiring others and significantly improving the integration of and opportunities for women in the Air Force.

The award winners include the following:

Maj. Miriam Krieger, Air Education and Training Command - Krieger coordinated the first Women's Marshall Scholars Forum which created a network focused on women's issues. Marshall scholarships finance post-graduate studies in the U.K. for young Americans that university academic advisers believe have the potential to excel as scholars and leaders.
As a member of the chief of staff of the Air Force's Captains Prestigious PhD program, she rallied a diverse team of volunteer subject matter experts to solve an issue of top concern: low retention and promotion rates for Air Force women.

Senior Master Sgt. Latoya Edwards-Morgan, Air Force Global Strike Command - Edwards-Morgan organized the women's history lunch and led an 18-member planning committee to a successful event. Edwards-Morgan spearheaded a 'Did You Know' women's event that celebrated 12 influential women, raising awareness and education. She was also the program manager for a Susan G. Komen program team that volunteered 40 hours and raised more than $30,000 for cancer research.

Kimberly Grabelski, Air Force Space Command - Grabelski was the first female senior analyst in the only U.S. space operations center, managing 624 intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) products - the bedrock to global space operations. Grabelski established an ISR women's council which fostered conversation on military issues, creating the foundation for future ISR projects. She provided positive female leadership and led two Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program discussions that inspired two members to volunteer as victim advocates.

For more information on Air Force recognition programs go to myPers.