Women in Defense is the organization for professionals working in the area of national defense to learn from, inspire, and support each other.
ABOUT US
NETWORKING
We are a non-profit organization run entirely by a network of dedicated volunteers. Working together, we promote connections and build relationships.
LEADERSHIP
We produce meaningful professional development and networking events that provide members with opportunities to learn, grow, and feel energized about their career.
SCHOLARSHIPS
We support competent individuals who are working toward careers in defense and national security by offering two scholarship programs.
MEET THE BOARD
Ashleigh Moore
President & Secretary
Ashleigh Moore is a Director at Booz Allen Hamilton and oversees complex cross-functional market delivery teams supporting NAVWAR and NAVSEA missions. She specializes in Operations Management and Strategic Planning, while also leading functional teams in the areas of Mission Integration, Integrated Logistics and Program Security. She holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Arizona’s Global Campus (formerly Ashford University), a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of San Diego, is a certified Project Management Professional, and has received several awards throughout her career. Prior to working in the Defense industry in January of 2006, Ashleigh was an entrepreneur, legal assistant and high school girls’ basketball coach. In her spare time, she enjoys discovering new restaurants throughout San Diego County, traveling and spending time with her family.
Ashleigh Moore
President
Denese Cordaro
Vice President
Denese Cordaro is a Professor of Program Management and Financial Management for DAU’s West Region in San Diego, CA. Denese has a dynamic background of over 25 years of experience in program management, financial management, financial consulting, and software development.
Denese began her career as a software developer for PricewaterhouseCoopers. She moved to San Diego in 2001 where she joined KPMG Consulting supporting NAVWAR 8.0 to roll out its pilot program for Navy ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning). Denese was handpicked to move to the NAVWAR 1.0 Comptroller Office where she served as the Financial Systems Functional and Training Manager and supported numerous projects, including serving as the audit liaison, a Cross-SYSCOM Navy ERP Business policy developer, and a guest lecturer in the innovative Learning and Development Program.
Prior to joining DAU, Denese served both the Navy and the Space Force. For the Navy, Denese served as a Business Financial Manager (BFM) and in the Comptroller shop at Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) for over 20 years. She served as the Lead BFM in multiple Program Offices, working routinely with NAVSEA and NAVAIR and on a broad range of programs. She managed various ACAT programs, many employing Adaptive Acquisition Framework pathways. At the end of her Navy tour, she was the Acting Navy Cybersecurity Program Office Deputy Program Manager.
In the Space Force, Denese was the Deputy Director for the Space Force Narrowband SATCOM Acquisition Delta. Her program office managed the $6B+ Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite constellation, a post-Milestone C ACAT 1C program that provides Ultra High Frequency (UHF) satellite communication to users across the DoD, other organizations, and coalition partners with total annual appropriated funds of ~$700M/FY/
Denese has also participated in numerous speaking engagements with NDIA, AFCEA, NATO, and local academia.
Denese Cordaro
Vice President
Ali Wesley
Treasurer
Ali is honored to serve as the Treasurer for Women in Defense, where she is dedicated to empowering women in the defense sector through financial stewardship and strategic planning. With a background in finance, accounting and data analytics in the defense sector, she brings expertise in financial management and organizational development. She has been at Booz Allen Hamilton as a Financial Analyst for almost 5 years. In her role at Booz, Ali oversees fiscal responsibility and reporting and supports initiatives that promote the advancement of women in national security and defense. Ali holds a Masters degree in Accounting from California Baptist University and is currently working towards a Masters degree in Data Analytics from Johns Hopkins University. In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her daughter and husband, reading good books and exploring new coffee shops.
Ali Wesley
Treasurer
Brooke Weinert
Membership Director
Brooke is the Founder and CEO of Mount Indie, a specialized firm operating exclusively in the GOVCON space. Mount Indie focuses on delivering comprehensive talent acquisition solutions within the highly regulated and competitive cleared market. Under Brooke’s leadership, Mount Indie has successfully facilitated thousands of hires for critical roles across the DoD, Federal, and Intelligence Community (IC) sectors. Her strategic direction has not only led the company to achieve significant milestones in recruiting but has also enabled the establishment of key strategic partnerships and the expansion into subcontracting services to further support client needs.
With over a decade of experience in recruiting for the DoD, Federal, and IC industries, Brooke’s journey began with leading and developing talent acquisition teams within large GovCon enterprises. Brooke founded Mount Indie in 2018 with a clear mission: to build a firm that could address the specific pain points and challenges faced by government contractors when it comes to recruiting cleared talent. Since then, Mount Indie has grown into a trusted partner in the cleared recruiting space, and landed on San Diego Business Journals list of Fastest Growing Privately Held Small Business list in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Brooke is passionate about living a healthy and active lifestyle, a commitment she carries into the culture of Mount Indie. She fosters an environment where employees are encouraged to prioritize wellness and personal growth, reflecting her belief that a thriving team is the key to sustained success.
Brooke Weinert
Membership Director
Rylie Rizzo
Marketing Director
Ms. Rizzo has experience providing corporate, contract, and direct support to the Fleet Readiness Directorate (FRD) at the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR), the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC PAC), PMW 160 Tactical Networks (CANES Agile Software Development), Commander Naval Surface Forces Pacific (CNSP), Afloat Training Group Pacific (ATGPAC), Afloat Training Group Mid-Pacific, Afloat Training Group Pacific Northwest, and Afloat Training Group Yokosuka, Tactical Training Group Pacific (TTGP), Commander Naval Surface Squadron Five (CNSS-5), Commander 5th Fleet, and Commander United States Naval Forces Central Command (C5F/CUSNC). She has provided direct and successful business capture and business development support in all Fleet Concentration Areas (FCA) as well as the Indo-Pacific Region. She currently provides corporate leadership for Human Resources, financial management, Facility Clearance (FCL) management, recruiting, staffing, website management, marketing, and IT support.
Ms. Rizzo is Vice President of Internal Operations and Facility Security Officer at Lorentzen and Associates. Lorentzen and Associates is Service-Disabled, Veteran Owned (SDVO) and Certified HUBZone Small Business on a mission to provide best-value professional and technical services through the development of collaborative and innovative solutions in complex environments.
Ms. Rizzo started her own Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB) in June of 2023, R Squared (R^2 LLC).
Ms. Rizzo is a certified examiner for the California Award for Performance Excellence (CAPE)/Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award and holds a BS from James Madison University.
Rylie Rizzo
Marketing Director
Lisa Ramsey
Sponsorship Director
Lisa Ramsey is a Senior Vice President at INDUS Technology. Lisa joined the INDUS Team in October 2021 following a rewarding career with the U.S. Navy, primarily in the Information Warfare Domain at NAVWAR. Lisa has 30+ years of DoD Acquisition experience, working on major acquisition programs and serving as the Lead Business Financial Manager (BFM) for 2 Program Executive Offices. Lisa’s focus at INDUS is on helping the company grow while providing exceptional support to our customers. Lisa is originally from Indianapolis, IN and currently resides with her family in San Diego, CA.
Lisa Ramsey
Sponsorship Director
Claire Flamand
Secretary
Claire stepped into the role of Events Director on the WID Board in December of 2023. As an extroverted and driven woman who has worked in the Defense industry for 7+ years, she is eager to get involved with this impressive community of leaders and continue to build relationships with peers and mentors that encourage her professional growth and amplify women’s voices in the national security industry.
Originally hailing from Annapolis, Maryland, Claire moved to San Diego in 2019 and currently works as a consultant at Deloitte. She holds a B.S. in Marketing at University of North Carolina Greensboro. Outside of work, Claire loves CrossFit, pickleball and cycling!
Claire Flamand
Secretary
Phylis Bushong
Events Director
Phylis Bushong is the Senior Program Manager for Fleet Operations for Sayres Defense in San Diego, California. She provides senior program management support to Department of Defense contracts, including risk management for funding of contracts, Prime and sub-contractor engagement and government customer engagement. Additionally, Phylis serves as Sayres’ Health and Wellness Coordinator and is a Society for Human Resource Management – Certified Professional.
Her program management position is preceded by a 24-year career as an Information Systems Technician in the United States Navy where she served on the USS RONALD REAGAN, USS CARL VINSON and multiple shore commands, both INCONUS and in Europe.
Phylis earned her Master of Science in Holistic Nutrition from the American College of Healthcare Sciences in 2023. Her degree is supported by her designation as a Board-Certified Holistic Nutritionist (Candidate), through the National Association of Nutrition Professionals.
She serves on the National Association of Nutrition Professionals Annual Conference Planning Committee. Additionally, she is a certified Sound Practitioner and has volunteered her services with the Veterans Administration of Loma Linda, Women’s Health Initiative, and the Temecula Valley School District. Phylis lives in the Inland Empire of California and is a proud mom to her three children.
Phylis Bushong
Events Director
Lena Gutermakher
Scholarship Director
Lena is a first-time member of the WID Sand Diego Board, and the Owner and CEO of OpAnalytx, a small business specializing in technical support services for the Department of Defense (DoD). Founded in 2018 in San Diego, CA, OpAnalytx has grown to serve clients across the United States, offering expertise in Systems Engineering and Integration, Digital Transformation, and Cybersecurity. In addition to her leadership role at OpAnalytx, she serves as a Robotics Process Automation (RPA) Program Manager for the Navy DIRSSP, bringing innovation and efficiency to complex processes. Lena’s experience includes supporting NAVWAR in PMW/A 170 as a financial and data analyst, and working across PEO C4I to adopt new data management and visualization technologies.
Lena holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of San Diego, with a specialization in Peace and Justice studies. Her diverse professional background includes roles at Amazon, Petco, and growing numerous startups specializing in internet marketing and education. Off the clock, Lena is a long-time volunteer and foster with the San Diego Humane Society. She enjoys reading a good book, exploring new hiking trails with her dog and rewarding themselves with culinary adventures throughout San Diego.
Lena Gutermakher
Scholarship Director
Cassie Helbling
Co-treasurer/Financial Chair
Cassie Helbling is the Senior Manager of Client Services at Artemis Consulting, LLC, where she serves as the Deputy Program Manager and Quality Assurance Coordinator for our support contracts across NAVWAR, PEO C4I and NIWC enterprises. In this role, she oversees teams delivering financial management, data architecture and analytics, program and acquisition management, and administrative support services.
Since joining Artemis in 2014, Cassie has supported a range of key PEO C4I program offices, including PMW 120 and PMW/A 170, providing Business Financial Management (BFM) expertise and strategic program support. She has also led BFM efforts across PMWs 130, 160, 770, and 790, bringing critical insight and value to DoD financial and program management initiatives. Known for her collaborative leadership and dedication to workforce development, Cassie plays a key role in talent acquisition and fostering a culture of growth, accountability, and high performance.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and brings over a decade of prior experience in customer-facing retail, bankruptcy, and foreclosure processing. Passionate about empowering others, Cassie is excited to share her talents with the WID San Diego Chapter where she will continue to champion career advancement, team building, and mission success across the defense community.
Cassie Helbling
Co-treasurer/Financial Chair
Emily Andrukonis
Marketing Coordinator
Emily is honored to be joining the WID Board’s Marketing team in 2026. She is passionate about connecting the defense community and is excited to further contribute to the organization.
Emily is an Engineering Manager at Noblis MSD with over seven years of experience delivering advanced information warfare capabilities for the U.S. Navy. She supports NAVWAR and NIWC Pacific projects at the Network Integration Engineering Facility (NIEF), leading teams in the design and integration of mission-critical systems.
She grew up in Northern Virginia and earned her Master’s degree from James Madison University. Emily moved to San Diego in 2018, where she enjoys spending time outdoors year-round with her dogs, Daisy and Duke. In her free time, she is often hiking, playing beach volleyball, or golfing along the San Diego coast.
Emily Andrukonis
Marketing Coordinator
Alicia Roedell
Past President
