Women Veterans Conference

The Cathedral of the Pines in Rindge, NH is sponsoring its 4th annual Women Veterans’ Conference on Saturday, September 26, 9:00 – 3:00. The conference brings together women veterans and active service women from across New England to network and share experiences and wisdom in a beautiful, non-denominational, and welcoming setting.  Keynote speaker is CAPT (ret) Lynne Blankenbeker, speaker on Grace Under Fire – the Strength and Resilience of Women Veterans.  See her bio below.

“The goal of our conference is to help women veterans across New England connect and support each other,” explained Dr. Dawn Hersey, OEF/OIF Army Veteran, Conference Chair, and Board Member for Cathedral of the Pines.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Beauty, Strength, and Resilience”. The all-day program includes presentations by experts on women’s health, healing, and feeling confident in our own skin – with emphasis on how these experiences are often uniquely different for women veterans.  The location of the conference at the Cathedral of the Pines is particularly appropriate, since it is home to the Women’s Memorial Bell Tower, the first nationally recognized memorial to American servicewomen in the country, and to the Peter J. Booras Museum, containing a section highlighting American servicewomen in World War II.  The conference will allow opportunities to explore the grounds and view the large collection of military artifacts at the Cathedral.

Companies and organizations focused on women’s health and wellness are invited to support this initiative and share information on the services they offer. To reserve a table call the Cathedral at 603.899.3300.

All women veterans and active service women are invited. The conference is free with lunch provided.  Pre–registration is required through EventBrite https://www.eventbrite.com/e/women-veterans-conference-tickets

Register HERE

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CAPT (ret) Lynne Blankenbeker earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree in 1986 from Troy State University. She earned her Juris Doctorate (JD) Degree in 2007 from Franklin Pierce Law Center, Concord, NH.  In 1986, she was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the US Air Force Nurse Corps through the Air Force ROTC Program.

Lynne spent nearly six years on Active duty at various Air Force Hospitals, including a seven month tour in the Area of Operation in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm where she served as an obstetrics nurse, a flight nurse and an operating room nurse.

In 2000, she affiliated with the Navy Reserve (NR) and spent the next 22 years of her career in multiple assignments and supporting combat operations spanning four deployments.

Noteworthy assignments included a 2003 deployment in support of Iraqi Freedom caring for wounded warriors, deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from 2011-2012 in Kandahar Afghanistan, a 3- year recall to the Pentagon to serve as the healthcare policy advisor to the Chief of Navy Reserve, a 2-year recall to the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery to serve as the Director for Navy Medicine Reserve Policy and Integration, Commanding Officer of the Reserve Naval Hospital in San Diego, deployment aboard the USNS COMFORT in 2020 in response to the COVID crisis in New Your City, and deployment  from 2021-2022 to the Joint Task Force- Guantanamo Bay, serving as the Chief Nursing Officer for medical operations in support of the law of armed conflict detainees. On November 1, 2022 she retired from the Navy Reserve after 36.5 years of commissioned service.

In her civilian capacity, Lynne is currently serving as the Senior Policy Advisor for Women, Peace and Security to the Chief of Naval Operations. Previous to this role, she served as the Director for Consumer Protection and a civil litigator for the Office of Legal Affairs in American Samoa from 2022-2024. She has also served as a prosecutor for the Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office and served two terms as an elected Representative in the New Hampshire House of Representatives from 2009-2012, where she was the Vice Chair of State and Federal Relations and Veteran’s Affairs and as a member of the Health and Human Services Committee. In 2011, Lynne was awarded the New Hampshire Woman of the Year award.

Lynne is authorized to wear the Legion of Merit (two awards), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (three awards), the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achieving Medal, the Air Force achievement Medal, and numerous campaign and outstanding unit medals and ribbons.