Andrea Sanderson
Andrea "Vocab" Sanderson (poet, singer, hip hop artist) known on stage as 'Vocab' has been a spoken word artist since 2001. Vocab is a San Antonio native and she serves as a Teaching Artist for Gemini Ink since 2009 and is an artist in residence with, The Carver Community Cultural Center, for the 2020-2021 season. Vocab was a slam poet from 2004-2008, and a member of four teams that competed at the National Poetry Slam. She has featured and taught creative writing workshops at: DePauw University, Morehouse College, Cameron University, Rice University, and Trinity University and many more universities. In 2015 she traveled internationally to Abu Dhabi performing and teaching at Al Dhafra Airbase, for the troops stationed and serving active duty. In December of 2016, she was a guest teacher for the groundbreaking course: Black Women, Beyonce & Popular Culture, at University of Texas at San Antonio. This course gained international attention and is featured in various publications worldwide. Vocab was a featured teaching artist on the KLRN show Arts which aired in February of 2017. More recently her song, What Will It Take commissioned by the City of San Antonio helped to launch a COVID-19 safety campaign that can be seen and heard on radio and television.
Her debut book is entitled, She Lives In Music, Flower Song Press, February 2020. Her
music is available on all music streaming platforms. Andrea is the first black, Poet Laureate of San Antonio 2020-2023. Some of her awards include: Dream Voice 2018, People's Choice Award 2019, Best Live Entertainment/Band Musician of the Year by the 17th Annual SEA Awards in 2020, and The Arts and Letters Award by Friends of San Antonio Public Library in 2020.
For more info visit her website.
Marisol “Mari” Weymouth
Mari Weymouth is a San Antonio, Texas native, married to retired Chief Master Sergeant, Greg Weymouth, and has a daughter, Jasmine, and two step-sons, Aaron and Sonny.
- Interim VP at CPS Energy
- Co-Founder of iEmpower.org
- Certified PROSCI Experienced Change Management Practitioner
- Mentorship Scope: 20+ mentees
- Board Member for the San Antonio and Mexico Friendship Council (SAMFCO)
As Interim Vice President, Mari Weymouth leads the Enterprise Business Planning, Portfolio & Project Management Office, and the Enterprise Change Management teams at CPS Energy, a municipally owned utility in San Antonio, Texas.
Her responsibilities include the strategic alignment to-enterprise planning-to-execution to-value realization ecosystem.
- 20+ years managing people
- 17+ years in the utility industry
- First-generation college graduate
- BA with a concentration in Computer Science/Application Systems from St. Mary’s University
- MBA with a concentration in Finance from Our Lady of the Lake University
- Currently pursuing Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Leadership Studies at Our Lady of the Lake University
Mari is passionate about people and mentoring those that “meet her at the table”, focusing on accelerating individual performance and potential, ONE INDIVIDUAL AT A TIME.
Her hobbies include audiobooks, crafting and spending time with her family and three Yorkies, Mia, Wylie and Luigi.
Yorka Velasco – Caballero
Yorka Velasco-Caballero is a seasoned professional with an entrepreneurial spirit and a proven leader with over 22 years of experience in the areas of sales, marketing, and business development.
She is currently a National Field Sales Manager with Keurig Dr Pepper where she is responsible in driving commercial contracts, developing strategic programs and creating customer-centric marketing plans to drive business. In her previous roles she led high performing teams, worked in advertising campaigns for Fortune 500 brands and led business development and logistics efforts in her own company, which she later sold.
Yorka is an advocate, ally and mentor in both her organization and the community where she is passionate about service. She is the co-founder of iEmpower, an organization with the mission to inspire, elevate and promote women through mentorship and community. She was recently appointed to the board for Arts Business Collaborative based in New York City, whose clients include Tribeca Film Institute, UNC and New York Hall of Science to name a few. She is on the board for the International Coach Federation – San Antonio and an ICF accredited coach. She recently finished her tenure as a co-chair of the Women and Girls Development Fund for the San Antonio Area Foundation. She was appointed as an Angel for Texas Wall Street Woman and continues to be driving force for Prospanica’s Emerging Leaders Series (ELS), a program she co-authored and co-developed.
Yorka graduated from Yale University- Women in Leadership program in 2020 and has been appointed as a Co-Chair for Keurig Dr Pepper’s Hispanic Employee Resource Group (ERG), where she will be co-leading the companies’ Diversity and Inclusion initiatives.
She calls San Antonio home, where she lives with her husband and daughter Isabella, her son Samuel is currently attending the University of Kansas.
Brigadier General Caroline M. Miller
Brig. Gen. Caroline M. Miller is the Commander, 502d Air Base Wing and Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, which unifies 11 geographically distinct locations including JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, JBSA-Lackland, JBSA-Randolph and JBSA-Camp Bullis. The 8,000-person 502 ABW executes49 installation support functions to enable the largest joint base in the Department of Defense, consisting of 266mission partners, 80,000 full-time personnel and a local community of more than 250,000 retirees. The 502 ABW also manages and provides oversight for major projects, facilities and infrastructure worth $37 billion.
Brig. Gen. Miller commissioned from Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, in 1994. She has held several command and staff positions at the base, major command, Air Staff and Joint levels. Her command tours include the 1st Mission Support Squadron, 1st Force Support Squadron, 379th Expeditionary Mission Support Group and 633rd Air Base Wing.
Prior to her current position, Brig. Gen. Miller was the Director of Manpower, Organization and Resources, Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia.
EDUCATION
- 1990 Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, University of the Pacific, Stockton, Calif.
- 1992 Master of Arts, Experimental Psychology, American University, Washington, D.C.
- 1999 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
- 2002 Master of Arts, Organizational Management, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
- 2006 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
- 2007 Master of Arts, National Security and Strategic Studies, Naval Command and Staff College, Newport, R.I.
- 2010 Master of Arts, Strategic Studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
- June 1994 - December 1995, Squadron Section Commander, 3rd Equipment Maintenance Squadron, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska
- December 1995 - May 1996, Chief, Personnel Readiness, 3rd Mission Support Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
- May 1996 - May 1997, Chief, Customer Support, 3rd Mission Support Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
- June 1997 - May 1999, Executive Support Officer, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
- May 1999 - July 2000, Special Actions Officer, Headquarters Air Combat Command Commander's Action Group, Langley AFB, Va.
- July 2000 - May 2002, Student, Air Force Intern Program, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
- May 2002 - June 2004, Flight Commander, Military Personnel Flight, Headquarters Air Force Office of Special Investigation, Andrews AFB, Md.
- June 2004 - September 2005, Executive Officer, Air Force Senior Leader Management Office, Headquarters U.S.
Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
- September 2005 - May 2006, Assistant Executive Officer, Office of the Vice Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
- May 2006 - June 2007, Student, Naval Command and Staff College, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
- June 2007 - April 2008, Commander, 1st Mission Support Squadron, 1st Fighter Wing, Langley AFB, Va.
- April 2008 - July 2009, Commander, 1st Force Support Squadron, 1st Fighter Wing, Langley AFB, Va.
- July 2009 - April 2010, Director of Staff, 633rd Air Base Wing, Langley AFB, Va.
- April 2010 - May 2011, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
- June 2011 – June 2012, Executive Officer, Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
- June 2012 - July 2014, Director, Manpower and Personnel, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.
- July 2014 - July 2015, Commander, 379th Expeditionary Mission Support Group, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar
- July 2015 - June 2017, Commander, 633rd Air Base Wing, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
- June 2017 - June 2019, Chief, Senate Legislative Liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon ,Arlington, Va.
- June 2019 – June 2020, Director of Manpower, Organization and Resources, Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
- 21. June 2020 – present, Commander, 502d Air Base Wing and Joint Base San Antonio, Texas
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
- June 2012 - July 2014, Director of Manpower and Personnel, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., as a colonel
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
- Defense Superior Service Medal
- Legion of Merit with two oak leaf cluster
- Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
- Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster Joint Meritorious Unit Award
- Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with oakleaf cluster National Defense Service Medal
- Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
- Second Lieutenant Jan. 21, 1994
- First Lieutenant Jan. 21, 1996
- Captain Jan. 21, 1998
- Major April 1, 2004
- Lieutenant Colonel June 1, 2008
- Colonel Oct. 1, 2013
- Brigadier General July 3, 2019
Monique Diaz
Monique Diaz was born in San Antonio, Texas, where she and her two brothers were raised by their Puerto Rican mother and Dominican father. Monique earned her undergraduate degree in Sociology from the University of Texas at Austin, and her law degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law.
In 2010, Monique started her own law practice representing low-income families, victims of domestic violence, small businesses, nonprofits, and governmental entities. In the public sector, Monique served as a City Attorney and City Prosecutor for municipalities statewide, including the cities of Big Wells, Carrizo Springs, Dilley, Elmendorf, Pearsall, Pleasanton, Poteet and Somerset.
In 2018, Monique was elected to the bench as Judge of the 150th Civil District Court in Bexar County where she presides over family law matters, business and contract disputes, personal injury, oil and gas, and other civil matters. She has been recognized for her commitment to providing pro bono services by the Pro Bono College of the State Bar of Texas, and for her commitment to the ongoing study of law by the College of the State Bar of Texas. She currently serves on the Bexar County Juvenile Board, and is Co-Chair of the joint city-county Collaborative Commission on Domestic Violence.
Christina Jovanna Olivarez
Christina Jovanna Olivarez is an award-winning social media strategist and Founder & CEO of The Social Butterfly Gal.
She was born and raised in Mission, TX in the Rio Grande Valley & currently based in San Antonio, TX. As a social media strategist, she helps brands gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to use social media strategically. She's had the honor of leading social media for one of the largest cultural festivals in the nation and helping others with her 1:1 strategy & consulting services. In 2020, Christina had the privilege of presenting a TEDx talk called, “Reimagining The Way We Use Social Media.”
In addition to her social media business, Christina co-founded a women’s entrepreneurship conference & community called, Hustle + Socialize.
She serves on the board for New Leaders Council – San Antonio & is a proud member of the She Se Puede Power Squad.
When she's not behind a laptop or working with clients, you can find Christina exploring San Antonio with her husband Pete! They also love to travel, drink coffee at local coffee shops, go wine tasting, and be with their Tuxedo-cat, Maddy.
Check out The Social Butterfly Gal - Self-Care Tips (PDF)