Blue Star Families Share at Dreamforce with VetForce

Cross posted from Blue Star Families

By: Kylee Durant

As an Army spouse, TDYs (temporary duty) and weeks in the field become normal experiences woven into the fabric of our lives. Last week I experienced complete role reversal: I went on a weeklong business trip with my husband left behind to keep the wheels of life spinning. He did a fantastic job, by the way. A year ago, I could not have imagined that my career would be set on a path to making a difference through technology, supporting a military service organization (MSO).

I joined Blue Star Families as a member almost two years ago. A great friend from college encouraged me to get plugged in with the fantastic resources that BSF has to offer, including the Military Spouse Employment Toolkit. I was beginning the final year of my M.A. and planning my entrance back into the workforce, 3 children and 3 moves in 5 years later. With 6 years of strong volunteer experience under my belt, I felt empowered by the toolkit! And my experience in Business IT added more strength to my resume. When Blue Star Families posted an opening for a virtual Salesforce Administrator, it was as if the stars had aligned. Even more amazing, I joined an organization comprised of military spouses! We are the population we serve. We work hard every day to fulfill our mission because that mission lives in our homes and in our surrounding communities when the workday is done.

Last week, it was my honor to represent Blue Star Families at the annual Dreamforce conference in San Francisco, California. With over 137,000 attendees, Dreamforce has become the largest technology conference in the world. I was asked to speak on a panel of administrators that supported VSOs (Veteran Service Organizations) to achieve their mission via technology. What an exciting opportunity, especially when TDYs are rare in the military spouse world! I personally strive to fulfill the BSF mission of connecting, strengthening, and leading military families each and every day. I truly believe technology will further our reach and enable the military community to engage with key decision makers and the larger civilian population. Military families are strong, smart, and courageous. It is my honor to serve our community every single day.

Learn how Salesforce is supporting veterans and military families with VetForce and get involved: https://www.salesforce.org/vetforce