{"id":43894,"date":"2016-06-29T09:18:56","date_gmt":"2016-06-29T13:18:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/lcpw\/?page_id=43894"},"modified":"2026-07-10T08:32:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T12:32:24","slug":"keynote","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/lcpw\/colloquium\/keynote\/","title":{"rendered":"Keynote"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
Women’s Leadership Colloquium at UMW<\/div>

Keynote<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>

Deshauna Barber<\/h2>

Author, Advocate, Motivational Speaker, Former Miss USA, Former Founder and President, and Former US Army Commander<\/h3>
\n
\"Headshot
Deshauna Barber<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>

Leveraging her unique experiences as an Army officer, STEM graduate, and advocate, Deshauna exemplifies the power of perseverance and resilience. Her journey from a decorated military career to becoming a top- rated speaker, sought after by Fortune 500 companies, underscores her remarkable ability to inspire and motivate. In 2019, Deshauna made history as the youngest President and CEO of the Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN), a leading nonprofit dedicated to advocating for servicewomen and female veterans. During her tenure, she championed women’s rights and resources on Capitol Hill, making significant strides in support of our nation’s service members. She has also launched a speaker mentorship course called Thrive<\/em>, a cohort-based training program with 18 aspiring students pursuing careers as motivational speakers. Deshauna holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Virginia State University, a Master of Science in Computer Information Systems and Services from the University of Maryland University College, and a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion certification from Cornell University. Crowned Miss USA in 2016, Deshauna became the first soldier to win the title. She used her platform to advocate for increased support for soldiers with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).<\/p>

Coming soon!<\/h3>

Be on the look out for the official breakout speaker announcement beginning in late July!<\/p>

Ready to register?<\/h3>

Visit the 32nd Annual Women’s Leadership Colloquium<\/a> page for all the details and registration!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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