Not only does the saying “it takes a village” apply to raising children, but it also applies to supporting veterans and their families before, during and after their deployments. With ϲ recognized as being a Best Place for Veterans, it comes as no surprise that staff members at the University have been recognized for supporting military members and their families.
Vanessa Marquette G’19, media relations specialist, and Daryl Lovell, associate director of media relations, both in the Division of Communications, were honored with separate awards.
Marquette G’19 was recognized by the National Infantry Association (NIA) with the Shield of Sparta – Heroine of the Infantry award after her husband’s most recent deployment in Africa. This honor is awarded to a spouse who has contributed significantly to the infantry. The NIA’s goal is to recognize spouses of infantrymen and other soldiers in support roles whose contributions deserve special recognition. The award is a token of appreciation for the sacrifice and commitment demanded of the spouses and supporters of infantrymen and other soldiers. It further symbolizes these individuals as true patriots with selfless ideals and the courage to send their soldier into harm’s way.
Ryan and Vanessa Marquette
Marquette’s military connections go further back as her grandfathers and great-uncle all served in WWII in the Army and Navy. Her parents, retired Chief Master Sgt. Steven Slachta G’71 and retired Lt. Col. Yvonne Slachta, both served in U.S. Air Force active duty and reserve for almost 30 years. She endured much more than typical drill weekends and long training exercises as a child as both parents were deployed overseas at times. Not only is her husband currently serving, but her nephew is in the U.S. Navy too, where she has supported his last three deployments on the USS Harry S. Truman. Her family’s dedication—and her own understanding of the sacrifices that families make—ultimately inspired her commitment to give back to the military community and to military families in many ways.
For the last 13 years, Marquette has selflessly devoted her time to supporting her husband, Ryan J.D./MPA’22, a U.S. Army veteran and member of the Army National Guard; his fellow infantrymen and their families through her work on numerous family readiness groups, according to the award. Whether it was relocating to where her husband was stationed, serving as a mentor to military families by relying on her lessons learned and struggles encountered as a child during her parents’ deployments, Ryan’s previous deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Africa, and through her previous work at the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) and Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (OVMA), organizing events and ceremonies or just providing to military families in need, Marquette did all this while working full time—and never asked for anything in return. It was the sacrifices she made and the selfless support she provided for others, which made her an obvious candidate for this award.
Daryl Lovell and Vanessa Marquette
Lovell was presented with the Service Member Patriot Award by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve in the Office of Secretary of Defense. This honor is given to employee supervisors and reflects the efforts made to support citizen warriors through a wide range of measures, including flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families and granting leaves of absence if needed.
According to the award, Lovell showcased her knowledge that military service is not just a service member commitment but a family commitment. Often, employers do not understand the stressors and commitments that a military spouse endures which makes employers—often unintentionally—unsympathetic toward military spouses who request accommodations to their work schedule so that the service member’s spouse can see their spouses off as they deploy overseas and welcome them back upon their return.
Not only did Lovell provide support to Marquette before, during and after her husband was deployed, but she has also been supporting veterans and military families since she began at University. As the liaison for OVMA and IVMF she has maneuvered through occasionally challenging circumstances to get the job done and ensure the stories of veterans and military families are told. Whether it was being prepared at 5 a.m. to facilitate back-to-back Veterans Day media interviews for J. Michael Haynie, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation, attend the Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE) program in Atlanta to support the new board member, or help promote the research that comes out of the IVMF Lovell makes it happen which made her beyond deserving of this award.
“Daryl and Vanessa embody what it takes for ϲ to be the Best Place for Veterans,” says Mike Haynie, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation. “They are consistent supporters of our military-connected students and employees and use their professional talents to tell this important pillar of our university’s story. Staff play a large role in our University’s work on behalf of veterans and military families, and I am proud of Daryl and Vanessa for setting a stellar example for our community.”
Ryan Marquette was the driving force behind both of these nominations, recognizing how critical the support was that his wife provided him and how being part of a team that allowed her the flexibility to be there for him. He honored both Vanessa and Lovell during a Communications division meeting.
“Having not only one but two members on our media relations team recognized for their commitment to veterans and their families is something that we are very proud of,” says Ellen Mbuqe, executive director of media relations. “Surprising both of them on the same day in front of our entire division was truly an inspiring moment for everyone on our team and we have Ryan to thank for spearheading both of these honors.”
From left to right: Ryan Marquette, Daryl Lovell and Vanessa Marquette
