Our team
Laurie Sayles | Chair
Laurie Sayles is an accomplished, cultured and disciplined executive that is an influencer in her community, personally and professionally. The energetic and motivating Chicago native has an early career as a professional model before her service as a Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in the United States Marine Corps (USMC), which has infused various teachings into her lifestyle and profession.
Subsequent to her military career, Laurie Sayles began a civilian career within the non-profit and corporate arenas for over 20 years and diligently worked her way up the ranks by acquiring leadership positions. As a Program / Project Manager she earned the respect of her peer, staff and stakeholders.
Laurie acquired great knowledge in contracting with the government as she managed up to 128 staff nationally within 8 agencies totaling up to $11.5 million in contracts for a Women, HUBZone, 8(a) small business in Washington, DC. After experiencing major success in her corporate position, she inevitably established her liberating career in Federal Government Contracting.
In 2012 Laurie Sayles founded CivilityMS consulting firm where she is the President & CEO, which is a certified Small Disadvantaged, Service-Disabled Veteran, Woman Owned Business that is offering professional services to the Federal, State, Local and Commercial entities in the areas of: Administrative, Human Resources, Acquisition Services, Grants Management, Training, and Investigations.
Laurie earned her B.S. in Social Science with a Minor in Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship, along with a Business Project Management Certification from University of Maryland University Campus (UMUC). She is a scholar with the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program with Babson Instructors at John Hopkins University in Baltimore.
Laurie Sayles currently resides in the Washington, DC metro area and is a Speaker who serves the community in many aspects
Melissa Washington | Strategic Partner
Award-winning advocate, speaker, author, entrepreneur, CEO, publisher, Radio Show Host, and proud Navy veteran Melissa A. Washington wears many hats. Yet woven throughout her diverse pursuits is a mission of service—and a passion to empower her fellow women veterans.
The daughter of a Bronze Star Army Vietnam War veteran, Melissa grew up in San Francisco’s East Bay. Fiercely independent as a child, she spent many afternoons in her family’s video store, developing an early sense of business acumen. That enterprising spirit continued into her teenage years when Melissa began training for a career in early childhood education while still in high school.
But something else sparked in Melissa just as she was finishing her certification. Seeking to expand her world and serve her country, the 18-year-old enlisted in the Navy, spending three years on active duty and five years in the reserve. She did a 6-month "Med Cruise" and a 6-month "West Pac" deployment during her active duty. That formative experience set her life on a completely new trajectory—not only taking her across the globe and teaching her vital lessons but also introducing Melissa to her husband and, ultimately, inspiring her to transform thousands of lives.
In the mid-nineties, she chose to leave the Navy early, having witnessed the burdens that come with a dual-service family. While her husband would remain in the Marine Corps for 21 years, Melissa embarked on a new path, earning her bachelor’s degree in business management. She followed with a decade-long career in corporate recruiting and human resources, working with such entities as Nissan, Oracle, Tickets.com, Randstad, and the 2002 Winter Olympics. But in 2009, amid The Great Recession, Melissa was laid off. Despite the setback, she relied on her military training—which taught her to be adaptable and resourceful—and her innate sense of resilience. Above all, Melissa saw an opportunity to reinvent herself once again.
Initially, she held LinkedIn workshops from her dining room table, imparting her vital knowledge to others. Soon, she was hosting larger workshops, which eventually grew into speaking engagements with hundreds of attendees. In 2011, she established Melissa Washington, Inc., a consulting service catering to businesses and individuals that incorporates LinkedIn for research, recruiting, job seeking, and collaboration. After four years at LinkedIn, where Melissa managed global meetings, she returned to her entrepreneurial roots. But this time, she focused on her fellow women veterans. A natural networker, Melissa initially sought to connect with her peers outside of traditional veterans’ organizations. Yet, the more meetups she planned, the more she realized the need for a dedicated support system for women veterans.
In 2015, what started as a local meetup turned into Women Veterans Alliance—a global organization that seeks to empower and positively impact the lives of women veterans. Three years later, she established the nonprofit wing of WVA, Women Veterans Giving. Both entities offer women veterans opportunities to gain valuable career experience and successfully integrate back into civilian life. WVG also helps fund women veteran-owned businesses, which other organizations often overlook. To date, they have awarded over $20k to women in veteran-owned businesses. In 2016, created and produced the first "Women Veterans Unconference."
In 2021, Melissa expanded her role in the community by co-founding Women Veterans Magazine—the first publication of its kind to address the issues affecting women veterans and provide them with local and national resources.
Aside from serving as CEO of WVA and WVG and publisher of Women Veterans Magazine, Melissa stays busy as an in-demand public speaker whose topics range from Maximizing Impact to Unlocking the Power of Purpose. She speaks regularly at conferences and events around the country and has spoken at over 100 events—presenting for the likes of Marriott, the Urban League, Blue Diamond, and IMEX America. Melissa has also appeared on the Dr. Phil Show and the Lifetime Channel’s The Balancing Act, as well as on SiriusXM, iHeartRadio, ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox, among others.
Additionally, Melissa is the author of Get Back to Work: Smart & Savvy Real-World Strategies to Make Your Next Career Move (FriesenPress, 2014). And Unstoppable: Being Fierce, Fearless & Unf*ckwithable in Life and Business, based on her experiences with WVA, which offers practical advice on creating a meet-up group and becoming an influencer within one’s community (Brave Healer Productions, 2022).
A longtime resident of Northern California, Melissa was a 2011 recipient of the Sacramento Business Journal’s prestigious 40 Under 40 award and was among the Journal’s Women Who Mean Business honorees in 2017. She has also been recognized by the National Association of Women Business Owners with an Outstanding Women Leader Visionary Award and received the 2016 Soroptimist Ruby Award, which recognizes women helping women. In 2019, she received the Center for Women Veterans’ Trailblazer Award.
In 2022, Thrive Causemetics Inc. featured a "Melissa" Warm Sienna Sheer Strength Hydrating Lip Tint to honor her infinite impact on the community.
Outside of work, Melissa enjoys spending quality time with her husband, Jarrod, and daughter, Maya. In addition to being an avid genealogist, Melissa loves vacationing with her family—particularly trips that involve a beach.
Her grandfather, a WWII Army Air Corps/Air Force Veteran who received the Bronze Star and Air Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters, served in the 509th Bomb Squad AC in the Eastern European Theater with 37 missions over Germany.
Her husband is a retired Marine who served in combat in Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).
Ann Sullivan | Advocacy Team
Ann Sullivan is the Founder & Strategic Advisor of Madison Services Group, a woman-owned company that provides government relations and federal business development services.
She brings many years of government relations experience in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives, serving in key advisory roles. Ms. Sullivan works with the United States Congress and the Administration to garner national attention for the small business community. Her expertise includes government procurement, business development programs healthcare and tax issues affecting small businesses.
MSGI specializes in outreach to the small business community with an emphasis on women-owned and minority businesses. She is recognized as the driving force behind implementation of the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contracting Program and has been a featured keynote speaker and moderator on many procurement panels nationwide.
Ms. Sullivan is part of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and also serves on their GovConNet Council. Ann is the recipient of three prestigious Stevie® Awards for Women in Business, receiving the top honor in the categories of Lifetime Achievement—Business, Woman of the Year—Business Services, and Communications or PR Campaign of the Year—Public Affairs. She received the Enterprising Women of the Year Award from Enterprising Women Magazine and was honored by Professional Women in Advocacy for Excellence in a Federal Issue Campaign.
Elizabeth Sullivan | Advocacy Team
Elizabeth Sullivan is President of Government Relations at Madison Services Group focusing on small business and federal procurement policy.
Her expertise in government contracting includes shaping federal acquisition policy on Capitol Hill and analyzing federal procurement data to position companies to win federal contracts. Notably, she has testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on procurement innovation and the role of small and midsize contractors. She has also been featured on panels including at the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) World Congress and Women Leaders in Defense and Aerospace Law conference.
Elizabeth holds a Masters of Studies in Law (MSL) in Government Procurement and Cybersecurity from the George Washington University School of Law, and was recently featured in the GW Law Magazine for her role in shaping this new dual degree. She is a graduate of James Madison University, and prior to joining Madison Services Group, Elizabeth was a Teach for America corps member in Chicago, IL.