President, Artistic Director, Facilitator

Jenny Pacanowski is the Founder and Director of Women Veterans Empowered & Thriving; a reintegration program that utilizes writing and performance to empower experiences and facilitate skills to thrive in daily life. Reintegration services through empowerment can be provided any time after leaving the military, it can be a month after or 40 years later. WVE&T is here to provide the connection, empowerment, and programming needed to thrive.

While Jenny was in the Army, she deployed to Iraq in 2004 as a combat medic and provided medical support for convoys with the Marines, Air Force and the Army. She also did shifts in the Navy medical hospital. In Germany, she was part of a medical evacuation company. Jenny has received training in facilitation, teaching artistry at The Lincoln Center, interpreting and adapting plays and performance through NYU/NEH with Aquila Theatre. Her play “Dionysus in America” was produced at The Vortex Theatre in Austin, Texas in 2019. Jenny is the Associate Director of the Veteran’s Project within The Lucid Body House: Creating Social Change Through Performance, directed by Fay Simpson. She has also studied with Shakespeare and Co. and was mentored by the founder and director of the Decruit program, Stephan Wolfert; a program that heals trauma through Shakespeare’s work.

She was named the Program Director of Poetic Theater Productions "Veterans Voices" in 2021, which provides performance opportunities and programming for veterans and their families since 2012. Jenny and WVE&T collaborate with multiple organizations, including colleges, universities, middle schools and theatres, across the country to provide education, awareness, and reconnection between veterans and civilians through public speaking, workshops, and performance.

Vice President and Facilitator

Corinna Louise Brown is an Army Veteran who deployed to South Korea. A mother, a partner, a chef, a healer, a poet and a performer. She is the Vice President and Co-facilitator for Women Veterans Empowered & Thriving. Corinna is a student and graduate of the Spiritual Leadership Certification at The Kula Kamala Foundation. She is a trained and certified Reiki Master in both Usui and Kundalini Reiki. An advocate for veterans and spiritual support for those healing from trauma, she shares her compassion and brings to light her survival and continuing recovery from rape and the betrayal of the military, PTSD, and addiction.

Board Member

Dominique Slack is a medically retired Air Force Veteran. As a recent graduate from Lehigh Carbon Community College, Dominique is currently continuing her education in pursuits of a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Conservation. Recently retired in 2017, Dominique has become an integral part of outreach and inclusion of newly separated service members.

Treasurer

Regina Anne Brown, a Long Islander by heart is office manager for a small trucking company in Berks county Pennsylvania. Entrepreneurship is in her blood, having lived in the midst of startup and growth for small to medium sized from-scratch companies all her life. Behind the scenes is where she likes to work (though not always quietly). The daughter and the mother of Service Veterans, Regina feels blessed to use her life skills to help with some of the secretarial duties for Women Veterans Empowered & Thriving.

Secretary, Facilitator

Omar Columbus is an artist, advocate, and an Air Force veteran. A native of North Carolina, now living in southern California, he enlisted after high school and served for 12 years on active duty. In 2019, Omar began writing poetry about his time in service with an organization called Poetic Theater Productions - Veteran Voices. Omar has recited his poetry at the Geraldine Dodge Poetry Festival, the New York City Poetry Festival, at the New-York Historical Society, on the flight deck of the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum, and on the steps of the State Capital in Sacramento, CA. Omar wrote his first stage play entitled “Soju” that premiered as part of a theater festival in April 2021, Veteran Voices: Rites of Passage. Most recently, Omar has been facilitating monthly empowerment workshops for all veterans via Zoom and has graciously accepted a position on the board of Women Veterans Empowered & Thriving.

Facilitator

Amber is a board member and empowerment workshop facilitator at WVE&T. After a heartbreaking USMC discharge due to failing to qualify on the rifle range, her mental health tanked and she struggled to reintegrate into civilian life. Folks like her couldn’t access many, if any, veteran reintegration/support resources and WVE&T only came into her purview almost twenty years later. She initially resisted joining because of the brevity of her service experience, yet gratefully found an incredibly supportive community that carried her through many challenging life events and gave her incredible story-sharing opportunities. For the hesitant workshop participant, she recommends giving it a try!

Board Member

Andi Grunberg is a sculptor and mixed media artist and works as a Bereavement Coordinator at a hospice. Art has been a large part of her life since childhood; learning about and creating art has always been integral to her daily life. Andi holds a Master's degree in Clinical and Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Trauma. Healing is an important part of everyone’s journey. Andi is committed to healing and supporting the veteran community on their healing journey. Andi is honored and excited to be a civilian support member of the Women Veterans Empowered & Thriving. 

Board Member

Brianne Shaw holds a Bachelor's degree in Theatre and a Master's in Arts Administration. With over a decade of expertise in non-profit arts administration, she specializes in communications, audience services, and development. As an accessibility advocate pursuing ADA Coordinator Certification, she researches artistic and theatrical programs and interventions for veterans with anxiety, PTSD, and depression. Brianne is thrilled to join the WVE&T team and is grateful for the opportunity to support Women Veterans Empowered & Thriving's mission.

Advisor to the Board

Matthew Pierno is an independent business person, it is a privilege to serve veterans who risked everything for us.