The SSLA VP of Events is Captain (ret) Jennifer Espiritu, USN, a lifetime Sea Service Leadership Association member and career Navy physician. Her involvement with SSLA started in 2013, with the advent of the Norfolk Navy Lean In circle led by previous SSLA President, CAPT Emily Bassett. Jennifer is currently at the Defense POW MIA Accounting Agency on Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam as the Surgeon. An alumna of the University of California at Berkeley, she commissioned to attend medical school at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, MD. Jennifer is a second-generation Navy flight surgeon, trained in preventive medicine at UNC Hospitals and completed a fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an Epidemic Intelligence Officer, aka disease detective. In addition to serving as the Officer in Charge of Navy Environmental and Preventive Medicine Unit TWO, Jennifer has been assigned to the 2nd Marine Air Wing, VAW-120, US Fleet Forces Command, and as the OIC of a Forward Deployed Preventive Medicine Unit with US Central Command during OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM. Jennifer’s final assignment on active duty was as the Hawai’i Military Health System’s Public Health Emergency Officer, leading military efforts to prevent and contain COVID19 in the state of Hawai’i.  Prior to her current assignment, Jennifer was a Defense Health Agency civilian leading public health efforts in the Pacific region.  Jennifer lives in Hawaii with her family, and they stay busy volunteering with after school sports, animal welfare organizations and Scouting.

Connect with her at ssla.vp.events@gmail.com