The Trust for the National Mall invites you to join us on Tuesday, April 7, for a special installment of our Monumental Conversations series that will honor the leadership and service of women in the United States Armed Forces.
Hosted at Meridian House, the evening will feature a conversation moderated by Brittany Masalosalo, Chief Public Policy Officer at HP Inc., with a panel of women who have served our nation with distinction. Panelists will share their experiences in service as well as their perspectives on leadership and the important role of women in the military. Conversation will also focus on the memorials that honor military service on the National Mall and the commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary.
A reception with light bites and refreshments will follow the discussion. Reserve your sponsorship or tickets now: opportunities and seating are very limited.
All proceeds benefit the Trust for the National Mall's work and mission with the National Park Service to restore, preserve and elevate the National Mall, including Our Monumental Moment: The Campaign for the National Mall, a critical effort inspired by America's 250th, when the National Mall will be center stage in the nation.
This is the latest in our series of Monumental Conversations. See highlights from our most recent event in the series here, which featured the governors and first ladies of Maryland and Virginia and David M. Rubenstein, a member of our National Mall 250 Cabinet, talking about the National Mall and its role at center stage for America's 250th anniversary.
Student rates are available, please contact events@nationalmall.org for information.
Sponsorship opportunities are available, please contact events@nationalmall.org for details.
Event Participants
Moderated By
Brittany Masalosalo Chief Public Policy Officer, HP, Inc.
Brittany Masalosalo is the Chief Public Policy Officer at HP Inc. In this capacity, she leads the global Government Affairs & Public Policy (GA&PP) team. The work that the GA&PP team does is vital to HP, delivering value by proactively identifying, quantifying, and assessing geopolitical trends, influencing government policies, and coordinating HP’s public policy position. Brittany and the GA&PP team partner closely with the Global Business Units to help shape HP’s growth and development strategies, representing HP’s positions before policymakers, legislators, and regulators around the world. This work helps to advance HP’s goals of advocating for policies and fostering relationships that reflect HP’s values and enable success.
Prior to joining HP, Brittany worked at 3M as the Head of International Government Affairs, representing 3M’s positions before domestic and international trade institutions, the international diplomatic community, multilateral and bilateral institutions, and other international audiences. She also spent time working at the White House in the Office of the Vice President as a senior advisor for National Security and Foreign Policy. While she was originally hired by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, she continued to serve in U.S. President Trump’s White House team within the office of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence until deciding to join 3M. Her portfolio included both regional and functional policy areas such as trade, international economics, and global health security.
Prior to working at the White House, Brittany worked for several years at the Pentagon in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. She has also spent time living in Belgium, working with NATO partners and allies. While serving in the U.S. Army, Brittany deployed twice to Iraq and is a decorated veteran. She holds an MA in International Relations from Harvard University, M.Ed. from North Central University and a B.A. from American Military University.
Featuring
Naomi Slusser Navy Veteran and Reservist
Naomi Slusser is a U.S. Navy Reservist, strategist, and maritime security expert dedicated to advancing defense technology and industrial innovation. During her 15-year career as an Active-Duty Surface Warfare Officer, Naomi led operations across four geographic areas of responsibility, specializing in theater security cooperation and ballistic missile defense.
Today, she is the Deployed Advanced Manufacturing Strategy Lead within the Direct Reporting Program Manager – Maritime Industrial Base. In this role, she works at the intersection of policy and technology, leading strategic initiatives that drive enterprise-wide sustainment and warfighting readiness across the Navy. Drawing on her extensive operational background and staff leadership, Naomi helps the Department of the Navy navigate complex logistics and manufacturing challenges to revolutionize the maritime industrial base.
Naomi holds a B.S. in English from the United States Naval Academy, an MBA in Global Management from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, and an M.A. in Asian International Affairs from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Erica Jeffries Purdo US Army, CPT (Retired)
Throughout her career, Erica Jeffries Purdo has worked in both the public and private sectors. In 2018, she joined Johnson & Johnson and today, she is the Vice President of Strategy and Transformation for Global Corporate Affairs. Prior to joining J&J, Ms. Jeffries Purdo was the Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (IDVA) where she was responsible for over 1200 employees serving nearly 700,000 veterans. She also had the privilege of serving as a White House Fellow where she focused on building domestic and international public-private partnerships. Earlier in her career, Ms. Jeffries Purdo specialized in defense strategy and national security policy with assignments in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. She embarked on her civilian career after her time in the Army as an Aviation Officer, UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter pilot.
In her private life, Ms. Jeffries Purdo serves proudly on the West Point Association of Graduates Board of Directors and as an advisory council member for the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation. She is also proud to serve as the Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army (CASA) emeritus, representing the State of New Jersey.
Originally from Cleveland, OH, Ms. Jeffries Purdo lives in New Jersey with her husband, Derek, and their two daughters.
Sarah Watson Navy Veteran and Reservist
Sarah Watson is a former Navy helicopter pilot, current U.S. Navy Reservist, and cybersecurity professional at Palo Alto Networks. During her active duty career, Sarah flew the MH-60R helicopter, served as a liaison to the U.S. Senate, and worked as a flag aide to a Deputy Chief of Naval Operations.
She is now a Federal Deployment Manager at Palo Alto Networks, supporting the Department of War, where she helps deliver advanced cybersecurity capabilities to protect national security.
Sarah holds a B.S. in Political Science from the United States Naval Academy, as well as an M.A. in National Security Policy and an M.Eng. in Cybersecurity from Duke University. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and enjoys time on the golf course whenever possible.