BREMERTON — Leaders from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, other local Navy commands and local communities gathered to celebrate Women’s History Month with an inspirational breakfast at the Kitsap Conference Center March 24.

The Shipyard’s Professional Women’s Employee Networking Group hosted the event, which featured three leading women from the Olympic Peninsula region. The speakers shared their experiences in government and community leadership positions, some of which had never before been held by women.

Featured speakers included Darlene Iskra, Colleen McAleer and Harriette Bryant. Iskra, a retired Navy commander, served 21 years as a diving officer and was the first female commanding officer of a U.S. Navy ship. McAleer is the president of the Washington Business Alliance and serves as a commissioner for the Port of Port Angeles — the first female commissioner in the Port’s history. Bryant is a member of the Olympic College Board of Trustees and is the founder of the nonprofit organization OurGems.

PSNS and IMF Commander Capt. Howard Markle kicked off the event and thanked the crowd for attending. He said that the purpose of the event was not just to recognize the accomplishments and importance of women, but to learn from the stories shared and better understand how everyone can work together to improve their own organizations, both in and out of the Navy.

Support from peers and leaders, teamwork and inspiration were common themes in all of the stories shared by the featured speakers. McAleer and Iskra spoke about their time in the military and provided a unique perspective on women in leadership roles in the military.

Iskra decided to join the Navy in the late 1970s as an officer, during a time when most jobs were unavailable to women. Around that time, the Navy had opened up non-combatant ships and the diving community to female officers.

“So my strategy was basically seeing an opportunity and pushing for it,” said Iskra, now in the Women Divers Hall of Fame. “I knew that if I was going to be successful, that I needed to follow as closely as possible this career path that the men were doing. And I never thought of it in terms of being the first or deciding that, okay, my goal is to be the first (woman) commanding officer in the Navy.”

When she commanded USS Opportune (ARS-41), she wasn’t just the first woman to command a ship; she was also the only woman on that ship. To be successful, she said she had to ensure the senior people on the ship did not let her gender get in the way of their mission.

“My leadership focus was always on leading from the front and leading by example,” Iskra said. “Showing folks that, No. 1, women can do it and No. 2, let’s all work together to make things happen.”

Army veteran Colleen McAleer speaks to attendees of Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility’s annual Women’s History Month breakfast. McAleer addressed attendees on civil servant leadership and shared her experiences in the military and the business community, and as the first female commissioner for the Port of Port Angeles. PSNS & IMF’s Professional Women’s Employee Networking Group, one of seven employee-led resource groups at the command, hosted the event at the Kitsap Conference Center. U.S. Navy Photo Jeremy Moore

McAleer also shared her experiences in the military as a young leader. She is a decorated combat veteran who served 10 years in the Army as a helicopter and fixed wing pilot, and as a military intelligence officer.

“I learned more from the soldiers that I worked with about leadership and people in the first six months that I was in a unit as a platoon leader as a 22 year old,” said McAleer. “I was one of three women in the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, which was supposed to be an all-male unit. So it was a really great experience as a woman in the forefront of doing something new in the military.”

After the Army, McAleer said she was a stay-at-home mom before going into business and eventually to the port. She stressed the importance of inspiration in mission accomplishment.

“You can have a great team environment while you’re focused on the mission and the purpose of the organization,” she said.

All of the featured speakers said that they wanted to get involved in government and community programs to make a difference, give back to the community and improve peoples’ lives. For example, when Bryant’s husband retired from the military, he said it was her turn for her own career. She had young children and was allowed to bring them to work, which helped her to develop a passion for serving the community.

“I really want to give back and serve my community because they have served me and my family well,” said Bryant.

Harriette Bryant, founder of non-profit organization Girls Empowered through Mentoring and Service, speaks at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility’s annual Women’s History Month breakfast. Bryant addressed attendees on civil serveant leadership and shared her experience as an active community volunteer and organizer. PSNS & IMF’s Professional Women’s Employee Networking Group, one of seven employee-led resource groups at the command, hosted the event at the Kitsap Conference Center. U.S. Navy photo by Jeremy Moore

Bryant also said she focuses on mentoring youth to become future leaders.

“I love what I do; I have a passion for what I do. And if we can actually mentor and educate our future…we can’t sit in these seats forever, right? We’ve got to actually have somebody come in behind us and do the work that we’re doing,” she said. “So mentorship and education is very, very important.

“Know that lessons we teach by example are far more powerful than lessons we teach with words.”