The application to nominate one of Georgia’s over 90,000 women veterans as the state’s Woman Veteran of the Year for 2025 will open on January 14, 2026.

The Woman Veteran of the Year Award honors women veterans across Georgia who separated from military service and continue to make a lasting impact on veterans and their families, caregivers, or youth. These impacts can be in areas such as entrepreneurship, homelessness, legal assistance, research, preventing violence against women, LGBTQ+ advocacy, mental health and wellness, as a few examples. 

These individuals have made significant contributions both within Georgia and nationwide, furthering the mission and values of the Georgia Department of Veterans Service (GDVS) Women and Minority Veterans Office.

A public event recognizing Georgia’s women veterans and the 2025 Woman Veteran of the Year will be held on March 13, 2025 at the One Family Resource Center in Douglasville (5903 Stewart Pkwy, Douglasville, GA 31035).

To nominate an individual, an application must be submitted by no later than 8 p.m. on Monday, February 23, 2026. Applications can be accessed through the attachment to this news release or by visiting https://veterans.georgia.gov/georgia-woman-veteran-year-nominee-applications.

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About the Woman Veterans of the Year Award:

The program began in 2022. Former recipients include Dr. Qwynn Galloway-Salazar, Connie Baptiste, and Lt. Col. (ret.) Raquel Durden. Dr. Galloway-Salazar, an Army veteran, was selected in 2022 as the inaugural Georgia Woman Veteran of the Year. Dr. Galloway-Salazar has spent much of her post-military career elevating the life of military and veteran communities through outreach and advocacy. Baptiste, a retired Air Force Technical Sergeant and veteran advocate, was selected in 2023 and is well known for her contributions to her local community and dedication to serving her fellow veterans in the agriculture and culinary industries. U.S. Army Lt. Col. (ret.) Raquel Durden was selected in 2024 and is the cofounder of Humble Warrior Wellness & Yoga, a non-profit organization focused on the health and wellbeing of veterans and their family members. 

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About the GDVS Women and Minority Veterans Office:

The GDVS Women and Minority Veterans Office identifies, researches, and monitors the unique challenges faced by Georgia’s diverse veteran populations. Women and minority veteran populations have unique needs after their military service and often encounter barriers to receiving care. Some of these barriers include access to quality healthcare, military sexual trauma, childcare, financial instability. The Women and Minority Veterans Coordinator recommends initiatives and policy proposals, collaborates with key stakeholders on issues specific to Georgia while building partnerships and resources, increases public awareness of the gender-specific needs of women veterans through outreach, and ensures veterans in the State of Georgia have equitable access to federal and state veterans' benefits and services through education.

Veterans seeking help through the Women and Minority Veterans Office should contact Veda Brooks, the GDVS Women and Minority Veterans Coordinator, at 404-656-2300 or via email at [email protected].