Verenice Castillo

Founder, CEO & President

CEO of the Military Spouse Advocacy Network (MSAN), an author, mentor, changemaker, and military spouse dedicated to strengthening military families through education, empowerment, and support. Since founding MSAN in 2014, she has grown the organization into the fastest-growing peer-to-peer mentorship network for military spouses worldwide, offering 24/7 access through the Military Spouse Mentorship-HUB.

Under her leadership, MSAN has reached thousands of military spouses across the globe.

Committed to fostering leadership within the community, Verenice developed the Military Spouse Leadership Development Program and recently launched the Leadership Institute for Military Spouses—providing leadership training in partnership with Ivy League institutions to empower military spouses to lead confidently in their communities.

Verenice is a servant leader who has made contributions to the well-being of her community and has advocated for the resources and support system that military families need and deserve.

Verenice collaborates closely with the Department of Defense and has engaged with various federal administrations. She has served on local-national boards and committees and played a key role in advancing support programs for military families.

Her dedication to military families has been recognized through multiple honors, including awards from the Air Force and veteran leadership programs. She was named Air Force Spouse of the Year and received a Volunteer Excellence Award from the Air Force Chief of Staff. Additionally, she has been acknowledged as a woman military influencer and has participated in prestigious leadership training programs.

As a servant leader, Verenice continues to advocate for the resources and support military families deserve, making significant contributions to their well-being.

Jessica Rudd

Chairwoman of the Board

Jessica Rudd is the Armed Forces Insurance 2017 Marine Corps Military Spouse of the Year. She is also a United States Marine Corps Veteran. While serving alongside her husband, she received her MSOY recognition advocating for military children's education, using resources to create customized education experiences for military children. While stationed at MCAGCC Twentynine Palms, she served on the Board of Directors for a local homeschool cooperative.

Jessica is passionate about advocating for the Military Family Experience.

Jessica supports various military spouse recruiting efforts providing mentorship, support and employment resources for military spouses. In her spare time, Jessica helped lobby for Senate Bill 528, providing tax relief for military retirees in the state of Virginia.

Jessica Rudd specializes in strategic transformation. Jessica has a Master of Business Administration from Liberty University and a Bachelor's degree from Bowling Green State University in Quality Systems. Jessica currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Military Spouse Advocacy Network. You can spot Jessica on a Veteran's Day livestream with former Saturday Night Live cast member, Daily Show correspondent, and former United States Marine, Rob Riggle. Jessica is married to Major Andrew Rudd, currently serving at Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Quantico, VA. They have three children. Jessica enjoys running and is currently training for the Marine Corps Historic Half.

Whitney Armstrong

Whitney is a seasoned nonprofit leader and passionate advocate for military families, Whitney brings over a decade of experience in strategic development, program innovation, and community engagement. Whitney’s journey with MSAN began in 2017 as a volunteer, where she quickly distinguished herself through her leadership of the New Military Spouse Support Program - now known as the Military Spouse Mentorship Program. Her dedication and vision led to her promotion as Vice President of Programs and Operations in 2019, and later as Vice President of Development and Strategy.

Whitney built and sustained a robust network of donors, sponsors, and partners, while spearheading initiatives that strengthened MSAN’s national impact.

One of Whitney’s most notable contributions is the creation of the Military Spouse Leadership Development Program (MSLDP), a groundbreaking initiative that has empowered hundreds of military spouses with leadership training through partnerships with institutions such as the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative at Harvard University and Psych Hub. Her work on MSLDP was shaped during her time as a Presidential Leadership Scholar, a prestigious program that selects leaders committed to solving society’s most pressing challenges.

Beyond MSAN, Whitney has worked for nationally recognized nonprofit organizations including the USO and Operation Homefront. She currently serves as the Business Development Officer at Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humanitarian organization that serves global communities before, during, and after disasters and crises. Her ability to bridge nonprofit strategy with community engagement ensures that vulnerable populations receive timely support, while empowering veterans to serve with purpose beyond the uniform.

Now residing in Colorado with her husband and three children, Whitney continues to champion the needs of military families with unwavering dedication. Her appointment to MSAN’s Board of Directors marks a significant chapter in her mission to elevate and empower the military spouse community nationwide.

Michael Bailey

Secretary

Michael Bailey serves as Deputy Director, Leadership Programs, at the George W. Bush Institute. In this role, he manages the overarching alumni engagement strategy for the Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program, which focuses on developing the leadership skills of veterans and those who serve them and their families. He also supports the Institute’s work around pluralism and strengthening our democracy.

Michael received his Bachelor of Arts in Music (Voice) from the University of Oklahoma.He holds a Master of Business Administration with concentrations in Michael received his Bachelor of Arts in Music (Voice) from the University of Oklahoma. He holds a Master of Business Administration with concentrations in finance and real estate from Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business, as well as a Master of Arts Administration from Southern Methodist University Meadows School of Music.

He enjoys combining his love of music to honor the veteran community through benefit voice recitals.

Michael lives in Dallas, Texas, with his dog, Duke. He is an avid long-distance runner and enjoys racing in half and full marathons.

As a civilian supporter passionate about the veteran and military family community, Michael is honored to be a part of Military Spouse Advocacy Network and their important mission to build stronger military families through mentorship and community.

Patricia Barron

Patricia (Patty) Montes-Barron is currently working as the senior advisor at the National Military Family Association. Before joining NMFA, Patty was appointed as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy, where she served as a day-one appointee from 2021 to 2024. Patty was responsible for a broad portfolio that includes policy, advocacy, and oversight of all community support to service members and their families, including quality-of-life issues; key legislative and policy issues affecting military families; family, child, and youth programs; the Military OneSource program and non-medical counseling resources; military spouse career advancement; morale, welfare, and recreation; defense resale policy for commissaries and exchanges; and family advocacy programs. Her oversight also included casualty and mortuary affairs and military funeral honors.

As an Army spouse for 30 years, she has been involved in myriad efforts to support military families.

Prior to joining Military Community and Family Policy, she served as the Director of the Family Readiness Directorate at the Association of the United States Army. She supported all AUSA family programs and events by providing management and oversight to all directorate activities. Previously, she served as the Director of Outreach, Military Family Projects, at Zero to Three.

She also worked as the Director of Youth Initiatives at the National Military Family Association, overseeing NMFA’s Operation Purple Camp program. She currently serves on the Military Spouse Advocacy Network Board of Directors and the Blue Star Families Advisory Board.

Patty earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of San Francisco, a Master of Science in Education from Long Island University, an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University, and an Executive Education Certificate from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. In 2022, she received an honorary doctorate from her alma mater, the University of San Francisco.