Your 2023-2024 National Council Board
Danielle Dash
PRESIDENT
District 7 Club Mentor
Danielle Dash is a 1994 graduate of the US Coast Guard Academy and retired on-again off-again active duty Reservist. She is a certified HR professional currently on retired recall to active duty with the CG Talent Transformation Integration Office at CG Headquarters. After retiring from the CG Reserves in 2015, Danielle worked as an office manager and bookkeeper for a number of small business in the Stafford, VA area before becoming the Head of HR for a British Low Earth Orbit satellite communications company. When presented with the opportunity to contribute to transforming how the Coast Guard manages people, Danielle jumped at the chance to represent the interests of Coast Guard spouses and families from inside the organization.
Danielle resides in Northern Virginia and is married to Rusty, her husband of 28 years. They have 3 adult sons in the NOVA area and are proud part owners of the Green Bay Packers and investors in an award winning craft brewery in Quantico, VA. She likes to hike and run, and while she doesn’t like to lift heavy weights, she does. She is also learning how to play guitar.
Paulette Fryar
VICE PRESIDENT
Districts 5 & 13 Club Mentor
Paulette Fryar is a Coast Guard Spouse, mother of four grown boys, an Air Force Mom, small business owner, and an avid military spouse community volunteer. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Paulette has lived in Juneau, AK, Portland, OR, Portsmouth, VA, Seattle, WA, Washington DC, St Louis, MO, Vancouver, WA, O’Fallon, IL, and now back to Washington, DC again!
Paulette was selected as the 2020-21 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year and Coast Guard Spouse of the Year. She was the first Coast Guard spouse in history to win the overall Military Spouse of the Year honors. She co-founded The Million Mile Project, reinforcing awareness to PTSD and promoting military and veteran suicide prevention. She currently serves in Committee positions with the Fort Belvoir Spouses Club Board, and the Coast Guard Spouse Club of Washington DC.
Paulette is also a strong advocate for young mothers, and has served as a mentor in the Military Mothers of Preschoolers Organization (MOPS), and continues to give back to the next generation of military families. Her motto is #TogetherWeAreStronger
Ginger Gerrish
SECRETARY
Districts 11 & 14 Club Mentor
Ginger is a trained sociological researcher and a Coast Guard spouse. Raised by two strong women, her grandmother and mother, from an early age Ginger learned the value of hard work and service to others. She is passionate about research that elevates marginalized voices and the power of research to spur meaningful change.
Ginger’s husband been serving in the Coast Guard for six years. They have lived in places full of military life and resources like Honolulu, Hawaii as well as those with scarce military infrastructure like Southwest Harbor, Maine. They currently reside in Alameda, California and advocate for increased access to resources for Coast Guard families who are not stationed near a military base. Her goal is to bring the stories and experiences of military families in front of leaders and decision makers so that the voices of all stakeholders are heard.
She is interested in modern homesteading, niche board games, cooking, and women’s health. In her free time, Ginger and her husband, Ben, love to try new restaurants and go on camping adventures with their dog, Reveille.
Gretchen Jones
TREASURER
Districts 1 & 9 Club Mentor
Coming Soon!
Kayley Shepro
COMMUNICATIONS
District 17 Club Mentor
Kayley is a Coast Guard Spouse and third generation military brat. She has lived all over the United States and in Germany. She graduated from the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, FL with a BS in Child Psychology. After college, She pursued a career in social work and then animal welfare. However, her priorities shifted when she met her husband Nick, who is an AET Chief in the Coast Guard. They got married and now have three children, ages 6, 4, and 2.
As a military spouse and stay-at-home mom, Kayley has learned to be resourceful and creative in order to balance the demands of motherhood and entrepreneurship. Kayley currently runs a small online business that allows her to work from home while also caring for her family. In addition to her business, she has also been actively involved in the Coast Guard and local community. She served for three years on the Executive Board of the Coast Guard Spouses’ Club of Elizabeth City, NC and as a Guardian Ad Litem in Northeast, NC. She currently serves on the Peterson Elementary PTA Board and as the Spouses' Association of Kodiak's Events Committee Chair.
When Kayley is not working or volunteering, she loves spending time with her family and her dog, enjoying the outdoors, reading, traveling, and making new memories together.
Rebecca Bittner
COMMUNICATIONS
District 8 Club Mentor
Rebecca became a Coast Guard spouse shortly before the onset of the pandemic and is committed to the unique challenges of childcare access, career pathways for spouses, and mental health that Coast Guard families are navigating.
In her brief time, she's supported her family through two PCSs and her active duty spouse through two college degrees and two promotions. Her grandma Chi, also a military spouse, instilled in her a deep sense of service that shaped her character from an early age, and she is grateful for the opportunity to serve Coast Guard spouses and families.
She's worked in the education space for 20 years, specializing in SEL, edtech, and literacy. She earned her BA in Literature from the College of Creative Studies, UCSB, and an MA in Social Entrepreneurship from Goldsmiths College, University of London. She currently holds a remote position as Sr Director of Educational Technology for a Bay Area educational consultancy and technology company.
She lives in Virginia with her mustang, toddler, and Husky.
Virginia Ralls
Bylaws
Coming Soon!