Episode 40 - Raleigh Smith Duttweiler - Chief Impact Officer at the National Military Family Association
Raleigh Smith Duttweiler - Chief Impact Officer at the National Military Family Association
In this episode of Tipping Spears with Hannah Becker, I sit down with Raleigh Smith Duttweiler, Chief Impact Officer at the National Military Family Association and one of the most respected advocates for military families nationwide. Raleigh shares her journey from growing up in a military household to building a career focused on understanding and addressing the real challenges facing military spouses, military children, service members, and veterans.
We talk through how she entered the nonprofit sector, the first time she realized the profound impact military life has on families, and how the challenges of military life have evolved over the past decade. Raleigh unpacks the top issues affecting today’s military families, including financial stress, mental health, suicide prevention, childcare gaps, TRICARE and healthcare access, and the unique burdens placed on military spouses navigating careers, relocation, and stability. We explore common misconceptions about military families, and what effective support for military and veteran families looks like.
Raleigh leads a thought-provoking conversation about the conditions shaping military family life today and the work required to create lasting change. She offers clear, practical insights on where progress is being made, where gaps remain, and how individuals, leaders, and communities can meaningfully support military and veteran families.
Guest Bio
Raleigh Smith Duttweiler is a nonprofit strategist and advocate for military families. She serves as Chief Impact Officer at the National Military Family Association (NMFA), where she leads efforts to understand and address critical challenges facing military spouses, children, and service members through human-centered research, innovative programming, and national coalition building. Raleigh has spearheaded initiatives ranging from military spouse employment and economic opportunity to digital programming for military youth.
She is a frequent collaborator with partners in the private sector, government, and philanthropy, and she is committed to ensuring that military families’ voices shape the policies and programs that affect their lives. Raleigh grew up in a military family, married into the military, and is now raising three military kids of her own. A proud Barnard College alumna, she earned an M.S. and Ph.D. at Columbia University and lives in Cleveland, Ohio.
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