Shining a light on the women veterans who feel invisible

Melissa Lee Dueñas is the chief communication and marketing officer and senior vice president at Leidos, a global FORTUNE 500® government technology company. Her focus on execution excellence and driving business growth is instrumental in the company's continued success.

In her role, Melissa leads all communications and marketing efforts, including employee, digital, and crisis communications; media relations; strategic communications; branding and advertising; creative services; corporate responsibility; and ESG. She is also the primary spokesperson and crisis response communicator for the company.

Prior to joining Leidos, Melissa held leadership positions at SAIC, a government services and IT company in the DC area. Her extensive experience as a speech and ghostwriter for senior government officials at the Pentagon and as a U.S. Air Force public affairs officer for 10 years has been critical to her leadership at Leidos.

Melissa holds an MBA and a Master of Science in biotechnology with a concentration in bioterrorism and biodefense from The University of Maryland. She also has a bachelor's degree in Asian studies, as well as degrees in public affairs and aircraft armament technology, reflecting her diverse technical and business background and her passion for continuous learning.

Melissa serves as an adjunct professor and capstone advisor at Georgetown University and sits on the board of directors of several organizations, including Habitat for Humanity of D.C. and Northern Virginia, the Washington West Film Festival, and the Military Women's Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.