Michele Harper
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Torn between her deep desire to serve and the equally powerful yearning to be present for her family

This WorkingNation documentary examines the tough career choices some women in the military face
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As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of women’s integration into the U.S. Armed Forces, this new WorkingNation film follows the emotional journey of trailblazing military and aviation pioneer Michele Harper as she makes the tough decision to transition from an illustrious career of service into full-time motherhood.

Raised with unwavering support from her parents who instilled in her the belief that she could achieve anything she dreamed of becoming, Michele found her calling in the skies after learning about the female instructor pilots for the male fighter pilots of World War I. Their legacy sparked her journey as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot, where she found profound fulfillment in saving lives.

Her dedication and drive to serve for more than 30 years led her to become the first female Black Hawk Assault Company Commander, first female Aviation Battalion Commander, and first female Aviation Brigade Commander in North Carolina’s National Guard.

Despite her love for both motherhood and service, Michele faced a critical juncture, balancing her devotion to her three boys with the demands of military duty. She grappled with sacrificing personal first milestones for her groundbreaking career firsts. Her decision to transition into full-time motherhood to be with her three boys before they head off to college symbolizes a poignant shift in priorities.

This documentary highlights the challenges and sacrifices faced by women navigating the demands of high-stakes careers and family life.

When Is Your Service Enough (Full Documentary)

This compelling short documentary follows US Army Colonel Michele Harper (retired). Having shattered barriers and soared through the skies in counter-drug missions, hurricane relief efforts, and the war in Iraq, Michele now faces the challenging transition to civilian life, where her focus turns to making up for lost time with her three boys before they leave for college.

Watch Michele Harper’s story here.

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Dana Beth Ardi

Executive Committee

Dana Beth Ardi, PhD, Executive Committee, is a thought leader and expert in the fields of executive search, talent management, organizational design, assessment, leadership and coaching. As an innovator in the human capital movement, Ardi creates enhanced value in companies by matching the most sought after talent with the best opportunities. Ardi coaches boards and investors on the art and science of building high caliber management teams. She provides them with the necessary skills to seek out and attract top-level management, to design the ideal organizational architectures and to deploy people against strategy. Ardi unearths the way a business works and the most effective way for people to work in them.

Ardi is an experienced business executive and senior consultant who leverages business organizational transformation through talent strategies. She uses her knowledge and experience to develop talent strategies to enhance revenue and profit contributions. She has a deep expertise in change management and organizational effectiveness and has designed and built high performance cultures. Ardi has significant experience in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, IPO’s and turnarounds.

Ardi is an expert on the multi-generational workforce. She understands the four intersecting generations of workers coming together in contemporary companies, each with their own mindsets, leadership and communications styles, values and motivations. Ardi is sought after to assist companies manage and thrive by bringing the generations together. Her book, Fall of the Alphas: How Beta Leaders Win Through Connection, Collaboration and Influence, will be published by St. Martin’s Press. The book reflects Ardi’s deep expertise in understanding organizations and our changing society. It focuses on building a winning culture, how companies must grow and evolve, and how talent influences and shapes communities of work. This is what she has coined “Corporate Anthropology.” It is a playbook on how modern companies must meet challenges – culturally, globally, digitally, across genders and generations.

Ardi is currently the Managing Director and Founder of Corporate Anthropology Advisors, LLC, a consulting company that provides human capital advisory and innovative solutions to companies building value through people. Corporate Anthropology works with organizations, their cultures, the way they grow and develop, and the people who are responsible for forming their communities of work.

Prior to her position at Corporate Anthropology Advisors, Ardi served as a Partner/Managing Director at the private equity firms CCMP Capital and JPMorgan Partners. She was a partner at Flatiron Partners, a venture capital firm working with early state companies where she pioneered the human capital role within an investment portfolio.

Ardi holds a BS from the State University of New York at Buffalo as well as a Masters degree and PhD from Boston College. She started her career as professor at the Graduate Center at Fordham University in New York.