Katy Spicer, Founder & President

Katy comes from a Marine family.  She is one of four Spicer children that joined the Marine Corps.  After serving two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan and watching her brothers struggle to transition to the civilian sector after various traumatic training and combat-related events, Katy knew she wanted to try to improve post-service connection among veterans. Especially female servicemembers and veterans.  The “Make a Difference” mission comes from former scout sniper Sergeant Gary Spicer, Katy’s older brother.  While Sergeant Spicer was not excited Katy wanted to join the Marine Corps, before he passed in 2016, he did tell her one thing: “If you are going to do it, stay until you make the rank of major because no enlisted Marine is going to listen to you before you hit major. As a major, that’s when you can really make a difference.”  Sergeant Spicer passed the week that Katy became the first female Marine to take command of an all-male company at Marine Corps Officer Candidates School. Katy was a major.  While Katy is now a colonel in the Marine Corps Reserves and a practicing attorney in private practice, she is driven to make a difference among female veterans and servicemembers by bringing to life The Athena Foundation.