Jenna Henderson, co-lead of SWE’s Women in Government Affinity Group, explores how innovation aligns with this year’s theme of “Together We Rise” with FY25 SWE President Karen Roth.
Interviewed by Jennifer Dalzell, co-lead of the Women in Government Affinity Group, the discussion explores the challenges and opportunities that come with embracing innovation in engineering, particularly in the public sector.
Hear why diversity fuels innovation, how to handle resistance when changing the status quo, and practical advice for women engineers looking to lead the way in their fields.
Listen to the episode on SWE’s website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.
If you would like additional information about the SWE Women in Government Affinity Group, please contact the co-leads directly via email at womeningov.ag@swe.org, join the Facebook Group, or visit the LinkedIn Group to get involved.
You can also subscribe to the AG’s email updates by logging into your SWE member portal and scrolling to Communication Preferences.
Speaker: Jenna Henderson, Co-Lead, SWE Women in Government Affinity Group
Jenna Henderson, PE, PMP (she/her) is a results-driven professional committed to empowering women, advocating for accessibility, and driving excellence in engineering and technology.
As the national co-lead for the Women in Government Affinity Group at the Society of Women Engineers, Henderson spearheads strategic initiatives aimed at creating a supportive and inclusive community for women in the public sector.
She conducts engagement surveys, orchestrates impactful marketing campaigns, and hosts networking events, fostering an environment where women can thrive and leave a significant impact on their careers.
Henderson serves as a program manager at the City of Fort Worth and holds a master’s degree in technology leadership from Brown University, where she received recognition for her Master’s work on the application of artificial intelligence for infrastructure assessments
Speaker: Karen Roth, FY25 SWE President
Karen Roth is an experienced Department of Defense leader in cyber, artificial intelligence, and digital engineering. Roth has taken her proven skills in strategic thinking, communication, and partnership development to create a global ecosystem for the Air Force and to be a trusted fiduciary for the nonprofit boards she has served.
Roth is the Deputy Director of AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force. She leads the strategy and execution across the $1.3b portfolio through AFVentures, Spark, Prime, SpaceWERX, and the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, which serves to expand the defense industrial base for advanced technologies, empower Airmen and Guardian talent, and drive faster technology transfer to operational capability.
Roth has a zeal for supporting women in STEM. Her commitment has led to her participation on several not-for-profit boards, including the Society of Women Engineers, where she has served as treasurer and director of professional excellence. She also serves as an advocate for women in other organizations such as the Girls Scouts and the regional engineering executive council.
She holds an executive MBA from Indiana University Kelley School of Business. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in software engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in systems engineering from Cornell University. She is currently completing an executive certificate in public leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
She serves SWE in a personal capacity and does not represent the U.S. Government or the U.S. Air Force in this role.
Host: Jennifer Dalzell, Co-Lead, SWE Women in Government Affinity Group
Jennifer Dalzell is a technical assistant for the Division of Radiological Safety and Security for the Region III office of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. She is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Division, including budgeting, tracking of work and metrics, and training for staff, in addition to supporting inspections and licensing reviews.
Dalzell joined the agency in 2007 in the Nuclear Safety Professional Development Program, where she completed qualifications to be a Resident Inspector. Prior to starting her position as a technical assistant, Jennifer served as an incident response specialist, was an inspector for spent nuclear fuel dry cask storage, and was a license reviewer for materials licensees.
In addition to her technical work, Dalzell has volunteered for the last 10 years for her agency’s Federal Women’s Program Advisory Committee, including serving as the group’s secretary for two years. In recognition for her dedication and outstanding service as a champion for diversity, Dalzell received a Meritorious Service Award and Federal Women’s Program Advisory Committee EEO awards in 2020.
Dalzell was previously a volunteer with SWE Chicago section, serving as both the vice president of membership and the secretary. In 2022, she became the co-lead for the Women in Government Affinity Group and is the Business and Interests AG Work Group lead. In addition, she serves on the Conference Advisory Board.
Diverse: a SWE podcast has been recognized as a top women in STEM podcast and a top engineering podcast!
