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Lindsay Church

they/them

Bio

Lindsay Church (they/them) is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Minority Veterans of America, a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to creating an equitable and just world for the minority veteran community – veterans of color, women, LGBTQ, and (non)religious minorities. Lindsay has nearly a decade of experience rooted in veteran’s advocacy and grassroots organizing. They have facilitated agency-wide cultural competency trainings and assessments to ensure organizations and governmental entities are able to serve their minority and veteran constituencies effectively and efficiently. 

 

Lindsay received their graduate degree, with a focus in international conflict and countering extremism, and their undergraduate degree, in near-Eastern language and civilization and comparative Islamic studies, from the University of Washington. They also hold an associate degree in Persian-Farsi from Defense Language Institute. Lindsay is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, where they served as a Cryptologic Technician Interpretative.

 

Prior to founding and leading the Minority Veterans of America, Lindsay served as the Assistant Director and co-founder of Student Veteran Life at the University of Washington. Their previous appointments include LGBTQ Commissioner for the City of Seattle, Co-Chair of Congresswoman Suzan Delbene's (WA-1) Veterans Advisory Council, and they have participated in Armed Forces Academy selection for Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal's (WA-7). 

Lindsay.Church.Headshot.jpg

Specialty Areas

  • Military and Veteran Communities

  • Minority Veterans

  • Creating Inclusive Spaces and Workplaces

  • Gender Identity 

  • Entrepreneurship

  • Economic Justice 

  • Leadership Development

  • Grassroots & Community Organizing

  • Veteran Cultural Competency 

  • Military Sexual Trauma

  • Sexual Assault/Harassment

Education

Master of Arts (MA), International Studies, emphasis in Middle East Studies, June 2016

University of Washington, Jackson School of International Studies – Seattle, WA                      

  • Thesis: ISIS Success in Iraq: A Movement 40 Years in the Making

  • Areas of focus: Counterterrorism, Islamic militancy, international conflict, Middle East history  

                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Near Eastern Language and Civilization, emphasis in Comparative Islamic Studies, June 2014
University of Washington, Jackson School of International Studies – Seattle, WA

  • Areas of focus: Persian-Farsi, Islam and Muslim societies, religion and world politics, comparative religions

 

Associate of Arts (AA), Persian-Farsi, September 2009
Defense Language Institute, United States Department of Defense – Monterey, CA

Employment

MINORITY VETERANS OF AMERICA, Washington, D.C.

Executive Director & Co-Founder, November 2017 – Present

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UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, Seattle, WA

  • Marketing & Communications Manager, for UW Recreation, October 2018 – August 2019

  • Assistant Director for Student Veteran Life, September 2016 – October 2018

  • Graduate Student Assistant for Student Veteran Life, September 2015 – August 2016

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UNITED STATES NAVY, San Diego, CA

Cryptologic Technician, Interpretive, Petty Officer Second Class (E-5), Honorable Discharge, January 2008 – February 2012

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