NOLS Advisory Council Member Recognized for Community Service

A NOLS grad and Advisory Council member, retired Rear Admiral Gretchen Herbert recently earned recognition in Transylvania County, North Carolina, for her commitment to STEM advocacy and community service. Following her distinguished 30-year Naval career and years of STEM volunteering, Herbert now works with the local branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and other community organizations.

“After 30 years in the Navy, retired Rear Admiral Gretchen Herbert continues giving back to communities with STEM advocacy and community involvement.

‘I would encourage anyone to find a way to give back,’ Herbert said. ‘We live in a community and we live in a society where it is better when we look outward and see how we can help others and give back.’

…Herbert has continuously been giving back to the community. She is on the advisory council for the National Outdoor Leadership School in Wyoming and from the mid-1990s to 2015 she traveled to different middle schools and high schools to promote STEM and advocate to mostly young women about pursuing a science major when they got to college.

‘We have so many ladies now in the military that are engineers, nuclear engineers on submarines, service airfare officers that have to deal with the propulsion plants and some of the physical avenues of keeping a ship or submarine maintained,’ Herbert said. ‘STEM is a really important part for coming into the military and in other jobs not in the military as well.’”

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