Vanessa A. Lee

Vanessa A. Lee served in the United States Air Force Reserve and retired at the rank of Technical Sergeant.

Ms. Lee joined the Reserve and became a member of the 49th and 35th Aerial Port Squadrons at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey, retiring in 2005. Her tours of duty include Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Desert Storm.

A Supervisor in the Aerial Port Passenger Service section, she was responsible for servicing military and commercial airline passengers with ticketing reservations, coordinating civilian passenger and troop airline manifests while maintaining staff schedules, training records, and writing evaluations for promotion to the next rank. Ms. Lee received credits from the Community College of the Air Force in
Transportation Logistics and was certified in 2000 as a travel agent.

Ms. Lee earned a Bachelor of Arts from York College (CUNY) and joined the New York City Department of Education in 1995. She worked as a Family Worker in the Guidance Office, while studying for a Master of Science in Counselor Education.

In 1997, Ms. Lee transitioned into a Licensed Guidance Counselor position, assisting students in grades 9-12 with academic advisement, intervention services, career exploration, and college readiness. She is a certified Global Career Development Facilitator, Career Development Specialist, College Admissions Specialist, and a certified School Career Development Advisor. After 25 years of school counselor experience, she retired in 2020. She started her own non-profit organization, What’s Aspiring Me, in 2021.

She is a member of numerous organizations, including the New York chapter of the National Association of Black Military Women, Vital Church NYC, American School Counselor Association, and the Association of Black Educators of New York. Ms. Lee is also a member of New York State School Counselor Association, New York State Career Development Association, National Career Development Association, and National Action Network. She also serves as a volunteer and community liaison every Tuesday at the Zion Tabernacle Church Food Pantry.

In 2017, Ms. Lee was honored during Women’s History Month as a Woman of Character, Courage and Commitment. Her proudest moment is when she purchased her own home at the age of 29.