From Hampshire County to Capitol Hill: HCCC Director Jaclynn Graybill Joins the 2026 Women Warriors Summit
This week, Hampshire County Chamber of Commerce Director Jaclynn “Jackie” Graybill had the opportunity to take her voice — and her experiences as a veteran — from Hampshire County to Washington, D.C. as a participant in the Wounded Warrior Project’s 2026 Women Warriors Summit.
Held September 21–24, the Summit brought together more than 100 women veterans from across the country, representing 48 states and every branch of the U.S. military. Participants met with more than 120 congressional offices on Capitol Hill, sharing their experiences and advocating for policies affecting women veterans.
For Jackie, the week was about more than traveling to Washington. It was an opportunity to listen, learn, connect with other women who have shared similar experiences, and use her own story to help give a voice to others.
“I am not only here to tell my story, but to listen, learn, and be the voice for others who may not have the opportunity to be in these rooms,” Jackie shared during the Summit. “There is something very powerful about bringing our stories together.”
Women Veterans Bringing Their Experiences to Capitol Hill
The Women Warriors Summit is part of the Wounded Warrior Project’s Women Warriors Initiative, which works to better understand and address the evolving needs of women veterans.
This year, participants received advocacy and leadership training before meeting directly with lawmakers and congressional staff.
Among the legislative priorities discussed during the Summit were the VOICE for Women Veterans Act, which focuses on strengthening research and data collection surrounding women veterans; the Mammography Access for Veterans Act, addressing access to mammography services through the Department of Veterans Affairs; and provisions within the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act related to support for military sexual trauma survivors, veteran mothers, and women experiencing midlife health challenges.
These conversations gave women veterans the opportunity to bring their lived experiences directly into discussions surrounding policies and services that can affect veterans and their families.
Bringing the Conversation Back Home
As Jackie prepared to leave Washington, one of her final messages came from the banks of the Potomac River.
Looking out over the same river that flows through our region back home, she reflected on one particular topic that connected her week in Washington with work already underway through the Hampshire County Chamber of Commerce: access to healthcare in rural communities.
“One of the things that I was able to talk about this week was rural healthcare, and it’s also one of the things that your Chamber of Commerce is working on right now for members as a benefit,” Jackie shared.
The Chamber is currently exploring whether there may be opportunities to provide small business owners with greater access to healthcare options through the Chamber, as well as the possibility of resources related to retirement benefits for employees.
For small businesses, providing competitive employee benefits can be challenging. Understanding what our local employers actually need is an important first step as the Chamber researches what opportunities may be available.
And that is where we need our local business community to be part of the conversation.
What Would Help Your Business?
Healthcare and retirement resources are only part of a much larger conversation about how the Hampshire County Chamber of Commerce can continue providing meaningful value to our partners.
What resources would make a difference for your business?
What challenges are you facing that the Chamber could help address?
Are there benefits, educational opportunities, workforce resources, partnerships, or programs you would like us to explore?
Partners, local business owners, employees, and members of our community are encouraged to share their ideas with us. Feedback may be shared publicly or submitted privately through our Chamber feedback form:
The form will remain available as an ongoing way to communicate ideas, needs, concerns, and suggestions with the Chamber.
From Washington to Hampshire County
Jackie’s time at the Women Warriors Summit is a reminder of the value of being part of conversations beyond our county while continuing to ask how what we learn can strengthen the community we serve.
The Summit may have taken place in Washington, but the conversations surrounding access, opportunity, resources, and advocacy are just as important here at home.
For Jackie, the week began with an opportunity to share her experience as a woman veteran and ended with a question for the community she was returning to:
What can we do to better serve you?
As the Hampshire County Chamber of Commerce continues working to connect our businesses with information, resources, opportunities, and one another, we hope our partners will continue to help us answer that question.
Because bringing Hampshire County into larger conversations matters — but bringing what we learn back home matters just as much.
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