Pentagon taps Fort Mill veteran for advisory post

Jamie Mines’ appointment to a U.S. Department of Defense committee on issues affecting women in the services is just the latest flag in her long career of service.

Mines was one of three people named in September to the 23-member Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, a group of civilian women and men formed in 1951 to provide insight and recommendations. In 2016 the committee has made recommendations on such issues as mentorship training, policies regarding single parents in the services, diversity among the chaplain corps, pregnancy, and training on sexual harassment and sexual assault.

Her qualifications include serving in the U.S. Navy and her business background as a consultant in change management. Mines, of Fort Mill, frequently drives with her mastiff, King, to business appointments and leadership meetings.

“I am excited to be able to continue to serve the mission of the Department of Defense and the U.S. Naval Academy,” the Aiken native said, noting the Academy has just celebrated 40 years of women in its ranks.

In 1980 Mines became the first African-American woman to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy. She saw service as a chance to “serve my country, be well educated and obtain experience well beyond my peers in a very short period of time.”

Now a successful business owner, “I still mentor midshipmen today.”

Mentoring has been important to her in Fort Mill as well. In 2000 she founded the nonprofit Boyz To Men, Inc., in Fort Mill, a program to help young men channel their energies and talents in positive directions. The organization is dormant just now, as Mines travels frequently for her job and committee work, but is thinking about making it active again.

“I am so proud of what they’ve accomplished,” she said of past participants. “It’s a positive reflection of our mission. One of my dreams in life would be to expand it, because it’s such a good model.”

Another first for her was to run as an Olympic torchbearer for the 2002 winter games in Salt Lake City. She was working for Bank of America at the time and other staff members secretly nominated her. “That was an honor,” she said.

For her next act, Mines is evaluating Ph.D. programs. With such vast organizational changes happening in public and private life, her expertise is valuable in business and government, she said.

“All aspects of change begin with honest dialogue,” she said. “You have to understand what motivates people,” then “really address the issues as we implement change.”

This story was originally published October 11, 2016 at 6:46 PM with the headline "Pentagon taps Fort Mill veteran for advisory post."