Janessa Goldbeck was born and raised in San Diego County and has built her career around creating a safer and more equitable world for all.
She is the CEO of Vet Voice Foundation, a national nonprofit organization with over 1.5 million members. Led by veterans, Vet Voice Foundation mobilizes veterans and military families to have a voice in our democracy by providing them with the support, training, and tools to shape policy and impact outcomes in their communities.
Janessa, a Marine Corps veteran, deployed overseas as a Combat Engineer Officer, managing engineering, logistics, and explosive ordnance disposal missions. She also served as a Uniformed Victim Advocate, providing care to service members who experienced sexual assault.
After discovering that some jobs in the military were closed to women due to the Combat Exclusion policy, Janessa volunteered to participate in Department of Defense-led research on gender integration in combat arms units. During this research, she volunteered for an infantry course officially closed to women. Following her experience, Janessa co-founded an advocacy campaign to repeal the discriminatory Combat Exclusion policy. In 2015, the Secretary of Defense opened all military occupations to qualified applicants, regardless of gender.
Prior to her military service, Janessa worked in Washington, DC, as a human rights advocate. In this role, she led a diverse coalition to build political will for legislative and diplomatic efforts to protect civilians in conflict zones. Janessa was recognized for her work by Diplomatic Courier magazine as one of the “Top 99 Foreign Policy
Professionals Under 33”.
When her mother was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s Disease, Janessa cut short her Marine Corps career and returned to her hometown to care for her. Back in San Diego, Janessa founded Sui Generis Strategies, a professional services firm that provides organizations with the tools to pass legislation and achieve
meaningful change.
Janessa holds a B.S. from Northwestern University and an M.A. from the University of San Francisco. She serves as the co-chair of the San Diego LGBT Center, and is on the boards of Equality California, MANA de San Diego, as well as on the Victory Fund’s Campaigns Board. She is a member of Mayor Todd Gloria’s LGBT Advisory Council and the UCSD Chancellor’s Community Advisory Group, as well as a delegate to the California Democratic Party for Assembly District 78.
Janessa loves diving off San Diego’s magnificent coastline and around the world. She and her wife Carol, who were married in August of 2022, live in Talmadge with their dogs and a small flock of hens.
