By Ariyana Griffin
AFRO Staff Writer
agriffin@afro.com
Eronica Dew’s introduction to the military was through curiosity.
Her husband, Brett Dew, a retired Air Force senior master sergeant, enlisted in 1991. After watching him for two years and listening to military acronyms she did not understand, she decided she wanted to be in the know. She joined the Air Force in 1993 and cites it as the confidence boost she needed and “the best thing that ever happened.”
“I didn’t gain my confidence until I enlisted and joined the military. From basic training to technical school – it completely changed my entire life,” said Dew, now a veteran. “I began to believe in myself. I realized at that point I was highly intelligent – I just had not applied myself. The military gave me a sense of pride – it gave me a sense of direction.”
The Louisville, Kentucky native shared that after high school, she did not have a plan for what was next for her life. She struggled with giving school her all, as her early years in the classroom were marred by the chaotic process of integration, which called for her to be bussed to a school in a different community than her own.
“Integration affected me in such a negative way. The teachers in these schools that were far away from my neighborhood didn’t treat the Black children ‘warm and fuzzy,’” she said. However, the military gave her the structure she needed to succeed.
Dew served for 10 years in the United States Air Force before officially becoming a veteran. Her separation from the military was bitter sweet, but her unwavering love, commitment and dedication to her family ensured leaving was the right decision.
“The only reason why I separated is because we went to war, and we both were dual military. At the time I had five children, I had to make a decision,” said Dew. “It was either for him or me to get out. I ended up getting out of the military after 10 years, which was really devastating to me. I did not wanna give up my career, but we had to make sure that our family had some stability.”
Dew shared that the military introduced her to amazing programs and resources to help her meet her goals, such as earning a college education debt-free, becoming a homeowner and having accessible medical care.
This shift ultimately led her to her new calling, contracting and proposal management.
“My first contract out of the government was at Walter Reed Army Medical Center where I managed a $26 million dollar contract for logistics and communications for Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital.” This deal was just the beginning, from here she continued to grow and elevate her career.
She began to work with various other companies and firms as a proposal manager landing million and billion dollar deals before taking the entrepreneurship route and focusing on consulting. After COVID-19 came and business started to slow down she took the business she founded in 2018 more seriously.
BES Solutions Inc., a government contracting company that focuses on supporting the federal government. Program management, IT, HR logistics among other services are provided by her company.
She enjoys working for herself because it allows her to give back to the community and partner with other organizations to do so as well. Each year, her business participates in various community events such as Toys for Tots and back-to-school drives. Dew also serves as a board member of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Prince George’s County and enjoys providing resources and mentorship to members of underrepresented communities.
When it comes to being a business owner, Dew stresses the importance of collaboration and partnerships as a way to develop as a business and person. She enjoys her business due to autonomy in her schedule, which allows her to balance her life responsibilities, such as family and work.
To learn more about BES Solutions and Eronica Dew, visit bessolutionsinc.com.
The post From the Middle East to the C-suite: Meet Eronica Dew, Air Force veteran and CEO of BES Solutions appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
