K-12 Senior Commodity Director, Pilgrim’s Pride
Infantry Officer, Company Commander, Bravo Company 2-153rd Battalion 39th Infantry Brigade, Arkansas Army National Guard
Jamie Newton is still writing her story, but the life she has lived thus far could fill multiple volumes. Between her civilian and military roles, Newton described her path as one of “hard work, persistence, taking chances and learning from every season of life.”
“I’m proud of where I am, but I’m even more excited about where I’m going,” Newton said. “I don’t feel like I’ve reached the destination. I feel like I’m still building the story.”
One of the most transformative chapters in her life so far has been her service with the Arkansas Army National Guard, which taught her she is capable of far more than she sometimes thinks. As Arkansas’ first female infantry officer, suffice it to say Newton knows a thing or two about raising the bar for herself and others.
“My military career has shaped me in ways that have carried over into every part of my life,” Newton said. “Being trusted with the responsibility of leading soldiers has challenged me, humbled me, and made me a better leader both professionally and personally.”
Newton said she is most proud of her time as an infantry company commander at the Joint Readiness Training Center, where she led a company of 177 soldiers, including more than 50 Guatemalans, as part of the Arkansas National Guard’s state partnership program with that country.
“What makes me most proud isn’t simply the number of people I led or the mission Bravo Company accomplished,” Newton said. “It’s knowing that I was given the opportunity to lead, develop and bring together soldiers from different backgrounds toward a common goal. The experience is something I will carry with me for the rest of my career and my life.”
Newton’s journey has also been one of learning to balance priorities across the different spheres of her life. A mentor once told her, “You don’t have to do everything, and you don’t have to do it perfectly the first time,” and Newton said she tries to live by that maxim.
“For a long time, I thought being strong meant being able to handle everything myself,” she said. “As I have gotten older, I’ve realized that strength also means knowing when to ask for help, when to let something be ‘good enough’ and when to give yourself some grace. You can be ambitious without constantly running yourself into the ground.”
To recharge, Newton turns to running and spending time with her family. She loves having the ability “to go and do” around the Natural State, whether that means hiking, kayaking, camping or other activities, and she said she aspires to run a 100-mile race before the end of the year. While she prides herself on her resilience and ability to face hard tasks head-on, Newton also said there is much more to her than that.
“I don’t want my strength to be mistaken for not having feelings or not needing people,” she said. “If you had to walk in my shoes for a day, my advice would be simple: Be strong, but don’t forget to be human.”
As she prepares for stories still yet to be written, Newton can look back with pride on the life she has built, the people she has led and, most importantly, the people she calls family. At the end of the day, Newton said, she wants those around her to know “that they matter, that they are loved and that I will always show up for the people I care about.”
“I may not have it all figured out, but I will always keep moving forward, and I’ll take my people with me,” she said.
