Claire Gunnison served for about a decade in the U.S. Navy as an F-18 weapons systems operator and flight instructor.

Since returning to civilian life, Gunnison has been committed to helping others, writes Ben Bennett for WHYY.

She leads the veteran-led nonprofit, Action Tank. During its first year, she and the team helped fight the opioid epidemic, before expanding to help address gun violence, food insecurity, period poverty, and more.

More recently, they irrigated book deserts throughout the Greater Philadelphia area.

Gunnison’s commitment to helping others goes back to even when she was in the Navy.

While there, she had her son and saw the differences between enlisted and officers. This led her to pursue her master’s degree in public health and health management and policy at Drexel University.

“I really wanted to focus on policies that improve quality of life and outcomes for different populations,” Gunnison said.

She also interned at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia during her time at Drexel.

Now, she works as manager of clinical outcomes and reporting, where she focuses on understanding how the hospital’s treatment improves families’ quality of life and outcomes.

Through Think Tank, Gunnison works with fellow veterans to make connections throughout the city.

Read more about Claire Gunnison and her strong commitment to improving quality of life for Philadelphians at WHYY.