Zaneta Adams, U.S. Army
Zaneta R. Adams is an attorney, U.S. Army veteran, and public servant known for her leadership in veterans’ affairs in Michigan and nationally. Adams grew up in Muskegon, Michigan. She enrolled in the US Army, and National Guard. She was discharged in 2006 after 8 years of service. Her personal experience as a service-disabled veteran has shaped her advocacy for military families, women veterans, and disabled veterans.
She earned a B.A. in Psychology from Columbia College. She obtained her law degree from Western Michigan Cooley Law School. She was in private practice in Muskegon focusing on advocacy for veterans in compensation and pension appeals.
She founded WINC: For All Women Veterans (Women Injured in Combat). She has held board positions with Fisher House Michigan, USS Silversides Submarine Museum, Mercy Health, and Challenge America. In 2021 Adams was recognized as a Women Veteran Trailblazer.
She was appointed as Director of Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. She moved on to be Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Her work in the Biden administration was liaison work with federal, state, tribal, and international governments.
Post military discharge she struggled. But her faith, marriage and six children kept her going. She has been quoted as saying “There was a point in my life where I wanted to end my journey … And by the grace of God, I am not done yet.”
She was inducted into the Michigan Military and Veterans Hall of Honor for her work for veterans in 2025.