Martha Rainville Martha Rainville ( née Trim , born , New London , Connecticut ) is a former Vermont National Guard Adjutant General , and retired Air Force Major General . Rainville is the first woman in the history of the National Guard to serve as a state Adjutant General . In 2006 she ran as the Republican candidate for Vermont ' s at - large congressional district . She was defeated by Democratic candidate Peter Welch . Currently , Rainville is Chief Operating Officer of Civil Support International LLC , a consulting firm which advises private contractors and government agencies in matters related to disaster preparedness , crisis response , and homeland defense and security . Education and National Guard service . After graduating from the Chamberlain - Hunt Academy ( 1975 ) , Rainville received a Bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of Mississippi ( 1979 ) . Following graduation , she entered the United States Air Force , and was a 1979 Distinguished Graduate of the United States Air Force Officer Basic Military Training Program at Lackland Air Force Base , Texas . She served on active duty from 1978 – 1984 , then transferred to the 174th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron , New York Air National Guard , Syracuse , N . Y . She also served in the Air Force Reserve in Minneapolis , Minn . and the Vermont Air National Guard before becoming the Adjutant General of the State of Vermont in March 1997 . The position of Adjutant General carried with it the rank of Major General . The first woman in the history of the National Guard to hold this position , Rainville commanded 3 , 800 members of the Vermont Army and Air National Guard . She also served as the commissioner of the Military Department , State of Vermont . As Adjutant General , Rainville ensured that the Army and Air National Guard worked as a joint force enabling the Air and the Army Guard to rapidly response to natural disasters in the state . Along with her work in Vermont , Rainville served on the Reserve Forces Policy Board , the executive committee of the Adjutant Generals Association of the United States , and was elected vice chair of the Board for Air National Guard of the National Guard Association of the United States . Politics . In 2005 , Rainville began consulting with members of the Republican and Democratic parties regarding a possible run for the U . S . House of Representatives or the U . S . Senate . She was courted by members of both parties . Rainville announced her candidacy in the early spring of 2006 as a Republican , stressing government reform , ethics , homeland security , and a strong national defense . Campaign . In 2006 , Rainville ran for Vermont ' s at - large congressional district . Early in the campaign , Rainville signed a Clean Campaign Pledge in which she vowed to not attack her opponent Welch , and condemned negative TV ads by third parties in the race . Rainville ’ s campaign , though a positive one , made some gaffes . A plagiarizing scandal ( originally documented by Julie Waters , a Vermont blogger ) involving one of her staffers resulted in a drop in the polls . A strong national anti - Republican wave , based partially on dwindling support for the post - invasion Iraqi occupation , combined with a desire to restore an oversight role to the Congress , made winning the seat an uphill battle . On Election Day , Welch was elected with a 9 percent lead . It was Rainville ’ s first run for office . FEMA . In 2007 , Rainville was appointed counselor to the Department of Homeland Security ' s Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA ) administrator and deputy administrator for Continuity Programs . Rainville served as the assistant administrator from 2007 - 2009 and was responsible for ensuring that FEMA performed its role as Lead Agent for Federal Executive Branch Continuity Programs , including preparation and implementation of Continuity of Operations , Continuity of Government and Contingency Programs across a full threat spectrum . Additionally , she oversaw implementation of continuity taskings assigned to FEMA / DHS in HSPD - 20 / NSPD - 51 including developing and promulgating Federal Continuity Directives , conducting biennial assessments of all Federal Executive Department and Agency continuity capabilities and developing continuity guidance for state , local , territorial and tribal governments and the private sector . Family . Rainville is the daughter of the late Nick and Lucille Trim of Port Gibson , Mississippi . Martha Rainville resides in Virginia and has three children . She is divorced , but is now married to the Honorable Paul McHale , a former Congressman from Pennsylvania and the former Assistant Secretary of Defense . McHale is a member of the Democratic Party .