Her Story
About Erica
Erica Nicole Roper is an Instructional Systems Designer and eLearning development professional with more than a decade of experience designing and delivering accessible, performance-based learning solutions for government, corporate, and higher education environments. She currently serves as an eLearning Instructional Designer with DeepMile Networks LLC under a Department of War contract and also works in training leadership and instructional design roles supporting federal and defense-related learning initiatives. She serves as the Training Director with Civilian Success Pathways, helping veterans and individuals transition into civilian careers after their military service. Her work centers on building compliant, scalable learning experiences that meet 508 accessibility and SCORM standards while supporting mission-critical workforce development. Throughout her career, she has built extensive experience across multiple federal agencies and government contracting environments, including the Department of Defense, Defense Acquisition University, the Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Army Engineer School, and the United States Postal Service. Her professional background spans roles in instructional design, content development, and technical writing, with a consistent focus on translating complex subject matter into clear, structured, and engaging learning experiences. She applies instructional design frameworks such as ADDIE, Bloom’s Taxonomy, and adult learning theory to create measurable, outcomes-driven training programs, often collaborating with subject matter experts, faculty, and technical teams. Beyond her technical expertise, she is known for her commitment to accessible education, continuous improvement, and community service. She volunteers with organizations such as the American Red Cross Disaster Action Team and the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, reflecting a strong dedication to service beyond her professional responsibilities. Looking ahead, she aims to expand her impact by establishing her own instructional design firm that will support government and corporate clients while also creating opportunities for women in the field of learning and development.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Erica
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success mainly to being positive and having an overall optimistic worldview. I have had many falls in this life, hit many bottoms, and faced many challenges, but I always get back up and keep going. I don't always every day have a smile on my face, but if I intentionally put the effort into being positive, then automatically my brain starts becoming positive and I'm automatically positive. My quality of life, my work life, and my relationships have all improved because of that mindset. I've also learned the importance of managing my time well, prioritizing, understanding what makes me happy in life, and most importantly, setting boundaries. In my early career, I would work 80 or 90 hours a week to get things done, but I learned that I need balance. I was making more mistakes because I was so tired and burnt out all the time. Now I set my boundaries right from the start of any new position - these are my hours, this is when I'm available. Communication is very important. At one point I was down to 90 pounds when I was working for the DOD because I was working so many hours a week and it was so stressful, but it didn't need to be that way. Setting those boundaries and maintaining that positive mindset has made all the difference in my life.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell them, be confident. Speak up. If the men try and speak over you, just keep talking, like they do. Stand your ground, be positive, but also be firm, and you can do this. Any woman can succeed in this field, in any male-dominated field, especially in the military. They've really grown, though it's still mainly men. But anything is possible, and I am always here to support any woman that wants to reach out and speak with me for advice. I love doing that kind of stuff. It's so important to have a network. I have this network of women that I've worked with throughout the years, and oftentimes we're either the one or two of us, the only women on the team, mainly within the military and the FAA, even the Postal Service. We've all stayed in touch, and we give each other advice, and it's been extremely helpful. It's actually helped me further my career and get positions that wouldn't have otherwise been offered to me.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The most important thing to me is spending time with my family. I've lost a lot of loved ones recently, and as we get older, we start losing people, so they're always my priority and my number one. Most of my time is spent with my family and then just a few close friends. My faith is also a big part of that. I'm a Christian, and I go to church once a week, and that really helps keep me grounded in who I am and what my intentions are each day. I also value balance and setting boundaries in my work life. I've learned what makes me happy in life and what doesn't, and I've learned the need for managing my time well and prioritizing. Communication is something that I've learned is very important. Beyond that, I find that giving my time to others through volunteering brings me joy. It's something that, selfishly, it brings me joy as well to give my time to others, and it makes me so much happier.
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