I have asked the Storage Executive Officers to each write a blog post introducing themselves to our membership and sharing a little bit about the work they will be doing over the next three years. I hope you will enjoy getting to know them a little bit better over the next couple months. First up is our First Vice President General, Kathryn Walker West.
- Ginnie Sebastian Storage
It is a great privilege to serve in this administration under the leadership of our President General, Ginnie Storage. I am eager to collaborate with our employees and the exceptional team she has brought together. Serving you, the members of the National Society, is a tremendous privilege and I will work hard to Illuminate the Legacy that belongs to each one of us.
As First Vice President General my primary role is to support the organization as we focus on our mission. I work closely with the Human Resources department and chair the Human Resources Committee, which is comprised of five Executive Officers and Michelle Brickwedde, Senior Director, Human Resources. The purpose of the committee is to ensure our employees are well served, including with pay and benefits and that we provide a quality workplace. It is my pleasure to work with such a dedicated team at our headquarters.
Support to National Chairs as their Executive Liaison is a way to stay engaged in specific functions of the Society. As liaison I bring their suggestions for initiatives and projects to the Executive Committee for discussion and possible adoption. I look forward to working with each of them including the Continental Congress, Vicki Voris, National Chair; E Pluribus Unum, Dr. Yolanda Bogan, National Chair; Franco-American Memorial, Patricia Maclay, National Chair; Insignia, Cynthia Moody Parnell, National Chair; Insignia Volunteers, Mary Ellen Chrispell, National Chair; and Long Range Planning Commission, Dawn Lemongello, National Chair.
In this administration, the Insignia Volunteers were separated from the Insignia Committee. Each is considered a Member Engagement Committee, and I encourage you to view their webpages to understand their unique role. Drawing on the success of the E Pluribus Unum Education Initiative as we continue to illuminate the men and women who achieved American independence, especially in this Semiquincentennial period, it made sense to create a special committee to help us focus on underrepresented patriots. Resources will continue to be added to this committee page, and I encourage you to ask questions of the committee leadership as we launch this new committee.
You may recall that I served as an Executive Officer in a previous administration and the introductory blog I wrote is linked for you to help refresh you a bit about me. Sadly, since then I lost my mother, Doris Walker in 2020 and then my dear husband Ollie in January of 2023 after 36 years of marriage. I am so thankful for the kindness of DAR members from my Captain Jesse Leavenworth Chapter, the Kansas Society and many of you that are reading this blog for the support offered during that liminal time. Ollie was always thankful that I had so many DAR friends. I hope that in the next three years, my list of encouraging friends continues to grow.
Today's DAR
