Council and Chapter Leaders Assemble in D.C.
By Col. Chris Giaimo, USAF-Ret., Director, and Col. Jim Pauls, USAF-Ret., Council and Chapter Affairs, and Kris Ann Hegle

Annual gathering renews ties, provides forum for Cross-talk, and strengthens MOAA’s legislative impact.

Council and chapter leaders from all 50 states and Puerto Rico gathered in Alexandria, Va., in late March for the annual Council and Chapter Presidents’ Seminar. The highlight of the three-day seminar was the annual Storming the Hill campaign, which saw chapter and council leaders lobby their congressional representatives on key legislative initiatives. 

Members of the national board of directors and headquarters staff paired up with council and chapter leaders during their trips to the Hill, and together they urged legislators to enact laws that would end the Survivor Benefit Plan annuity reduction that affects military survivors age 62 and older. Participants also lobbied for concurrent receipt and urged a 4.1 percent pay raise for all members of the uniformed services. The administration had proposed capping raises at 2 percent for commissioned officers of the U.S. Public Health Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

This year marked the first time council and chapter leaders lobbied as members of MOAA. Cmdr. John Ohlinger, USN-Ret., president of the Tennessee Council of Chapters, says he did his part to familiarize representatives and their staffers with the association’s new name. 

Ohlinger and his lobbying teammate, board of directors member Cmdr. Scott Leftwich, USN-Ret., visited the offices of all nine of his state’s representatives and both senators. Ohlinger was able to meet personally with five of the legislators and was invited to attend a constituents’ breakfast called “Tennessee Tuesday,” which allowed him to mingle with key legislators and Hill staff members. 

“The reception we received uniformly across the board was very enthusiastic,” says Ohlinger. 

Political activism back home paid off for Col. Gil Martinez, USAF-Ret., who is the president of the New Mexico Council of Chapters. Martinez, who lobbied with national MOAA staff member Cindy Amos, met face-to-face with all three of New Mexico’s congressional representatives, as well as key staff members for both senators. 

Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.) even left a committee meeting for a few minutes so she could speak with Martinez. Following a friendly visit, he presented her with a packet of information compiled by MOAA, which outlined the association’s stance on each issue. 

“The packages MOAA prepared for us helped tremendously,” says Martinez. “I didn’t have to worry about trying to remember everything because they put it in such a nice format that it’s easy to convey your point and present the information.” 

Council and chapter leaders also attended a MOAA-sponsored reception on Capitol Hill, which honored those who’ve worked hard to pass concurrent receipt legislation and bring this inequity to the public’s attention. 

Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Rep. Michael Bilirakis (R-Fla.) received MOAA’s Arthur T. Marix Leadership Award, which is presented annually to members of Congress who protect the interests of servicemembers, families, and their survivors. 

The Paul W. Arcari Meritorious Service Award, which recognizes congressional staffers, was presented to Robert Herbert, of Reid’s staff, and Rebecca Hyder, of Bilirakis’ staff, who have worked tirelessly to achieve equity for disabled retirees. 

NBC anchor Tom Brokaw and senior correspondent Fred Francis each received MOAA’s Distinguished Service Award, which is given annually to an individual outside of Congress who has championed issues of significance to members of the uniformed services community. Brokaw and Francis aired three stories on concurrent receipt on NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, which helped drawn attention to the issue. (For more coverage of the awards ceremony, see “Honoring the Best,” page 35.)

The following day, council and chapter leaders heard from Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Anthony Principi, who attended a reception and dinner for seminar participants. Maj. Richard Swift, USAF-Ret., who volunteers at the VA in North Carolina where he also serves as council president, said he was moved by the speech Principi delivered following dinner, and he enjoyed meeting Principi.

In addition to meeting with our nation’s leaders, participants shared their thoughts, ideas, and problems with each other during a lively one-day Cross-talk session. Council and chapter leaders also heard from the key members of MOAA’s headquarters staff, who answered questions and outlined the services provided by their respective departments.