The Official Newsletter of the Greater Austin Council Navy League of the United States July August 2018 Citizens in Support of the Sea Services www.navyleagueaustin.org Judge Denton presides over the Travis County Veterans Court, as well as Travis County Court Law number 4 for Domestic Violence. He began his career as a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1973. After completing his military service in the U.S. Army, he went on to the University Of Texas Law School, graduating in 1984. Judge Denton speaks regularly for enhancing and continuing education on judicial skills in domestic violence cases, as well as an advocate for veterans in the criminal justice system. He has given presentations on State Judicial Domestic Violence in Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, and Washington and regularly Distinguished Speaker Dinner Series THURSDAY August 16, 2018 Featured Speakers The Honorable Mike Denton Travis County Veterans Court & Travis County Court at Law No. 4 for Domestic Violence & Lisa Sullivan Suicide Prevention Co-Coordinator Texas Suicide Prevention Council Through her work with @ StopTXSuicides, Lisa works closely with Texas Suicide Prevention Council, coordinating a variety of tasks for this vital statewide resource. This network of over 60 local, regional, and statewide partners and coalitions serve to collectively implement the Texas State Suicide Prevention Plan. Lisa serves as the Service Member, Veteran and Family (SMVF) Lead for the Council s work in the areas veteran and military initiatives and works to ensure the Department of Defense Suicide Prevention Plan and the VA Suicide Prevention Plan are incorporated into the community programming within the Texas State Suicide Prevention Plan. TOPIC Veterans at Risk A discussion of veterans mental health issues related to their service and at look at two programs addressing solutions Speakers Continued on p.3 Her suicide prevention responsibilities also include a wide range of social media,
2018 GREATER AUSTIN COUNCIL BOARD OF DIRECTORS Tim Hunsberger President... 512.970.9299 tahunsberger@earthlink.net Vacant President-Elect... Glenn Looney V.P for Membership... 512.327.7413 navyleagueaustin@austin.rr.com Mary Virginia Pittman-Waller V.P. Dev. & Mktg... 210.212.4500 mvp.texas@yahoo.com Kathy Pillmore V.P. for Comm. & Programs..512.292.1194 kpillmore@icloud.com LuAnn Reyes CFO & Treas... 512.203.4399 luann@luannreyes.com Jim Brotherton V.P. for Military Affairs... 512.632.4206 jdbrotherton@att.net Jeanie Coffey V.P. for Legislative Affairs... 512.431.8573 jeanie.coffey@gmail.com Launtz Rodgers V.P. Youth Programs... 512.545.2920 launtz@outlook.com Adam Samuels Chaplain... 757.818.3641 samuels7995@gmail.com Michael Murray Judge Advocate General... 512.472.5192 ADDITIONAL DIRECTORS Don Jones Tamesha Jumper Max Miller Randy Patterson Mary Ritter NLUS DIRECTORS Max Miller Jeanie Coffey Tim Hunsberger Glenn Looney Max Miller Mary Ritter M.V.Pittman-Waller LIAISONS Open Marine Corps CAPT David Mongo Koss, USN CO UT NROTC CDR Rodney Magallan CO Navy Operations Support Center President s Message Tim Hunsberger President, Greater Austin Council, NLUS We are going to have a very informative dinner coming up on the 16th of August with Veterans at Risk, featuring speakers Judge Mike Denton, Travis County Veterans Court where he is doing an outstanding job of serving veterans and turning their lives around. Our second speaker is Lisa Sullivan, Texas Veterans Suicide Prevention Council. Among our veterans, suicide is almost a daily occurrence and it robs us of citizens that have so much to offer. However, it is preventable with the proper intervention. Our Austin council is taking this on as one of our outreach programs. This dinner is the first step, and it will be followed by several training sessions to help us note the warning signs and ways to properly effect intervention. Not only do we invite you to attend, invite a friend, family member, or associate that you think would be interested in this program. We encourage you to consider the subject matter of if you are bringing youngsters to this dinner. The National Navy League Board meeting and convention in Portland, Oregon, was quite informative and allowed us to meet other chapters and share information on ways to grow. I will be sharing these with everyone. Legislative Affairs continues to be one the Navy League s outstanding programs and it is reflected in next year s robust Naval budget.. However, we must continue our support. For example, the House Appropriations Committee struck funding for the first heavy polar icebreaker this puts them in opposition to both the Senate and the administration budget which Congress has approved. So we are reminding our Members of Congress about the strategic importance of the Arctic and that we need new icebreakers to get there. As we approach fall, we will be having more great programs. Please follow these at our website and on Facebook. Hard to think of fall and icebreakers with these days of 100 plus heat, but we will get there. I look forward to seeing all of you on Thursday, August 16th. The Anchor is the official publication of the Greater Austin Council, Navy League of the United States. It is published six times per year, prior to an upcoming Distinguished Speaker Series dinner. Archived copies of past Anchors may be found at www. navyleagueaustin. org. 2010 2014 RESERVE YOUR SEAT AT OUR NEXT DINNER AUSTIN WOMANS CLUB CHATEAU BELLEVUE Free Parking - Entrance on Nueces between 7th and 8th Streets Social 1815 Dinner 1915 Program 2015 Members & Their Guests- $30 Military in Uniform & Their Guests - $20 Cadets & Midshipmen and Their Guests - $15 CALL 512-203-4399 OR EMAIL luann@luannreyes.com ONLINE via PayPal at www.navyleagueaustin.org PLEASE NOTE: WE CANNOT GUARANTEE YOUR MEAL WITHOUT A RESERVATION 2 The Anchor, July August 2018
SPEAKERS, cont d from page 1 Judge Denton attends conferences, such as the NDAA Annual Domestic Violence Conferences. Additionally, he has served as Co-Chair of Travis County Family Violence Task Force and as President of Criminal Law and Procedure Section and was a Volunteer for the Austin Rape Crisis Center. The Travis County Veterans Court Program is a diversion program for veterans who are charged with offenses that may be related to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or other mental health issues related to their military service. Participants in this program are assessed for a number of factors such as chemical dependency, mental health and other issues that can be addressed through treatment and supportive services. The Veterans Court Program may assist participating veterans with obtaining employment, education, health and housing services. The program provides veterans with an opportunity to avoid criminal prosecution and a criminal conviction. Lisa Sullivan training, app management, program development, and other management activities. Of particular note, Lisa has coordinated the Texas Suicide Prevention Symposium for five years, bringing together national, state, and local thought leaders, experts, and advocates to elevate and improve suicide prevention initiatives through community partners, education institutions, mental health providers, military and veteran service providers, and others. Widely recognized as a leader in suicide prevention training, education, and development, the Symposiums regularly attract audiences in the 800+ range and garner over 10 million social media impressions throughout Texas and beyond. As President of INFUSE Corporation, Lisa has designed and executed a broad range of futures research and strategy projects for Fortune 100 organizations, industry associations, social impact organizations, research consortia and state government. She has been affiliated with the Software Engineering Professional Education Center and the Research Institute for Computing and Information Sciences at the University of Houston. Lisa served as a planning contractor with NASA-Johnson Space Center. She was formerly a senior HELP OUT A VETERAN DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON associate and futurist with Technology Futures, Inc., and has authored or co-authored more than 20 studies on the future in areas such as: aerospace, information technologies, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, energy, consumer values and lifestyles and education. Lisa holds an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Elmhurst College and a Masters of Science in Studies of the Future from the University of Houston-Clear Lake. In addition to her academic degrees, Lisa also holds the following credentials: Certified ASIST Military Trainer, Certified ASK Trainer, Certified Working Minds Trainer, CALM First Responders, FEMA IS-100.b, FEMA IS-200.b and IS-700.a Lisa is a member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Austin Council of the Navy League; chaired the Eanes ISD School Health Advisory Committee; is member of the World Futures Studies Federation; and a Founding Member of the Association for Professional Futurists. Her volunteer work has also included the Teen- CERT Program, United States Sea Cadet Corps and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. At our November 1st dinner we will once again be collecting items for the Austin VA Regional Clinic s Holiday Table. These items are provided to patients of the clinic. You can bring your items to the dinner and they will be taken to the VA Clinic by one of our members. Here s a list of what is needed: Beanies/Caps Blankets* Books Bracelets CDs Combs/Brushes DVDs Hoodies* Mittens/Gloves Scarves Slippers* Socks (New unopened packages - athletic socks preferred) Sweat Shirts and Pants (Most needed are Women s L, XL and Men s XL and XXL*) T-Shirts Wallets Writing Stationery *These are the most popular items PLEASE NOTE: NOTHING CONTAINING ALCOHOL; I.E., TOOTHPASTE, MOUTHWASH, DEODORANT, AFTERSHAVE www.navyleagueaustin.org The Anchor, July August 2018 3
Snapshots from the June 21, 2018 Distinguished Speaker Series Dinner Photos (Top row) Tim Hunsberger thanks Adam Samuels for his interesting presentation Samuels mid presentation Lala Neimeyer, Jeanie Coffey and Kaye Johanson (Second row) Janet Kres and Ed Finegan Peggy Jones, Nancy Looney, Kaye Patterson and Chris Byron Randy and Kaye Patterson, Glenn Looney and Max Miller (Third row) Cadets from the Capital Area Young Marines receive a Certificate of Appreciation from Glenn and Tim. (Below l-r) Raffle Winners with their prizes. 4 The Anchor, July August 2018
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O Eternal Lord God, who alone spreadest out the heavens and rulest the raging of the sea; vouchsafe to take into Thy almighty and most gracious protection our country s Navy and all who serve therein. Preserve them from the dangers of the sea and from the violence of the enemy; that they may be a safeguard unto the United States of America and a security for such as pass on the seas upon their lawful occasions; that the inhabitants of our land may in peace and quietness serve Thee. In your name we pray. Amen. Chaplain s Corner by LCDR Adam Samuels, USN (Ret) Adapted from Anglican The Book of Common Prayer (1928) http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/1928/pray&thanks.htm LCDR Adam Samuels, USN (ret) is the Austin Council Chaplain for 2018. He was a Surface Warfare Officer assigned to multiple ship and staff Operations and Engineering Departments in addition to the Pentagon and DoD Agencies. He served as senior Lay Leader on two destroyers, one cruiser, and two aircraft carriers. He currently is the State Emergency Manager for the Texas National Guard HQ on Camp Mabry and lives in Georgetown TX. AN OUTSTANDING GROUP OF SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS GRACED THE JUNE MEETING The 2018 recipients of the George Jones Scholarships are on their way to higher education with the help of the Greater Austin Council. (photo l-r) Flanked by LuAnn Reyes, chair of the scholarship committee and Peggy Jones, widow of George Jones are Rebecca Kirby, a graduate of Rouse High School (NJROTC) who is planning to study Political Science. (University to be determined) Penny Kathleen Pellegrini graduated from Hendrickson High School (MCJROTC) and is planning to study Aerospace Engineering at the University of Maryland College Park. Lanette Dawn Gardner graduated from New Braunfels High School (MCJROTC) and will study Oceanogoraphy and Meteorology. (University to be determined) Nathan Morrison (not shown) is a graduate of Belton New Tech High School at Waskow (MCJROTC) and intends to study Political Science. (University to be determined) The Council wishes them all well in their studies and invites them to come back and update us on their progress. Sport Jones, son of George and Peggy Jones, gave the audience a humorous look at his father. 6 The Anchor, July August 2018
THANK YOU to our June 21, 2018 Adopters Jeanie Coffey - $100 Ed Finnegan - $100 Peggy Jones - $60 Kathy Pillmore - $50 Tim and Barb Hunsberger - $40 Glenn and Nancy Looney - $40 Launtz Rodgers - $40 Kaye Johanson - $30 Randy Patterson - $25 Help us keep cadets from Austin and surrounding area JROTC, UTNROTC, Sea Cadet and Young Marine units coming to our dinners. Your adoption of one or more cadets at each dinner helps us to offset the cost of hosting these great young men and women. (The Greater Austin Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. You will recieve a tax receipt in the form of an adoption certificate. WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR RESERVATION, LET US KNOW THAT YOU WANT TO ADOPT-A-CADET ($25 PER Cadet) Photos from the field GAC 2018 Calendar August 16 November 1 December 4 2019 February 28 Veterans at Risk Judge Mike Denton, Travis County Veterans Court and Lisa Sullivan, Co- Coordinator of Texas Suicide Prevention Council Michael Mike Pestorius, former director of the UT Applied Research Labs. UT Alumni Week & Collection for the VA Clinic Holiday Table 1 Holiday Program TBA Collection for Toys for Tots 2 BGEN Bill Welch USAF Ret. CEO of Apptronik, Inc. which is developing robotics for use in military applications. 1 Items include underwear, socks, t-shirts, toiletries (nothing containing alcohol) 2 NEW unwrapped toys for girls and boys If you know of a speaker that would be of interest to our members, please let us know. Contact Kathy Pillmore, kpillmore@icloud.com *Dates and/or speakers are subject to change due to unforeseen situations. For calendar updates go to www. navyleagueaustin.org PEARL HARBOR (June 1, 2018) Gunner's Mate 1st Class Chris Clark, left, and Operation's Specialist 1st Class Caleb Branum participate in a wreath laying ceremony to commemorate the 76th anniversary of the Battle of Midway. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Justin R. Pacheco/Released) George T. Jones, 1926-2003 U. S. Navy WWII Veteran and Navy League Member George T. Jones Scholarship Fund provides scholarships to graduating seniors in Navy and Marine JROTC and Sea Cadet programs Contribute Now! Send your tax deductible contributions to Greater Austin Council NLUS George T. Jones Scholarship Fund c/o Greater Austin Council NLUS 8650 Spicewood Springs, #145-625 Austin, TX 78728 www.navyleagueaustin.org The Anchor, July August 2018 7
The ANCHOR 10001 Jupiter Hills Dr. Austin, TX 78747 Email: navyleagueaustin@gmail.com The ANCHOR is the official newsletter of the Greater Austin Council of the Navy League of the United States. It is published six times annually and distributed free of charge to all its members and to other interested parties. The Greater Austin Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and as such is exempt from Limited Sales, Excise and Use Taxes per the IRS Code. FIRST CLASS MAIL RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED The Navy League of the United States is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating our citizens about the importance of sea power to U. S. national security, and supporting the men and women of the sea services and their families. SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY AFFILIATES Ricon Products HELP US BUILD OUR MEMBERSHIP Use the form below and sign up a new member. Bring it and your new member to our next council meeting, or mail the form, together with the fee (check or money order payable to NLUS,) Greater Austin Council, 8650 Spicewood Springs, #145-625 Austin, TX 78759. The new member will immediately be added to our mailing list. YES! Name: (Mr., Mrs., Dr., Etc.) Please enroll me as a Navy Leaguer Today I am a U.S. Citizen Address: Number, Street, Name (Apt., Suite, P.O. Box) Your Company s Name Here ask us how I am not a U. S. Citizen First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name Date of Birth City State Zip Code (+4) Home Phone Business Phone Email Greater Austin Council Sponsor s Last Name Sponsor s Membership # New Member s Council Type of Membership (please check one)* 1-Year Premium Membership...$55 2-Year Premium Membership... $100 (Save $10) 3-Year Premium Membership... $130 (Save $35) 4-Year Premium Membership... $180 (Save $40) 5-Year Premium Membership... $225 (Save $50) Life Membership (to age 55)... $1,000 Life Membership (age 56-75)...$750 Life Membership (age 76+...$500 1-Year Electronic Membership...$25 Method of Payment Check enclosed (Make payable to NLUS) or Please charge my Visa MC AMEX Card # Exp. Date Signature Billing Zip Code