The NGAMA delegation led by the Adjutant General Maj Gen L Scott Rice and NGAMA First Vice President Lt Col Sean Halbrook helped create history at the Chicago NGAUS Conference. Maj. Gen. Deborah Ashenhurst, the adjutant general of Ohio since January 2011, was elected chair of the NGAUS board of directors at the 136th General Conference and Exhibition ending today in Chicago. Ashenhurst, the first woman to serve in the position, follows Maj. Gen. Steve Danner, the adjutant general of Missouri, who was elected at the 2012 conference in Reno, Nev.
An excellent group of Conference speakers included Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, the chief of staff of the Air Force, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, the director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center at Fort Eustis, Va., and Gen. Darren W. McDew, the commander of Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
Retired Maj. Gen. Arnold Punaro, the chairman of the Reserve Forces Policy Board, and Rep. William Enyart, R-Ill., a former Illinois adjutant general now in his first term in Congress, also spoke.
NGAMA helped organize the successful New England Hospitality Suite at the Howl at the Moon Piano Bar. The New England Hospitality Night was once again one of the highlights of the NGAUS Conference. Dancing, beverages and sing-alongs went late in the evening. Other events included the Governor’s Reception at the Field Museum and the formal States Dinner.
The delegates at the conference on the shores of Lake Michigan also voted for other board officers and members. Brig. Gen. Roy Robinson of Mississippi was elected vice chair-Army. Maj. Gen. Daryl Bohac of Nebraska will serve as vice chair-Air. Retired Brig. Gen. Ken Ross of Louisiana was elected again to serve as treasurer and Col. Murray Hansen of Georgia will continue to serve as secretary. Capt. Mark Timmons of Oregon was elected as the Army representative for company grade officers. Retired Col. Don Deering of Tennessee will continue as the Army representative for retired/separated officers, while retired Brig. Gen. David Brubaker of Indiana was elected to serve as the Air representative for retired/separated officers.
Nearly 1,000 NGAUS delegates were among the 4,000 people registered for the 136th General Conference and Exhibition. With nearly 300 exhibitors displaying their wares at the trade show and speakers from Congress and the Pentagon, the association’s gathering in the Windy City was one of the most successful in recent memory.
NGAMA members participate at the Air Breakout Session
The NGAMA Delegation at the States Dinner
The New England Hospitality Suite organized by NGAMA was one of the most popular events at the Chicago NGAUS Conference