First Lady of Virginia Addresses Military Spouses in Virginia Beach
Alexandria, Va. (PRWEB) February 25, 2015 -- More than 250 military spouses joined the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) in Virginia Beach to attend the Military Spouse Symposium “Keeping a Career on the Move®.” Virginia’s first lady Dorothy McAuliffe kicked off the award-winning professional-development conference, which was open to all military spouses, currently serving military personnel, retirees, veterans and surviving spouses.
The first lady thanked the audience for their service and sacrifice to the nation and the commonwealth. “My husband and I know that families serve, too,” McAullife said. “We have over 300,000 servicemembers and their families that call Virginia home. 76,000 are military spouses who are strong, independent, adaptable, patient and loyal to both their family and their country.
“Here in Virginia, the governor and I are absolutely committed to supporting our military families,” McAuliffe continued. “We know that you face unique challenges, and we are glad to work with organizations like MOAA to make sure that military families get the support that they need and they deserve.”
Symposium participants were able to attend two panel discussions, “Nuts and Bolts of Spouse Employment” and “Real Spouses, Real Stories,” as well as workshops on Résumé Writing Strategies for Military Spouses, LinkedIn Strategies, 30-Second Commercial, Be Your Own Boss: Entrepreneurship and Tips for Navigating Federal Employment.
“MOAA has been serving our military and their families for 86 years,” said MOAA President and CEO retired Navy Vice Adm. Norb Ryan. “Our principal mission is to advocate for a strong defense and for the one weapon system that has never let our nation down — our men and women in uniform. That is why it is such a privilege for us to serve you and be here today to help you along with your professional journey.”
Ryan thanked the event sponsors, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Mercer Consumer, USAA, Militarybyowner.com, Stella & Dot and the Rosie Network.
According to the first lady, more than 75,000 school-age children of active duty servicemembers live in the commonwealth and attend public schools, so supporting military families is a top priority. Two specific issues McAuliffe said she and the governor are concerned with are a Military Student Identifier bill, which she hopes to see signed into law by her husband in the near future, and the Interstate Compact Act.
Join #MOAAspouse2015 next month for the second 2015 Military Spouse Symposium “Keeping a Career on the Move®,” Monday, March 23, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. (Registration opens at 8:15) at The Westin Alexandria, 400 Courthouse Square, Alexandria, Va. 22314.
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About MOAA:
Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) is the nation’s largest officers association with more than 380,000 members from every branch of service, including active duty, retired, National Guard, Reserve, and former officers and their families and survivors. MOAA is a nonprofit and politically nonpartisan organization and an influential force in promoting a strong national defense. MOAA represents the interests of service members and their families in every stage of their lives and careers, and for those who are not eligible to join MOAA, Voices for America’s Troops is a nonprofit MOAA affiliate that supports a strong national defense. For more information, visit http://www.moaa.org or http://www.voicesfortroops.org/.
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MOAA Public Relations, Military Officers Association of America, +1 703-838-0546, [email protected]
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