THE BIGGEST LITTLE CONVENTION IN THE WORLD New national commander elected at 97th DAV and Auxiliary National Convention amid adoption of new resolutions, celebration of caregiver benefits expansion By M. Todd Hunter I t’s easy to be distracted by the sights and sounds of a casino town and its nightlife, but for those attending the 2018 DAV and Auxiliary National Convention in Reno, Nev., it was just as much about business as entertainment. One of the most important tasks at hand was choosing a new national commander, and members unanimously elected Dennis R. Nixon, a combat-wounded Marine, to hold the office. In his acceptance speech, the Vietnam veteran from Texas described how he felt defeated and useless after becoming an above-knee amputee as a result of a 1969 land mine explosion in Danang, but becoming a DAV service officer nearly five decades ago gave him purpose once again. “Suddenly, I was back in the fight,” said Nixon. “I was making sure my fellow veterans weren’t left behind. “DAV gives us the unique opportunity to empower and improve the lives of our fellow veterans,” he continued. “It helps us ensure promises are kept.” Nixon then credited members and supporters with carrying forth the organization’s important mission with thoughtfulness and dedication, but also asked them to consider their individual DAV legacies. “The seeds we plant today contribute to the legacy of our mission,” Nixon declared. “If the organization is to continue and the work we’re doing today is to endure, we need to be a voice of encouragement. We need to inspire.” He simply concluded, “Let’s get to work.” Along with Nixon’s election, convention delegates chose other national officers, including Senior Vice Commander Stephen “Butch” Whitehead, 1st Junior Vice Commander Donald Day, 2nd Junior Vice Commander Andy Marshall, 3rd Junior Vice Commander Joseph Parsetich and 4th Junior Vice Commander Nancy Espinosa. Delegates also re-elected National Judge Advocate Michael Dobmeier and National Chaplain Michael Dover. The DAV Auxiliary elected Ellen Timmerman, who ran on the theme “Together, we can achieve more,” as national commander. Other newly elected Auxiliary national officers include Senior Vice Commander Diane Franz, 1st Junior Vice Commander Lynn Helms Prosser, 2nd Junior Vice Commander Darlene Spence, 3rd Junior Vice Commander Julie Weissman-Steinbaugh, 4th Junior Vice Commander AnnMarie 8 DAV MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2018
Issue Articles
THE BIGGEST LITTLE CONVENTION IN THE WORLD
M. Todd Hunter
Visit Article: https://digital.dav.org/article/THE+BIGGEST+LITTLE+CONVENTION+IN+THE+WORLD/3179501/523786/article.html.