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Nelson N. Angapak, Sr.
Alaskan Native
Mr. Nelson Angapak is an Alaskan Native who served in the U. S. Army and was honorably discharged on 10 June 1971 as an Army Specialist Five. Mr. Angapak has more than 25 years of Alaska Native Land Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) land and natural resources management experience. In his current role as Executive Vice President of the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN), he lobbies Congress on ANCSA amendments, monitors land and natural resources legislation in Congress and state legislatures, coordinates AFN Land and Legislative Committees, and is in charge of AFN in absence of the President.
Mr. Angapak holds a Masters Degree in Urban Studies from Antioch College/West, 1976-1978 and a Bachelors Degree in Mathematics and History, Fort Lewis College, 1965-1970. He also holds a degree in Theology, Golden Gate Theological Seminary, 2002. He is fluent in Yupik, and has served on the Boards of the Calista Native Corporation, Alaska National Bank of the North, Tuntutuliak Land, Ltd, Linfield College , First Native Baptist Church , Alaska Baptist Family Services. He has been an advocate for Alaska Native veterans’ issues for over 30 years. Mr. Angapak currently resides in Anchorage , Alaska .
Doris Browne, M.D., M.P.H.
African American
Dr. Doris Browne, retired from the US Army with 27 years of service at the rank of Colonel. She is currently the Senior Scientific Officer of the Breast and Gynecologic Cancer Research Group, Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, in Bethesda , Maryland . She is President and CEO of Browne and Associates, Incorporated, Washington , D.C. Dr. Browne is affiliated with the Tougaloo College Board of Trustees, a former member of the American Red Cross National Capital Chapter, Intercultural Cancer Council Governing Board, Leadership Washington, and Trinity Episcopal Church. Dr. Browne holds a M.D. degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine (1979); M.P.H. in Health Education from University of California at Los Angeles School of Public Health; and a B.S. in Biology, Cum Laude from Tougaloo College . She resides in Washington , D.C.
Alexander Y. Chan
Asian American
Mr. Chan was born in Canton , China . He grew up in Hong Kong and immigrated to the United States at the age of 16. He has devoted 30 years of service to the federal government. Mr. Chan is currently a Senior Enforcement Officer and Certified Internal Auditor in the Federal Communications Commission’s Enforcement Bureau. He worked for the Internal Revenue Service for 11 years as an Internal Revenue Agent and also worked for US Customs. He served in the US Navy as an Inventory Specialist. Mr. Chan served as President of the Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC) from 2001 – 2003. He has a Bachelor of Arts and a Graduate Certificate from the City University of New York and from Long Island University . Mr. Chan resides in Fairfax Station, Virginia.
Brigadier General Julia J. Cleckley, USA (Retired)
African American
BG (Ret) Cleckley served in numerous positions during her military career including Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Professor of Military Science at Hampton University , Hampton , VA and as the Army National Guard Advisor at Fort Eustis , VA. In 1987, she was assigned to the National Guard Bureau, Military Personnel Management Branch and went on to manage over 44,000 federally recognized officer promotions for the Army National Guard. She also served on the Department of the Army Staff at the Pentagon. BG (Ret) Cleckley served as the Special Assistant to the Director, Army National Guard from July 2002 thru September 2004. As Special Assistant for Human Resource Readiness, she assisted the Director with human resources programs and policies that affected over 350,000 Army National Guard citizen Soldiers.
BG (Ret) Cleckley is currently Director of Armed Forces Education with University Alliance. She resides in the Washington , D.C. area.
Vice Admiral Diego E. Hernández, USN (Retired)
Puerto Rican
VADM Hernández is a native of San Juan , Puerto Rico . He attended Illinois Institute of Technology with a Navy ROTC scholarship. Upon graduation he was commissioned an Ensign and underwent flight training. He was designated a Naval Aviator in August 1956.
VADM Hernández served at sea in a variety of assignments in carrier based fighter squadrons and flew two combat tours in Vietnam . He also served as Aide and Flag Lieutenant to Commander, Carrier Division 14. At sea, he was commander of a fighter squadron, a carrier air wing, and a fleet oiler. VADM Hernández commanded the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy, a carrier group and was Commander Third Fleet. His last assignment on active duty was as Deputy Commander in Chief U.S. Space Command, dual hatted as Vice Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command.
VADM Hernández was presented a Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Puerto Rican Coalition in 1987 and was named the distinguished graduate of his class by Illinois Institute of Technology in 1988. Since leaving active duty VADM Hernández has been active as a management consultant to private and public companies, and serves on several boards. He resides in Miami , Florida .
John W. Jelks
African American
John W. Jelks retired from the Air Force after 20 years of service at the rank of Senior Master Sergeant. He earned seven Air Force citations and one Department of Defense award for meritorious service. Mr. Jelks is currently the Installation Management Program Officer with NGA, Property & Emergency Management (SIOM). He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Workforce, Education, & Development from Southern Illinois University. He is an active member of the National Defense Transportation Association, Southern Illinois University Alumni Association, and Blacks In Government. Mr. Jelks is also a lifetime member of DAV, a member of AMVETS, American Legion, and The Retired Enlisted Association. He resides in Dale City , Virginia .
Shoshana N. Johnson
Hispanic
Shoshana Nyree Johnson was born in the Republic of Panama to Panamanian parents Claude and Eunice 31 years ago. Johnson lives in El Paso , Texas with her daughter Janelle, her sisters, Nikki and Erika, and two nieces. Johnson was a JROTC cadet in 1991, and an Andress High School graduate. She attended the University of Texas at El Paso , and later joined the US Army in September 1998. She completed the US Army Basic Training Course at Ft. Jackson , South Carolina , and the Advance Individual Training, at Ft. Lee , Virginia . A second-generation Army Veteran, Johnson's first military assignment was at Ft. Carson , Colorado . In February, 2003, at her second military assignment at Ft. Bliss , Texas , Johnson received orders to deploy to Iraq and to carry through her duties as a Food Service Specialist, (92G) with the 507th Maintenance Company, 552 Battalion 11th Brigade. On March 23, during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Johnson was in a convoy that was ambushed in the city of an-Nasiriyah. Johnson received a bullet wound to her ankle, causing injuries to both legs. She and 5 other members of the 507th Maintenance Company were captured and taken Prisoners of War. The ambush and its aftermath made world news headlines. House raids conducted by US Marines in the city of Samarra , Iraq , resulted in the successful rescue of seven POWs on the morning of April 13. Six days later, Johnson, together with six former POWs, came back to a heroes welcome in the US with a cheering crowd of over 3,000 people. Specialist Johnson retired from the Army on a Temporary Disability Honorable Discharge on December 12, 2003. US Army officials identified Johnson as the first female POW of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the first black female POW in US war history. Since her return to the United States , Specialist Johnson has received numerous awards, and recognition for her courage, valor, and service to the United States . Ms. Johnson also has done numerous speaking engagements across the country discussing her experience as a POW in Iraq .
Furnie Lambert, Jr.
American Indian, Lumbee Tribe
Furnie Lambert, Jr. retired as Master Gunnery Sergeant from the Marine Corps with 28 years of service. He is a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina . Mr. Lambert currently serves as the Chairman of Veterans Affairs Committee for the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina . He is an active member of VFW Post 2843, American Legion Post #117, and is the Chairman of the Lumbee Warriors Association. He graduated from Prospect High School in Maxton , North Carolina and attended Robeson Community College . Mr. Lambert resides in Maxton , North Carolina .
Colonel Reginald Malebranche
Haitian American
Col. Malebranche held several major staff positions during his military career to include Inspector General, US Army Health Services Command; Commander, 5th Medical Battalion, 5th Infantry Division (Mech.); and Commander and Operations Officer, Silas B. Hays Army Hospital . Col. Malebranche has over thirty-five years of expertise in Policy, Planning and Program Management. He has extensive experience in leadership, business development, project/program management, resources management and organization design, in the private as well as the federal sectors. Col. Malebranche resides in Alexandria , Virginia .
James T. McLawhorn, Jr.
African American
Mr. McLawhorn has developed innovative programs to improve the quality of life for thousands of disadvantaged persons in the Midlands of South Carolina. He also serves as a catalyst to improve race relations and diversity in the community. He spearheaded the establishment of the South Carolina Race Relations Commission. He has provided more than twenty years of leadership in social policy planning and human service development.
Mr. McLawhorn was a Housing and Transportation Planner and an Assistant Director for Employment and Training for the city of Charlotte , North Carolina . He also taught social planning as an Adjunct Instructor at the University of North Carolina . Mr. McLawhorn is presently the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Columbia Urban League in Columbia , South Carolina . He has held this position since 1979.
Mr. McLawhorn has been extensively recognized for his social activism. Awards received include: United Black Fund Chairman’s Award, 2005; Wil Lou Gray Award for Youth Leadership, 2003; Trailblazer Award, Alpha Kappa Alpha South Atlantic Region, 2000; National Urban League President of the Decade, 1999; National Urban League Whitney M. Young, jr. Leadership Award in Race Relations, 1996. Mr. McLawhorn resides in Columbia , South Carolina .
Attorney Kerwin E. Miller
African American
Attorney Miller serves as the first Director of the newly-established District of Columbia Office of Veterans Affairs, within the Executive Office of the Mayor. He was appointed, by Mayor Anthony A. Williams, in October 2001, and was unanimously confirmed, by the Council of the District of Columbia . As the Director, he oversees the management and daily operation of the office which provides advocacy support and benefits assistance and information to veterans, their dependents, and their survivors concerning federal and District laws and regulations affecting veterans’ benefits and claims. Prior to his appointment, he was responsible, for representing veterans, before the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. Attorney Miller was also an attorney, in the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of General Counsel, for seven years.
Attorney Miller is a retired surface warfare Naval Reserve Commander, who completed twenty-eight years of honorable active duty and reserve naval service. He served, on active duty, as the Office-In-Charge, of the USNA Pawcatuck (TAO-108), and for six years, as a naval reservist, in the Office of the Naval Inspector General.
Attorney Miller earned a Bachelor’s of Science Degree, in Political Science, from the U.S. Naval Academy. He graduated Cum Laude from the Howard University School of Law in Washington , D.C. , where he received a Juris Doctor Degree. He also earned a Master of Laws Degree, from the George Washington University National Law Center .Attorney Miller is an active member of the National Association of Black Veterans and the American Legion. He resides in Washington , D.C.
Major General James H. Mukoyama, Jr. *
Japanese-American
Major General Mukoyama is retired from the Army Reserve after more than thirty years of dedicated service in both the active Army and Army Reserve. He culminated his career as the Deputy Commanding General of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Monroe , Virginia . During his five years on active duty, General Mukoyama served as a platoon leader in the Republic of Korea and as an infantry company commander in the 9th Division in Vietnam .
In September of 1970, General Mukoyama left active duty and joined the Army Reserve. General Mukoyama was the youngest general officer in the entire U.S. Army when he was promoted at age 42 to Brigadier General in 1987, and subsequently the youngest Major General when he received his second star three years later. In 1989, General Mukoyama became the first Asian American in the history of the United States to command an Army division. His 70th Training Division, located in Michigan and Indiana, was the first Army Reserve Training Division ever to be mobilized at Fort Benning, Georgia, when it was called upon to participate in Operation DESERT STORM in January 1991.
General Mukoyama is the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Regal Discount Securities in Chicago. He holds a B.A. in English from the University of Illinois and a M.A. in the Teaching of Social Studies from the University of Illinois. He is active in numerous veteran and community organizations. General Mukoyama lives in Glenview, Illinois.
Lieutenant Colonel Joe C. Nuñez, USAF, (Retired)
Mexican American
Lt. Colonel (Ret) Nuñez is an Air Force veteran with 21 years of active duty service. His duty assignments included tours in Japan , Thailand and Puerto Rico. He was also assigned to the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force in the Pentagon where he performed the duties of Congressional Liaison Officer. Lt. Colonel (Ret) Nuñez’s education credentials include a MAE degree from InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico and a B.A. from the University of Northern Colorado . He is also an honor graduate of the Japanese Language Institute, Yale University .
Lt. Colonel (Ret) Nuñez was appointed to his current position as Regional Director Region VIII, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on December 31, 2001. From January 1999 until December 2001 he served in the Colorado House of Representatives where he was the Vice Chairman of the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. Additionally he served as member of the Appropriations, Education, and Transportation Committees. He resides in Littleton , Colorado with his family.
Lakota Sioux
Ms. Wilson is a Lakota Sioux; her family name is American Horse. She is a former Marine who was honorably discharged in August 1982 at the rank of Staff Sergeant, E-6. Her family has a long tradition of service to the country. Her father, brothers, sister, nephew and husband all served in the United States Marine Corps.
Ms. Wilson’s duty stations included Headquarters Women Marine Company, Arlington , Virginia . She was assigned to the Dress Blue Detail at the White House, Commandant’s House, Pentagon and Iwo Jima Memorial. She was then assigned to Camp Zukeran 3rd Marine Division, 2nd Battalion, Okinawa , Japan . While stationed to the 3rd Marine Division, Ms. Wilson attended Administrative Chief School . She was subsequently assigned to Recruiter School in San Diego , California . Of interest, she was the only woman in the class. Her subsequent duty station was as a recruiter 1st Marine Corps District, Buffalo New York . Ms. Wilson served under the command of then Major Peter Pace, now Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Ms. Wilson’s awards include: Marine of the Quarter, two Good Conduct Medals and a Meritorious Unit Commendation.
Ms. Wilson worked in a variety of assignments at the Department of Veterans Affairs. She has been a Vocational Rehabilitation and Education Coach; Veteran’s Claims Examiner; Public Affairs Officer and a management analyst in Equal Employment Opportunity for the Director of the VA Regional Office in Muskogee , Oklahoma . In that capacity she served as the program manager for the regional office’s special emphasis programs to include: Minority Veterans Program Coordinator, Women Veterans Coordinator; Oklahoma State Veterans Program, Veteran Service Officers Liaison, EEO Program Manager, and Native American Program Coordinator. Ms. Wilson was also a program analyst in the Center for Minority Veterans and served as the American Indian Veteran Liaison for the Center.
Ms. Wilson currently works for the Cherokee Nation Gaming Commission in Tahlequah , Oklahoma as their compliance officer. She continues to outreach to Cherokee Veterans throughout Cherokee nation by assisting them with their claims, providing information on their benefits and helping them to interact with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Ms. Wilson resides in Tahlequah , Oklahoma .
Irene M. Zoppi
Hispanic American
Lieutenant Colonel Irene Zoppi, USAR is an Adjunct Professor at the College of Notre Dame, Strayer University, and the Command General Staff College, where she teaches education, culture and language, leadership & acculturation, business, and tactical-operational-strategic courses at undergraduate, graduate, and military senior rank levels. Dr. Zoppi is a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army (Reserve) with expertise in the military intelligence, civil affairs, and public affairs fields with a current TS-SCI clearance. She holds a Ph.D. in Education Policy, Planning, and Administration from the University of Maryland ; a Master’s in Business Administration from Johns Hopkins University ; and Bachelor of Arts in Modern Languages from the University of Puerto Rico . Dr. Zoppi is a Gulf War Veteran with 20 years of service both in the U.S. Army -Active and Reserve, from which she retires this year. She began as a Private First Class in 1985, later became a commissioned officer, served in intelligence and in civil and pubic affairs, and graduated from some of the military’s most significant leadership courses: Combined Arms Staff Service Course and Command & General Staff College . She serves as a Fellow for the Consortium Research Fellow Program at the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences, where she provides technical and analytical research support to the Leader Development Research Unit. Dr. Zoppi resides in Crofton , Maryland .
* Denotes Chairman
** Denotes Vice Chairman
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