The American Legion 96th National Convention Highlights

(Subject to Change)

--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The American Legion:

Thursday, August 21
Legacy Run Arrival: League City American Legion Post 155, Kings Mountain, N.C.
(TBD)	Hundreds of Legion Riders arrive following a ride from American Legion HQS in Indianapolis, raising funds for The American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund

Friday, August 22
American Legion- National Convention Rebuild Project: Pine Valley Community Center, 1700 Longleaf Drive, Charlotte
8:45 a.m.	Project work underway
12:00 a.m.	Lunch & Media Event
9:00 a.m. - Noon	Veterans Legislative Town Hall Meeting: Charlotte Convention Center, Ballroom Level, Rooms 209/210
	Provisions of the new VA reform law and pending legislation before the 113^th Congress will be discussed. Guest speakers include staff members of the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees. OPEN TO ALL VETERANS AND THE PUBLIC
5:00 – 7:30 p.m.	Color Guard Competition: Charlotte Convention Center, Hall A, Exhibit Level Open to the public

Saturday, August 23
National Security – Foreign Relations: Charlotte Convention Center, Room 217, Sections C & D, Ballroom Level
9:15 a.m.	Transforming Department of Defense POW/MIA Operations - Alisa Stack, Director, Personnel Accounting Consolidation Task Force (PACT)
9:50 a.m.	United States Navy Update
10:20 a.m.	United States Marine Corps Update: Lt. Col. Neil F. Murphy, Jr., Communication Plans and Strategies, Office of U.S. Marine Corps Communication, Headquarters Marine Corps Pentagon

Legislative: Westin Charlotte, Providence Ballroom, Section One, Lobby Level
10:00 a.m.	Steve Robertson, Staff Director, Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, United States Senate
10:40 a.m.	Eric Hannel, Majority Staff Director, House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations, U.S. House of Representatives
11:20 a.m.	Nancy Dolan, Minority Staff Director, Committee on Veterans Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives
1:05 p.m.	Dr. Steven Bucci, Director, Allison Center for Foreign & National Security Policy, the Heritage Foundation

Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation: Charlotte Convention Center, Room 213, Section D, Ballroom Level
8:45 a.m.	The Honorable Judge Alan G. Lance, Sr. United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
9:20 a.m.	Carolyn Clancy, Acting Under Secretary for Health Veterans Health Administration, United States Department of Veterans Affairs
9:55 a.m.	Ronald E. Walters, Acting Principal Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs National Cemetery Administration, United States Department of Veterans Affairs
10:30 a.m.	Health Care Panel (A) “Restoring Veterans Trust”
	Thomas Lynch, M.D., Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Clinical Operations, Veterans Health Administration, United States Department of Veterans Affairs; Philip Matkovsky, Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Administrative Operations, Veterans Health Administration, United States Department of Veterans Affairs; Fernando O. Rivera, Director, Veterans Affairs Capitol Health Care Network (VISN 5) Veterans Health Administration, United States Department of Veterans Affairs; Cheryl Rawls, MPA, Director, Winston Salem VA Regional Office, Veterans Benefits Administration, United States Department of Veterans Affairs; Daniel F. Hoffman, FACHE, Network Director (VISN 6), Veterans Health Administration, United States Department of Veterans Affairs
	Claims/Benefits Panel (B) “Forecasting The Impact Of The Claims Backlog Upon Appeals”
	The Honorable Judge Alan G. Lance, Sr., United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims; James D. Ridgway, Chief Counsel for Policy and Procedure Board of Veterans Appeals, United States Department of Veterans Affairs
	Cemetery Panel (C) “Ensuring Veterans and their Families Have A Final Resting Place That Commemorates Their Service”
	Thomas Muir, Deputy Under Secretary for Management, National Cemetery Administration, United States Department of Veterans Affairs; Glen Powers, Deputy Under Secretary For Field Programs, National Cemetery Administration, United States Department of Veterans Affairs
2:00 p.m.	Visit VAMC, FISHER House, and Women’s Health Center

Veterans Employment & Education: Westin Charlotte, Providence Ballroom, Section Three, Lobby Level
8:45 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.	Eugenio Aleman, Director & Senior Economist from Wells Fargo
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.	Employment Panel James Baca, Logistics Manager, Universal Plant Services; Hakeem Basheerud-Deen, Director of Veterans Services, OPM; Rosye Cloud, Senior Advisor for Veterans Employment, Department of Veterans Affairs; James Cunningham, Product Manager, Military.com; Eric Eversole, Vice President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Executive Director, Hiring our Heroes, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Lieutenant Colonel Leland Suttee, Battalion Commander, Wounded Warrior Battalion East
10:30 a.m. – Noon	Homeless Veterans Roundtable Linda Charest, Base Realignment Closure Coordinator/HUDVet, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development; Jeffrey Doyle, Network Homeless Coordinator, VA Mid-Atlantic Care Network (VISN 6) Department of Veterans Affairs; John Driscoll, President/CEO, National Coalition for Homeless Veterans; Elisha Harig-Blaine, Senior Associate, National League of Cities; Reverend Scott Rogers, Executive Director, ABCCM; Joshua Stewart, Policy Assistant Director, National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.	Education & Credentialing Panel Lisa Lutz, President, Solutions for Information Design, LLC; Colonel Adam L. Rocke, Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff, Army Director, Solider for Life Program; Becky Takeda-Tinker, PhD., President, Colorado State University-Global Campus; Joseph Wescott II, Ed.D, Executive Director, North Carolina State Approving Agency

Americanism and Children & Youth: Westin Charlotte, Grand Ballroom, Sections A & B, Level Two
8:50 a.m.	American Legion National Youth Champion Delegation
9:00 a.m.	Martha Cothren, American Legion National Education Award Recipient
9:15 a.m.	Nathan Stiefel, United States Citizenship Immigration Services
9:30 a.m.	Rick Lofgren, President & CEO of the Children Organ Transplant Association
11:30 a.m.	John Beltzer, CEO & Founder of the Songs of Love Foundation

Sunday, Aug. 24
11:00 a.m.	Patriotic Memorial Service: Charlotte Convention Center, Hall A, Level One
4:00 p.m.	American Legion National Convention Parade: – Levine Avenue of the Arts & South Tryon
	Both events Open to the Public

Monday, Aug. 25
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.	Veterans Legislative Town Hall: Charlotte Convention Center, Rooms 209 & 210, Ballroom Level
9:00 a.m. - Noon	POW&MIA Update: Charlotte Convention Center, Room 217, Sections B-D, Ballroom Level
9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.	Resume Workshop: Charlotte Convention Center, Room 216, Sections A&B, Ballroom Level
8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.	Corporate Employment Workshop: Westin Charlotte, Harris Room, Level 2
8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.	‘Boots to Business: Reboot’ Small Business Workshop: Westin Charlotte, Providence Ballroom, Sections 2 & 3
12:00 p.m.	Past Department Commander’s Club Luncheon: Westin Charlotte, Tryon Room, Level Two NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty, the most decorated driver in the history of NASCAR racing, will be the guest of honor and receive the 2014 James V. Day “Good Guy” Award. (Open to media)

General Sessions: – Charlotte Convention Center, Hall A, Level One
Tuesday, Aug. 26
8:45 a.m.	Opening Ceremony – Montel Williams, Master of Ceremonies Musical Selections – Military Spouses Choir American Legion Youth Champions Presentation of the Spirit of Service Awards to military personnel by Kyle White, Medal of Honor Recipient
9:45 a.m.	Address by Kyle White, Medal of Honor Recipient
10:00 a.m.	Distinguished Service Medal Presentation to Dr. Donald H. Jenkins, Chief, Trauma, Critical Care and General Surgery – Mayo Clinic
10:25 a.m.	Presentation of the National Commander’s Public Relations Award to Lt. Col. Oliver L. North, USMC (Ret.)
11:40 a.m.	Special Presentation to be Announced
12:40 p.m.	Remarks by Sen. Richard Burr, Sen. Kay Hagan, Gov. Pat McCrory, and Dumont Clarke, Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners
2:00 p.m.	National Commander Daniel M. Dellinger’s Report to Convention
2:45 p.m.	Address by the Honorable Robert McDonald, Secretary, Dept. of Veterans Affairs
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.	Veterans Job Fair: Charlotte Convention Center, Ballroom, Sections C & D, Ballroom Level

Wednesday, Aug. 27
8:50 a.m.	Maj. Gen. Jason Kamiya, U.S. Army (Ret.), Senior Vice President, USAA
9:20 a.m.	Presentation of The American Legion Patriot Award to the Honorable Bernie Sanders, Chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs
9:30 a.m.	Address by Sen. Bernie Sanders
10:25 a.m.	Presentation of The American Legion Patriot Award to the Honorable Jeff Miller, Chairman, U.S. House Committee on Veterans Affairs
10:35 a.m.	Address by Rep. Jeff Miller

Thursday, Aug. 28
8:35 a.m.	Fourth Estate Award Presentations to WRC-TV, Washington, D.C.; The Daily News, Jacksonville, North Carolina; and Washington Examiner, Washington, D.C.
9:10 a.m.	Address by Kenneth Fisher, Chairman, Fisher House Foundation, Inc.
9:25 a.m.	Address by Robert J. Dalessandro, Chief, U.S. Army Center for Military History
9:35 a.m.	Address by Myron Gray, President of U.S. Operations, United Parcel Service
Noon	Election of National Commander and National Vice Commanders