Hi everyone, this will be my last email to you

as President of Military Writers Society of America. My term is up the end of this month and I am stepping down to focus more on my own work. It has been a joy -- and a lot of work -- to work with MWSA. However, I'm so very proud of how far we have come and of the journey we have just started. 

Congratulations to all of the nominees for awards this year. I know what a thrill recognition can be...but remember it is recognition, not competition. We want to encourage you...engage you...and help you grow as an author and historian. MWSA has three main goals -- writing for healing, education, and preservation of history. We hope that you will use your talents, experience, energy, and spirit of generosity to help us build on this beginning ... Dwight Zimmerman will be taking over as President after the banquet on Saturday night, September 29. Joining him as Vice President will be Leila Levinson who will be focusing on our writing to heal mission. She will be offering a workshop for local veterans, active military, first responders and their families in Dayton. She will also conduct a train the trainer workshop where she will encourage you to take the message and the activity back to your communities. Father Ron Camarda will be our new Secretary and he will work with Leila. Louis Intres will be our new Treasurer and he will continue to work towards our goal of being a 501c. Jack Woodville London will chair a committee aimed and evaluating the scores from our reviews and determining what kinds of seminars, forums, and classes (in our MWSA Writing Academy) to offer our members. And finally, Carol Schultz Vento will chair a committee which will focus on placing memoriabilia and books in libraries, archives, and museums.

Rob Ballister, Mike Mullins, Jim Greenwald and I will serve on the board to smooth transitions and to provide Dwight and his officers with institutional memory and support. I look forward to seeing how the new leadership will grow our group.

If you haven't seen the program for the Conference in Dayton, please take a look...and if you can, join us to celebrate each other, our talent, and the future of MWSA. http://www.mwsadispatches.com/sites/default/files/DaytonProgram20120911.pdf

J