Vets Coalition Welcomes New Leadership as Impact Grows

By Kari Hawkins, Redstone Rocket StaffJanuary 29, 2009

Coalition's New Officers
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Madison County Circuit Judge Laura Jo Hamilton swears in the new officers for the North Alabama Veterans & Fraternal Organizations Coalition during the coalition’s annual meeting at the Alabama Veterans Museum. From foreground to background, the new ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Soaring with a Hero
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – David Carney, outgoing president of the North Alabama Veterans & Fraternal Organizations Coalition, accepts an Eagle trophy from incoming coalition president John Perry. Carney was thanked by the coalition for making the organization stronger and mor... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Among the review of 2008 highlights - including the Blue Star Service Banner Program, Flag Day ceremonies, Operation Christmas Bear and Veterans Day activities - members of the North Alabama Veterans & Fraternal Organizations Coalition also said thank you during their annual membership meeting to a leader who has solidified the coalition as the community's leading military volunteer organization.

During the meeting Jan. 21 at the Alabama Veterans Museum, coalition president David Carney turned the responsibility of leadership over to incoming president John Perry and his new board members.

The coalition presented Carney, who has served two years as president and three years as secretary before that, with an Eagle trophy inscribed with the words "with heartfelt appreciation from those whose lives have been touched by your leadership and patriotism."

"The past two years have been an extreme high point for me," Carney said after the meeting. "I've gotten to know so many people working on so many projects. It's just been incredible, a great opportunity, an incredible privilege."

Carney said he knows the coalition and its 50 member organizations will go on to do even greater things for the area's military under its new leadership.

"In the military, you learn to lay the groundwork so that your organization can be better with each successive leader," said Carney, a retired Alabama Army National Guard sergeant. "That's what we're trained to do. This is a great organization and it will continue to be better. John Perry will be an excellent leader for the coalition."

Among the review of 2008 highlights Aca,!" including the Blue Star Service Banner Program, Flag Day ceremonies, Operation Christmas Bear and Veterans Day activities Aca,!" members of the North Alabama Veterans & Fraternal Organizations Coalition also said thank you during their annual membership meeting to a leader who has solidified the coalition as the communityAca,!a,,cs leading military volunteer organization.

During the meeting Jan. 21 at the Alabama Veterans Museum, coalition president David Carney turned the responsibility of leadership over to incoming president John Perry and his new board members.