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The National Guard Educational Foundation recognized a diverse group of major donors last Saturday during a special reception at the National Guard Memorial Museum, the NGAUS headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The 14 donors contributed a combined $140,000 to the NGEF through its Legion de Lafayette program.
The NGEF preserves and shares all 387 years of the Guard’s story.
The museum is among the foundation's programs, and boasts 5,600 square feet of artifacts, images and interactive exhibits.
Benefactors recognized last Saturday included one individual, four couples, seven corporations, the NGAUS Warrant Officer Committee and the overall association.
The NGAUS Warrant Officer Committee fundraised for several years before amassing the $10,000 required to become an LdL.
“Thanks to the Warrant Officer Caucus, various individuals and groups as well as robust support from several corporate partners, we were finally able to turn this goal into a reality,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Bob Nicholson of Tennessee, the warrant officer representative on the NGAUS board.
“We feel that it’s important to be able to continue the legacy and work of the NGEF, NGAUS and the Guard and help the organizations that have helped us so much and been such an important part of our lives and the lives of our families,” he added.
Nicholson and his wife, Holly, were also honored for a $10,000 donation of their own.
Other couples recognized were retired Col. Eric and retired Maj. Lori Ahlness; Priya Ghosh Ahola and David Ahola; and retired Brig. Gen. Timothy Kennedy and his wife, Susan.
The Aholas and Kennedys were making their first LdL-level gift; the Ahlnesses added to a previous major contribution.
Priya Ghosh Ahola is a former deputy director of the association's legislative department.
The foundation also honored Monty Nielsen of Benefit Briefing Solutions, a company that works with the NGAUS-Insurance Trust.
This was Nielsen’s first major donation.
Major corporate contributions recognized included five donors making additions to previous gifts and two donors making a first contribution.
BAE Systems, Bridgestone Americas, Northrop Grumman, Shepard Exposition Services and USAA were repeat donors.
New York Life and TacMed Solutions, a manufacturer of medical supplies and training aids based in Anderson, South Carolina, were the new donors.
“TacMed is dedicated to improving the survivability of the National Guard by better preparing them for activities on the battlefield, natural disaster responses or other emergency-crisis situations,” said Mark Owens, the senior vice president of sales for TacMed Simulation.
The NGAUS contribution was made in the name of retired Brig Gen. J. Roy Robinson, the association's president, and his wife, Susan.
A complete list of LdL members is available here.
— By John Goheen
