La Ola Inside this issue:

Letter from the President 2

Mobile Chapter Partners to

Expand Food Drive Out-

4

San Francisco Chapter

Gives Back to Community

4

New York Metro Outreach 5

Tampa Chapter Treasurer Awarded Douglas Munro Leadership Award

5

Cleveland Chapter Member Awarded the LATINA STYLE Meritorious Service Award

6

San Diego Padres and San Diego Chapter Join Forces

7

Tampa Chapter Awarded Leadership Award

7

Information and Resources 8

SUMMER ISSUE SEPTEMBER 2013

The ANSO Cleveland

Chapter was renamed in

honor of a former 9th Coast

Guard District chief of staff

during a renaming ceremo-

ny held at the Coast Guard

Marine Safety unit Cleve-

land at the Cleveland Moor-

ings. The chapter was re-

named the RADM Joseph "Pepe" Castillo ANSO Chapter of Cleveland in honor of

Castillo, who recently retired from the Coast Guard after 35 years of service.

Castillo, most recently served as Deputy Commander, Coast Guard Pacific Area in

Alameda, Calif. Before that, he was the 11th Coast Guard District commander. His

other flag officer assignment was as director of response policy at Coast Guard

Headquarters in Washington D.C. Prior to becoming a flag officer, Castillo served

as the 9th Coast Guard District's chief of staff, and commanded Coast Guard

Group New Orleans where he was instrumental in leading Coast Guard efforts to

rescue and evacuate.

www.ansomil.org

Cleveland Chapter Receives New Name

Coast Guard members opened a new chapter

during an official inauguration ceremony at

Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg.

LTJG Carlos Ortega-Perez, President of the

ANSO of Tampa Bay, Fla., SA William "Billy"

Flores Chapter, signed the certificate of Inaugu-

ration with RADM William D. Baumgartner, 7th

Coast Guard District’s Commander, during the

ceremony to make the chapter official.

New Chapter Opens in Tampa, Fla.

SUMMER 2013 Page 2

Letter from the President

Hola mis Compadres,

Over the past year, your Association of Naval Services Officers has taken

a hard look at its relevance and support of our Sea Service Officers and Enlist-

ed. As I mentioned in my last letter to you, we have brought a laser-like focus to

our "main thing" - Mentoring and Career Management in Growing Leaders for the

Future of our Sea Services. I have asked our Service Chiefs for their continual

support, and the continuing support of our Flag Officers, General Officers, Senior

Officers and Senior Enlisted, to this very important mission.

In the place of our annual three-day conference, I have instituted a process of at least three one-day semi-

nars or symposiums that will occur throughout the year - at least one in each of our regions (Eastern, Central and

Western) hosted by one of our chapters in those regions. These one-day seminars will be focused on career man-

agement and actual onsite mentoring, and the seminars will be closely aligned to key career milestone events, e.g.

promotion boards, selection boards, etc. Further, I expect to take advantage of today's technology and social me-

dia to broadcast these seminars to our non-regional members via our new and improved website that is expected

to launch this month. I am excited that we are about to start our new series of periodic symposiums! On Septem-

ber 6th, we will execute our inaugural symposium – the ANSO EASTERN REGION PROFESSIONAL DEVELOP-

MENT SYMPOSIUM – at the Crystal City Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia.

Over the course of the past several months, many of our chapters have been busy with community out-

reach! I am extremely proud of those chapters who have given so much to our local Hispanic Communities! Mu-

chisimas Gracias a todo! And don’t forget that Hispanic Heritage Month (15 September to 15 October) is upon us.

Hispanic Heritage Month is important to us as it truly reminds us to remain engaged with our communities through

servant leadership, showing everyone that ANSO has “Corazon” and that we are truly “La Familia de ANSO”!

Please consider serving as a member of our Board of Directors. Both challenging and rewarding, you will

truly be thankful for serving on our BOD and serving our Members! We are having elections this year for a number

of BOD positions, including mine. If you are interested in being nominated for one of these positions, please con-

tact Major Jeniffer Ballard, USMC or Major Kevin Cortes, USMC.

I am pleased to announce that we have a new Chairman of our Board of Advisors! Mr. Robert Bard, the

CEO and Editor-In-Chief of Latina Style has graciously stepped into this valuable position! We also have several

new BOA Members – CAPT (Ret) Kathy Contres, CAPT (Ret) Ken Barrett, and Col (Ret) Junior Ortiz. I truly look

forward to working with our BOA in finding new corporate sponsors and building our organization financially!

I look forward to working with our Board of Directors in continuing to focus on our goal of increasing our

membership and moving ANSO forward. So, I hope to see many of you in September in Arlington, Virginia! Keep

charging ahead – ¡Adelante con ANSO! The Premier Hispanic Organization of the Sea Services – “Building To-

day’s Hispanics to be Tomorrow’s Sea Service Leaders!”

Regards,

Will Rodriguez, Rear Admiral, US Navy, Retired El Presidente de ANSO

www.ansomil.org

Page 3 SUMMER 2013

www.ansomil.org

SUMMER 2013 Page 4

Mobile Chapter Partners to Expand Food Drive Outreach

Hard at work the ANSO Mobile Chapter collected 553 lbs of food, feeding more than 675 indi-

viduals as well as donating $50 to the cause. In addition, They provided 40+ volunteer hours

sorting goods to help prepare for distribution. Job well done!

San Francisco Chapter Gives back to Shipmates and Community

The San Francisco chapter sponsored a pro-

fessional development event at Base Alame-

da, which 35 enlisted personnel attended. The

event consisted of a senior enlisted panel who

spoke about the ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ and the ‘dos’

and ‘donts’ to the enlisted employee review.

IS2 Graciela Useche, San Francisco chapter treas-

urer, is shown with Oakland Military Institute first

girls soccer team This was the first time these girls

were exposed to soccer. Due to their economic and

social backgrounds, Urseche is a role model and

positive feature at the school.

www.ansomil.org

SUMMER 2013 Page 5

New York Metro Outreach

Tampa Chapter Treasurer Awarded Douglas Munro Leadership Award

Members of the New York Metro area chapter partici-

pated in conjunction with USCG Sector New York’s

Partnership in Education program to attend the P811M

Mickey Mantle School for Special Education moving up

ceremony for the school’s 2013 graduates. The four

graduates were presented with achievement certifi-

cates from Coast Guard Sector New York in front of

their peers and families.

Located in the East Harlem neighborhood, The Mickey

Mantle School is a special education school serving

severely disabled students, ages 4-14. The school has

a high demand for volunteers to assist the students

with academics and fitness programs. This partner-

ship promotes participation in a variety of educational

activities including tutorial services, serving as guest speakers and mentorship.

“The strong relationship between our crews and the students at the Mickey Mantle School represents a real

win-win in this neighborhood and gives us a chance to make a contribution to the community,” said ANSO

member LTJG Victor Sanchez.

This year marked the 6 year that Coast Guard has partnering with the Mickey Mantle School. The school has

been collaborating with the Coast Guard since 2007 and both parties are looking forward to continued part-

nership for many years to come.

Chief Petty Officer Joshua Figueredo, a crew member at Coast

Guard Sector St. Petersburg, Fla., is shown with RADM Karl L.

Schultz, commander Coast Guard 11th District, at the annual

Navy League of the United States National Convention in Los

Angeles Saturday, June 22, 2013. Figueredo is the 2013 Doug-

las A. Munro Award for Inspirational Leadership recipient and

was advanced to Chief Petty Officer during the convention.

www.ansomil.org

SUMMER 2013 Page 6

Cleveland Chapter Member Awarded the LATINA STYLE Meritorious Service

Award

Ms. Mills is a superb performer at her assigned position and

has reached out to the Latino community. Her passionate

management of a 1.8M budget and training of 500 reservists,

played a key role in the Ninth District being honored as the

best Reserve Program; winning the prestigious Admiral Rus-

sell R. Waesche award in 2011 and 2012.

Through all of her hard work and accomplishments, she has

gained the respect of her supervisors and peers through col-

laborative efforts enhancing educational and developmental

opportunities for federal employees and minorities. She was

involved in managing the Cleveland Federal Employees De-

velopment Seminar 2012 and 2013 hosting more than 200

federal employees from 16 agencies participating in develop-

mental, educational and diversity awareness opportunities.

Ms. Mills has organized and provided training to Special Em-

phasis Program Managers and CG employees on Equal Em-

ployment Opportunity and laws that regulate equal rights.

She is an active Co-Chair for the Hispanic Heritage Commit-

tee engaging in volunteer services with Julia De Burgos in

2011 and Esperanza 2012 & 2013, an advocate for El Centro

de Servicios Sociales (social service agency advocating for

Hispanics in Lorain OH area).

Ms. Mills is heavily involved with youth outreach efforts in the greater Cleveland, OH area such as the Es-

peranza Latina Leadership Alliance Career Day providing the Coast Guard’s story to female participants of

the ELLA program which promotes awareness of various job opportunities and how military duty can later

translate to a civilian job opportunity. Managed ANSO youth outreach with Garrett Morgan High School, Lin-

coln West, and Esperanza participants in 2011 and 2012. Organized a second youth outreach in 2013 with

Esperanza's ELLO program which included recruiters from the Coast Guard, Navy, and Marines. Worked a

job fair at John Carroll University providing college students employment information to college and communi-

ty participants.

Ms. Mills has also participated in fundraising efforts with the local Chief Petty Officers Association, Hispanic

Heritage Awareness Month events, as a volunteer tax return preparer in the VITA program, volunteered at the

Salvation Army food bank & Harvest for Hunger 2011, 2012, and 2013, and annually participates in pajamas,

coats, and scarves drives for children and senior citizens of the greater Cleveland, Ohio area.

www.ansomil.org

Ms. Mill is shown with RADM Joseph "Pepe" Castillo,

deputy commander Coast Guard Pacific Area, at the

renaming of the Cleveland Chapter.

SUMMER 2013 Page 7

San Diego Padres and San Diego Chapter Join Forces

Tampa Chapter Treasurer Awarded Douglas Munro Leadership Award

The chapter members are working with the San Diego Pa-

dres, a Major League Baseball team, to join forces in the

Latino community of San Diego for helping out various vol-

unteering events and partnerships.

Pictured: Major Kevin Cortes, Vice President of ANSO, Mr.

Alex Montoya who is Manager of Latino Affairs for the San

Diego Padres, and LCDR Edgar Guerrero who is the San

Diego ANSO Chapter Community Relations Coordinator.

LCDR Katuiska Pabon of Sector Miami is the Coast Guard recipient of

the 2013 National IMAGE Meritorious Service Award. Pabon’s exem-

plary performance of duty while serving as a Coast Guard active duty,

reserve, and civilian member aligns with the stated purpose of this

award which honors military members and civilian employees who

have made significant contributions to the Coast Guard mission, the

advancement of Hispanic Americans and the promotion of diversity

and equal opportunity within the Coast Guard and its surrounding

communities.

Pabon is a recognized leader and advocate for diversity and equal

opportunity. She supports Coast Guard missions while performing du-

al roles as a civilian port security specialist for Sector Miami and the

Base Miami Beach reserve deputy administrative officer. Additionally

noteworthy is Pabons service as coordinator of the Office of Global Maritime Situation Awareness Joint

Office where she was instrumental in advancing global maritime information sharing in Central/South

America and the Caribbean. Due to her skills and diplomacy, the islands of Jamaica, Costa Rica, and the

Dominican Republic were added to the International Maritime Safety and Security Information System Net-

work. Pabon is a dedicated professional and volunteer for numerous community events and organizations

such as Habitat for Humanity, the Race for the Cure, and the Communities in Schools of Miami. She fre-

quently mentors Hispanic and other minority girls, motivating them to strive to achieve their dreams and

career goals. Through her distinguished service, Pabon epitomizes the Coast Guard core values of honor,

respect, and devotion to duty.

www.ansomil.org

Information Corner

ABOUT

Asso c ia t i on o f Nava l Se r v i c e s O f f i c e r s

Early in 1980 the United States Navy (USN) was concerned about the lack of Hispanic representation within their

officer corps and Hispanic applicants for officer programs. Concerned with this situation, then Secretary of the Na-

vy, the Honorable Edward Hidalgo, convened the Hispanic Officer Recruitment Conference (HORC) in December

1980. The HORC was tasked to closely evaluate the problem, develop different initiatives and solve the USN’s

problem of attracting qualified Hispanics to apply to the USN’s officer programs.

One of the reasons Mr. Hidalgo was especially concerned with the lack of Hispanics in the Navy’s officer corps was

because he was intimately familiar with the situation. Mr. Hidalgo was not only of Hispanic decent, but had served

in the USN as an air combat intelligence officer aboard the USS Enterprise from 1943 to 1945. Among the HORC’s

recommendations was the establishment of an association composed of Hispanic officers that could reach out to

Hispanic communities to attract qualified Hispanics to apply to the Sea Services' officer programs. The Sea Ser-

vices are comprised of the USN, U.S. Marine Corps (USMC), and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). Shortly after the

HORC submitted their report on February 12, 1981, Secretary Hidalgo officially established the Association of Na-

val Services Officers.

National Board of Directors Elections

On behalf of ANSO's Nomination Committee, please be

advised that the following positions on the National Board

of Directors are up for elections this year. Elections will be

held during our virtual conference this coming summer. If

you are interested in applying as a candidate for one of

the positions and meet the criteria set forth in our Bylaws,

as well as in our guideline requirements below, please

send your nomination and résumé NLT Thursday, 12 Sep-

tember 2013, to Major Jeniffer Ballard, ANSO Nomination

Committee Chair, at anso.usmc@gmail.com.

Positions for re-election (all positions are for a 2-year term

[2013-2015],

unless otherwise indicated )

(1) President

(2) Regional Vice-President (Central, Western)

(3) Secretary

(4) Judge Advocate

(5) Membership Coordinator

(6) Public Affairs Officer

(7) Senior Enlisted Representatives (USCG, USMC, USN)

Helpful Links for Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Americans in the U.S. Navy: http://www.history.navy.mil/special%20highlights/hispanic/hispanic-index.htm Hispanic Americans in the U.S. Coast Guard: http://www.uscg.mil/history/Hispanic_Americans.asp Hispanic Americans in the U.S. Marine Corps: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispanics_in_the_United_States_Marine_Corps

FOR SUBMISSIONS TO LA OLA CONTACT: ENS EILEEN SUAREZ at eileen1521@gmail.com