ALA National President Lisa Williamson began her official visit with the Department of California with Department President Glenda Schultz, Department Distinguished Guest Chairman Linda Workman, Department Membership Chairman Suzanne Winters, Department Personal Pages Ann Sanchez and Jennifer Turner, all welcoming Lisa upon her arrival in Sacramento.

March 7th – Escorted by her entourage, Madam President had a VIP tour of the California State Capital, the Vietnam Veterans and Veterans Memorials. After which she met with four Senator’s aides and had a fabulous tour of the Capital, which she really enjoyed.
March 8th: The group joined Lisa for a tour of the Mather VA Medical Center, Volunteers of America, and ended at the Veterans Village. The group then headed off to dinner hosted by Yolo Post & Unit 77 in Woodland, CA.

The Department of California sends its deepest gratitude to Yolo Post & Unit 77 for hosting ALA National President Lisa Williamson’s Meet & Greet Dinner. A special round of applause goes to Maria López and her team for the fabulous dinner and attention to details for this historic occasion. Thank you, National President Lisa, for a spectacular message on Be The One!!

March 9th - The group flew down to Burbank and were greeted by Department Historian Erika Hernandez & Legionnaire Daniel Hernandez, our drivers while in the Los Angeles area.
After a quick visit to St. Joseph Medical Center, where President Lisa was born, the afternoon continued with a very nice tour of the historic Hollywood Post 43. Commander Dennis Kee was gracious to conduct the tour himself.

After a short rest, it was off to social hour and dinner at Hollywood Post 43. After the social hour, Lisa was honored with a small plaque and given the opportunity to choose the seat to be dedicated in her honor.

To begin the dinner, Jackie Robinson Color Guard presented the colors and the Department Chaplain gave an opening prayer.

During the evening, Department Children & Youth Chairman Maureen O’Brien Sacco introduced Madison Atkinson, a Youth Hero Recipient. Madison saved the life of a toddler that fell in a pool. The toddler was not breathing when pulled out of the water. Surrounded by adults, Madison was the only one who was able to effectively perform CPR that resulted in saving the toddler’s life. It was nice to see the National and Department Presidents present the Youth Hero Award to Madison. President Lisa also assisted in the initiation of 15 new Auxiliary members during the evening’s festivities.

The Department of California thanks Hollywood Post 43 for their time and attention with hosting the social and dinner in honor of ALA National President Lisa Williamson.

March 10th - ALA National President Lisa Williamson and entourage enjoyed the morning and afternoon at the Ronald Regan Library in Simi Valley. Souvenir pictures were taken on Air Force One and Marine One! What a memorable tour of the Regan Library - it offered a unique background to the event.

Special thanks to Palisades Post / Unit 283 for arranging the beautiful accommodations and evening at the Bel Air Bay Club! Wow! A perfect view of the gorgeous sunset, breaking bread with great company, and delicious food.

March 11th - The morning started early for a full day of tours!

We began at the Villages at Cabrillo in Long Beach where we met with staff and female Veterans. We stopped at “Violas Clothing Closet” where Veterans are able to utilize vouchers for purchases. We toured the living quarters, computer room, and kitchen.

Our next stop was to Long Beach VA. It began with a bus tour of the facility and an exquisite lunch set up by Debbie Butler in the beautiful garden.

The tours continued with visiting the Blind Center, followed by the Spinal Cord Injury. We met with the kindest staff in both locations who are thrilled to work with Debbie to get bingo and Easter activities going for our Veterans!

Thank you Debbie Butler for all your hard work, big heart and dedication! Special thanks to Cynthia Mayfield for your assistance in making this tour a success!!!

Our last tour of the day was hosted by Allied Unit 302 to a living center. After lunch, President Lisa toured the center’s living units, reviewed many Allied Unit awards, and talked with Unit members about the work being done in support of local veterans. National President Lisa, along with Department President Glenda Schultz received Certificates of Recognition from City of Los Angeles for the Unit’s Volunteers Appreciation Day.

Photo credits: Henry Sanchez, Erika Hernandez, and others.