DCSAR held its 2024 Holiday Dinner on December 5, 2024, in the elegance of the Eisenhower Room at the prestigious Capitol Hill Club, located at 300 First Street SE, Washington, DC.
The Invocation was given by DCSAR Chaplain Rev. John Stonesifer. Guests were welcomed by DCSAR President Brock D. Bierman including United States Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger who was the recipient of the 2024 SAR Law Enforcement Commendation and Medal earlier this year in a ceremony at the US Capitol.
Dana Kristina-Joi Morgan, a graduate of the Howard University Master of Music Program and currently the Performance Coordinator of Creative and Therapeutic Arts Services at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC., gave musical performances during the reception and later during the serving of dessert. Ms. Morgan was more than a classical pianist this evening but an entertainer who set the appropriate mood as we experienced the beginning of this joyous holiday season.
President Bierman introduced our guest speaker Mrs. Nealie Sutton, the Executive Director for Management of the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). She leads the overall management and business operations portfolio consisting of ABMC’s financial, human capital, strategic planning, information technology, legal, and business administration responsibilities. The Commission was established by Congress in 1923 and is an agency of the executive branch of the federal government. ABMC is the guardian of America’s overseas commemorative cemeteries and memorials that honors the service, achievements, and sacrifice of U.S. Armed Forces. Their purpose is to commemorate the U.S. armed forces by maintaining the national legacy of their service in the world's consciousness.
Prior to ABMC, Mrs. Sutton served at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as the Chief of Staff for the Office of Management responsible for the coordination of strategies, policies, performance outcomes, and enterprise-level process improvements impacting VA’s fiscal operations. In this role, she directly supported the Assistant Secretary for Management and Chief Financial Officer with oversight and accountability of budgeting and financial management of VA’s $369 billion budget.
Mrs. Sutton started her civil service career with the Department of Army at the Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation in Orlando, Florida where she served as an Operations Research Analyst responsible for the cost estimates and economic analysis of training and simulation programs. Mrs. Sutton has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics, Master of Science degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering, and Master of Business Administration degree, all from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Mrs. Sutton was given the DCSAR Honor in Service Cross medal after her presentation
DCSAR Secretary Paul Hays gave the oath to new SAR member Dr. Richard Timothy LaVoie. Dr. LaVoie holds a doctorate from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and is a 7th great grandson of the famous patriot Daniel Boone, who served as a Colonel and Lt Colonel of Fayette County KY troops, member of the General Assembly in 1781, and Sheriff in 1782. Secretary Hays and DCSAR Registrar Larry Miller are his sponsors.
Patrick Anderson, DCSAR and Lenna Hoffman, DCDAR, who are Co-Chairs of the 2025 Sweethearts and Patriot Gala that will be held at the Embassy of France on February 15, 2025, gave an overview of the event plans and ticket information. https://www.sweetheartsandpatriots.org/