Chamber Honors Military Commanders at Commanders Reception

Last week, the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce was honored to bring together Military Commanders and Senior Enlisted Advisors along with business and community leaders for our Annual Commanders Reception. This year, the event was held at the Witte Museum in conjunction with President George W Bush’s exhibit: Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors. The Chamber hosted more than 150 attendees at the event as well as two members of Team 43, the subjects of the paintings who provided a personal perspective and connection to the paintings and highlighted the resiliency of our wounded warriors. The reception served as a unique opportunity to welcome the new Commanders and Senior Enlisted Leaders to San Antonio after a busy summer season of transitioning leadership. This year, our speakers included:

• Our host, Marise McDermott, President and CEO of the Witte,
• Chad Borton, President of USAA Federal Savings Bank, representing the event’s Presenting Sponsor USAA,
• Maj Gen Mark Weatherington, Deputy Commander of Air Education and Training Command, who represented our military service men and women and acknowledged his appreciation for the support our Military missions and personnel receive in Military City USA, and
• Richard Perez, Chamber President and CEO, who reminded the guests of our upcoming annual Celebrate America’s Military (CAM) events, which will begin on October 30^th with a CAM Prayer Breakfast and culminate in the most patriotic and inspiring event of the series, the Spirit of America Dinner on November 7^th.

The reception, sponsored by USAA, Silver Eagle Distributing and Goodwill San Antonio, is aimed at connecting the civilian community and the military community in a relaxed, social setting, which encourages interaction and relationship building. The importance of our military within the framework of San Antonio’s business community cannot be understated. The relationships built on mutual respect and cooperation are key to ensuring the success of our military missions and our growing and diverse business industries. The opportunity to network and meet face to face is an invaluable tool in securing mutually beneficial partnerships across our region. For more details on CAM and opportunities to support all of the Chamber’s military appreciation events in November, visit www.celebrateamericasmilitary.com.