2024 Symposium Program Book
President’s Message
President’s Message (D-30)
Joint NNOA/ANSO Symposium
29 July-2 August 2024
Norfolk, Va
Greetings Fellow Members and Supporters!
We are less than a month away from our second-ever Joint National Naval Officers Association (NNOA) & Association of Naval Services Officers (ANSO) Professional Development and Leadership Training Symposium. This partnership builds on our highly successful first joint event, held over a decade ago, and reinforces our longstanding relationship. We remain more relevant than ever to the success of our U.S. Sea Services, and we are honored to collaborate with like-minded organizations like ANSO. With the hard work and support of our members, partners, and sponsors, our efforts in the recruitment, retention, and career development of a more diverse and effective total force make a positive impact on unifying and strengthening our nation daily.
This year’s theme is “Advancing Leaders: Connected, Committed, and Ready to Fight for Our Future.” Our primary objectives are to educate, inspire, engage, and elevate current and future leaders by learning from our past to better prepare for success in the future. You will hear more about those four words (Educate, Inspire, Engage, and Elevate) in the upcoming weeks and during the Symposium. However, in the meantime, please focus on a few other action items that are important to the long-term health and wellness of our 52-year-old all-volunteer organization. First, please visit our website at www.NNOA.org to register for the Symposium, if you haven’t already done so. You can also use the same link to reserve a room at Norfolk Waterside Marriott. For your awareness, our blocked room reservations close on 8 July, so please act now if you require lodging. Second, be prepared to participate in our electoral process by nominating candidates for our Board of Directors and voting during the conference. Additional details and guidance are available via our website. Third, invite at least two non-NNOA members to attend our Symposium. We all know officers who will benefit from the coaching, mentoring, and networking that we provide across all communities, so please invite them so that they can learn more about who we are and what we do. Lastly, please be prepared to serve, or continue serving, in leadership positions at the national and chapter levels. We have accomplished a lot and there is a lot more to be done, so let’s keep pressing!
We are stronger together!
Cedric E. Pringle
RDML (Retired) USN
25th President
Calendar – Black Heritage Day
Dear Fellow Members of NNOA,
I am honored to have worked on this most unique project honoring Black Women, Black Heritage Day V – WOMEN (BHD V – WOMEN) with my Brother and friend, Dr. Carl Mack, former executive director of the National Society of Black Engineers, NSBE.
This calendar is perpetual (no year and no day), features 366 days of extraordinary Black women (leap year included), has four pages of Table of Contents, Sistas from yesterday and today, and finally 6 of our Extraordinary Naval Sistas per the attachment.
I am strongly encouraging us to purchase and support this one-of-a-kind project. I say again, there is no other calendar like this one. If you were to find one like BHD V – Women, we give you this one for FREE!
Furthermore, the price is incredible at $19.99, FREE SHIPPING!
To order, go to blackheritagedays.com
Thank you and stay blessed,
Captain Tony Barnes
20th NNOA National President
Loretta Ann Medlock Penn
June 27, 1949 – February 27, 2024
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Loretta Ann Penn, beloved wife of The Honorable B.J. “Buddie” Penn, the 10th President of the National Naval Officers Association (NNOA). Loretta passed away peacefully on February 27, 2024, at her home in Fairfax Station, Virginia, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. She was 74 years old.
Loretta was a devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend. She married Buddie, the love of her life, on June 25, 1987, in San Diego, California, and they shared 36 wonderful years of marriage. They were true partners in life and supported each other in their personal and professional endeavors. Loretta was a proud and supportive spouse of Buddie’s service in the U.S. Navy and his leadership in the NNOA. She was also a dedicated and involved member of the NNOA Spouses Organization, serving as the National President for two terms.
Loretta is survived by her loving husband Buddie, stepdaughter Emily Grooms (Bruce), stepsons Brian and Eric, grandsons Geoffery and Jared Grooms, Aunt Lena Sparks, and devoted nieces, nephews and cousins.
A service will be held on Thursday, March 7, 2024, at Antioch Baptist Church at 6531 Little Ox Road, Fairfax Station, Virginia 22039. The Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Omega Omega ceremony will be held at 9:30 am, the viewing will begin at 10:00 am, and the service will follow at 11:00 am. A repass will immediately follow the service. The service will be live streamed at http://antioch-church.org/streaming-access.
A final service and interment will take place in Dallas, Texas on March 15, 2024, where Loretta will be eternally rejoined with her parents at Laurel Land Memorial Park, 6300 S R L Thornton, Freeway, Dallas, Texas 75232. The viewing will be held at 9:00 am, the service will begin at 10:00 am with the interment immediately following the service.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Loretta Ann Medlock Penn please visit our Tribute Store.
Lieutenant Commander Richard C. West, USN (Ret)
1931 – 2024
The National Naval Officers Association (NNOA) mourns the passing of one of our founders, Lieutenant Commander Richard C. West, USN (Ret).
LCDR West, born in Hobart, Oklahoma, served with distinction in the Army Reserves and Navy during the Korean War. He faced adversity with courage and emerged as a trailblazer, becoming the fifth African American Naval Aviator in 1956.
His distinguished career spanned eleven aircraft types and numerous deployments. He later served as a mentor and advocate for aspiring Naval Officers through the NNOA and various community organizations.
LCDR West is survived by his wife, Pacita, and daughters, Carolyn and Martha.
A viewing for Navy Lieutenant Commander Pilot Richard will be held Thursday, March 14, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at New Hope Friendship Baptist Church, 2205 Harrison Ave., San Diego, CA 92113, followed by a celebration of life from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM.
Navy Lieutenant Commander Richard will be laid to rest in Miramar National Cemetery, San Diego, CA.
A Proclamation on National Black History Month, 2024
This National Black History Month, we celebrate the vast contributions of Black Americans to our country and recognize that Black history is American history and that Black culture, stories, and triumphs are at the core of who we are as a Nation.
The soul of America is what makes us unique among all nations. We are the only country in the world founded on an idea. It is the idea that we are all created equal and deserve to be treated with equal dignity throughout our lives. While we still grapple today with the moral stain and vestiges of slavery — our country’s original sin — we have never walked away from the fight to fully realize the promise of America for all Americans. Throughout our history, Black Americans have never given up on the promise of America. Unbowed by the forces of hate and undaunted as they fought for centuries against slavery, segregation, and injustice, Black Americans have held a mirror up to our Nation, allowing our country to confront hard truths about who we are and pushing us to live up to our founding ideals. They have helped redeem the soul of our Nation, ensuring the promises in our founding documents were not just words on a page but a lived reality for all people. In the process, the vibrancy of Black history and culture has enriched every aspect of American life.