Congratulations to the 2023 Distinguished Graduate Awardees
On March 24, 2023, the Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy (USNA) and the President of the United States Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation presented medals to its 2023 Distinguished Graduate Awardees (DGA) at Alumni Hall at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
Notably, three of the five awardees are longtime NNOA members whose servant leadership continues to strengthen our Nation, our Naval Services, and our Association. NNOA DGAs for this year are:
- Major General Leo V. Williams III ’70, USMCR (Retired)
- Rear Admiral Julius S. Caesar “77, USNR (Retired)
- Admiral Cecil D. Haney”78, USN (Retired)
Other awardees include:
- Ronald L. Nicol ’75
- Admiral James G. Stavridis ’76, USN (RET)
On behalf of NNOA, congratulations to each of you and may God continue to bless all that you do!
Cedric E. Pringle
RDML USN (Retired)
President NNOA
Happy Holidays – December 2022
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Galatians 6:9 (NIV)
Dear Members, Family, and Friends of NNOA,
Happy Holidays and Season’s Greetings! On behalf of our Board of Directors, I wish each of you and your families excellent health, enduring happiness, and abundant prosperity throughout the season and the upcoming year. As I reflect on the many successes of 2022 for our association, I am humbled by our collective accomplishments, which will be captured in my upcoming State of NNOA and Strategic Guidance message
Our expectations continue to rise since 2023 will be the 75th anniversary of the signing of Executive Orders 9980 (Fair Employment Practices of the Federal Government) and 9981 (Desegregation of the Forces). Next year will also mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of our All-Volunteer Force. Those documents serve as the foundation for NNOA’s very existence and, in many ways, moved our nation towards a more perfect union.
In recognition of those anniversaries, I ask that you acknowledge those documents in any NNOA-related speaking engagement, such as Black History Month programs, scholarship banquet speeches, or professional military education events, where appropriate. My objective is to educate, inspire, and remind members and non-members of the positive aspects of our country’s history as we get better in 2023. Additionally, those documents will contribute to developing the theme of our 51st National Symposium which will be held at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California July 31-August 4, 2023.
In closing, as you make resolutions for 2023, I ask that each of you to do the following…reflect, reconnect, and renew:
First and foremost…reflect. Please reflect on the many good things that NNOA has done for you and your career and think about how you can pay it forward to help others. Additionally, let us never forget our founders and their servant leadership that paved the way for us. We especially remember Captain Claude A. Williams, one of the founding members of NNOA, and Captain Harold R. Wise, former NNOA president, who recently passed.
Second…reconnect. Please get the word out about NNOA to both members and non-members, as well as to co-workers, friends, and family. There are too many officers who need our mentoring and coaching but are unaware of the power of our organization. Reach out to them and invite them to a local meeting and connect them with someone who can advise and assist accordingly.
Third…. renew. Renew your effort to support NNOA! Volunteer your time and your talents to be a mentor or a protégé at your local chapter and continue to support our mission of Recruitment, Retention, and Career Development. NNOA has come a long way, but greater work is yet to be done. Our calling is to keep pushing forward into the next 50 years!
Again, thank you for all that you do and please “…do not become weary in doing good.”
Enjoy your holidays and stay safe!
Cedric E. Pringle
RDML USN, Retired
25th President NNOA
President’s Message July 30, 2022
Greetings NNOA! I am honored and humbled to serve as your 25th President. The goal of my first message is simply to say thank you and congratulations to each of you. As our week of celebrating, communicating, commemorating, and reinvigorating proved, we’ve established a solid foundation on which to continue building on our 50-year legacy of inspiring excellence. A special “thank you” also goes to former President, RADM Sinclair Harris, and his Board of Directors for keeping us on track for unprecedented success.
NNOA’s imperative to make a difference has been clear since being founded in 1972 and we will stay on our journey while expanding partnerships with like-minded organizations. Our dedication to mentoring, coaching, and advocating for a stronger and more diverse officer corps in the Sea Services remains the same and it’s our collective responsibility to seek innovative ways to get better.
Lastly, I look forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new leaders during my upcoming travels to local chapters. I will periodically communicate any changes to guidance, as needed, but as for now, maintain course and increase speed as we forge into the future. We remain stronger together, so let’s get to back to work!
President’s Message
From the Desk of the President
Please join me in support of a great program designed to increase diversity in STEM, specifically CYBER. Major Luke Wright, USMC (Retired) is leading an outstanding program at Columbia Heights Educational Campus (CHEC) in Washington D.C. With a very diverse and inclusive Naval Junior ROTC program that has sent several young men and women into commissioning programs, it is truly inspirational to see how young lives are being changed daily. Please consider supporting Major Wright’s students so they can attend a 3D Printer Camp run by the Cyber Bytes Foundation.
The cost for the 3D printer camp is $3,000 per cadet and the cost for the build your PC camp is $2,000 per cadet. These costs include all materials which the students get to take home, meals, and lodging for the week. The camp starts the 3rd week of July 2022. Funding is required 30 days prior NLT June 18.
CHEC NJROTC would like to send 6-8 students to one of these camps. The 3D printer camp is the preferred camp. Students are using school issued tablets/devices in school and their smartphones most of the time. Due to the access to other online mediums, they may not use the desktops they built again after camp; however, the 3D printer gives students the ability to build, create, and design assets they didn’t have the capability to do previously. The 3D printer connects well with arts, medical advancements, engineering, automotive industry, toy industry and much more. CHEC NJROTC appreciates any support that can be provided to develop our cadets into tomorrow’s leaders and innovators.
Please go to the Cyber Bytes Foundation link below and specify “This donation is for Major Luke Wright’s Navy JROTC / CHEC campers” in the memo block.
https://cyberbytesfoundation.org/donate/
Very respectfully,
Sinclair Harris
RADM USN Retired
The Elevation of Women in the Military
Shipmates,
Click image to download newsletter
One of my business colleagues, Ed Rule (President and CEO of Naval Systems, Inc. and retired Supply Corps Officer) shared his March Newsletter with me and I wanted to share it with NNOA. In it, Ed highlights a few of the women role models we have been blessed with in our military.
The elevation of women in our military is clearly the most important change that I can recall in my 34 years of service. It has made our military far more resilient, intelligent and ready. The women highlighted in this newsletter are just a few examples of inspirational leadership in our military.
I hope all of the NNOA members will share their stories this Women’s History Month.
v/r
RADM Sinclair Harris, USN (Ret)
President NNOA