MOAA continues to operate actively on several fronts, but our association remains laser-focused on the people we serve.  

“Our team does absolutely remarkable work, and a major part of our work this past year has been focused on people, relationships, and delivering absolute member value,” said MOAA President and CEO Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, USAF (Ret), during MOAA’s Annual Meeting of the Membership, held Oct. 25 in Alexandria, Va. “We know these relationships will be particularly important as we get ready to start a new administration here and the 119th Congress.”

[FROM MOAA’S PRESIDENT: Don’t Skip Your Civic Duty – Vote on (or Before) Nov. 5]

MOAA President and CEO Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, USAF (Ret), speaks during MOAA's Annual Meeting of the Membership on Oct. 25 in Alexandria, Va.

Kelly’s speech included details on six focus areas selected to strengthen and grow the association:

1. Maintaining Key Advocacy Positions and Mission Focus

Kelly, who spent 2024 meeting with many key lawmakers on the Hill, thanked members for harnessing their “grassroots power” and supporting MOAA’s legislative priorities all year.

“We want to be recognized and respected as the foremost organization advocating on behalf of the uniformed services community and their families,” Kelly said, noting the recent release of Ending the Wait for Toxic-Exposed Veterans.

This report, published by MOAA and Disabled American Veterans (DAV), provides a blueprint for reforming how our government responds to service-related toxic exposures.

2. Chapter System Viability

“Councils and chapters remain the heartbeat of our association and carry the weight of our community engagement,” Kelly said.

MOAA has 386 councils and chapters across the country and operating virtually, with a combined membership representing 10% of MOAA’s national membership. Kelly said he has made chapter visits a “major priority”; 2024 will see about 115 chapter visits from MOAA HQ by the end of the year.

[FIND YOUR CHAPTER | COUNCIL AND CHAPTER NEWS AND RESOURCES]

“I have been impressed by every single visit I make,” said Kelly, who added he serves as MOAA’s “chief listening officer.”

Our newest chapter, newly approved by the board, is the MOAA Public Affairs and Communications Professionals Virtual Chapter.

3. Growing Membership

Membership is growing overall, particularly at the Basic member level, Kelly said, but the association is making efforts both to increase paid Premium and Life membership levels and better reach the currently serving population.

“We have been working with the association of graduates from each of the service academies … so as they graduate [the goal would be] they become automatic Basic members,” Kelly said. “We’re doing the same things with large ROTC organizations.”

4. MOAA Foundation Stability

MOAA’s charities, The MOAA Foundation and the MOAA Scholarship Fund, demonstrate that while we are an association of officers, we are not just about officers, Kelly said.

“It’s our actions and our deeds … that reach out to the broader service community that make that statement true,” Kelly said. “The majority of those things happen through our two charities.”

[MOAA CHARITIES | DONATE | URGENT: SUPPORT THE CRISIS RELIEF PROGRAM]

The MOAA Scholarship Fund, which recently marked its 75th year, disbursed nearly $11 million in loans and grants for the 2024-25 school year.

MOAA’s focus is largely on The MOAA Foundation, which is still working to build its endowment. The need is clearly there: In the immediate wake of hurricanes Helene and Milton, the foundation quickly approved $270,000 in crisis relief grants for servicemembers, veterans, and families impacted by the storms.

Kelly thanked JP Morgan Chase, which had representatives in attendance, for making multiple, generous donations this year, including $75,000 to support the foundation.

5. Strengthening Brand and Reach

MOAA is continuing to leverage our communication channels, such as Military Officer magazine and The MOAA Newsletter, to engage with the broad service community and strengthen our membership. Kelly noted ongoing efforts on social media, working alongside influencers in the military and spouse communities who can share MOAA’s mission with their large, and often younger, audiences.

“We are trying to make sure the next generation of folks see the same value of MOAA that all of us have seen over the years,” Kelly said.

6. Financial Stability

MOAA continues to use funds from its endowment to help cover expenses, Kelly said, adding this is not sustainable in the long run. MOAA is working aggressively to identify new revenue sources, Kelly said, chiefly our upcoming conference in 2025.

Total Force+: MOAA’s ‘People Conference’

MOAA will launch TotalForce+, a “people first” conference focused on advancing solutions for the military and veteran communities, Oct. 28-29, 2025, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md.

The event will bring 5,000 people together, including key decision-makers from the uniformed services community, academia, industry, and nonprofits.

[LEARN MORE: The Inaugural TotalForce+ Conference]

This significant event will serve as a forum to identify ways to improve the service experience for uniformed personnel and their families, our veterans, retirees, caregivers, and survivors. Positive outcomes will ensure future generations continue to raise their hands to serve, Kelly said. 

“We understand and believe that it is the people who serve who make a strong national defense possible,” Kelly said.

Members of the new board class are sworn in Oct. 26 in Alexandria, Va.

Board Actions

The annual meeting also meant welcoming 12 new members of MOAA’s board of directors and the swearing in of Gen. Thomas D. Waldhauser, USMC (Ret), as the board’s new chairman.

Throughout his 43 years of military service, Waldhauser participated in various operations and contingencies, including Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. He also served as Chief of Staff, U.S. Special Operations Command; Commander, Marine Forces U.S. Central Command/I Marine Expeditionary Force; and Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense. Prior to his retirement in 2019, he served as the Combatant Commander for U.S. Africa Command.

“The organization is now 95 years old and still going strong,” said Waldhauser, who has served on MOAA’s board of directors since 2020. “As an incoming chairman, I want to continue to make the organization stronger and more meaningful for not just our members but the entire uniformed services community.”

[CLASS OF 2030: See Who Members Elected to Serve on MOAA’s Board]

The Class of 2024 stepped down from the board after six years of service. Gen. Gary L. North, USAF (Ret), MOAA’s outgoing chairman, said he knows Waldhauser and the new board will continue to take MOAA’s top priorities and “drive them forward.”

“Any way that those of us coming off of the board can continue to help, you know we will,” North said. “We’re still council and chapter members, and we’re going to continue to serve and be a part of the team.”

Before passing the gavel, North presented the Chairman’s Award to Col. Mary Mayer, USAF (Ret), for her dedication to MOAA as a committed chapter leader in Portland, Ore., epitomizing MOAA’s motto, “Never Stop Serving.”

“If I could encourage all of you: It’s all about serving,” said Mayer, who completed her term as a MOAA board member in 2022. “Whether you’re serving on the board, whether you’re serving at your local chapter, whether you’re serving at the council, it’s all worth it because our target audience depends on us.”

Book Talk with Admiral Stavridis

Immediately following the annual meeting, Adm. James Stavridis, USN (Ret), former supreme allied commander of NATO, discussed his latest book, The Restless Wave. The fast-paced novel tells the story of Scott Bradley James, a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy in 1941.

Expect romance, action, brushes with historical figures, and a few lessons learned as James navigates the early years of his career with World War II as the backdrop.

“I tried to create something that was historical, but not completely bedded down in the dark tragedy of war,” said Stavridis, a MOAA Life member. “I think even in the midst of war,  people fall in love, and there are complex love triangles. … And I think it’s important that we realize this is a story about the Greatest Generation, but that the Greatest Generation was young. They were trying to find their way.”

Following his talk, Stavridis signed copies of his book, with donations benefiting The MOAA Foundation.

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