WHEN ARE ALA NATIONAL OFFICERS ELECTED?
These national officer positions serve one-year terms and are elected at National Convention, serving until adjournment of the following National Convention. In addition to these candidates, any member in good standing may be nominated for any of these national offices from the floor at National Convention. ALA national division vice presidents are nominated in their respective division caucuses and are elected by convention delegates. Information presented on this page was provided by the candidates.
Pam Ray
Department of Illinois: Urbana Unit 71
Eligibility: Through late father, Clay Lofton, who served during the Korean War and WWII.
Offices Held: Served numerous unit-, district-, and department-level offices and chairmanships. National: chair of Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation, ALA Girls Nation, Junior Activities, National Security, Membership, Constitution & Bylaws, and Children & Youth committees. Served on the National Executive Committee and ALA Strategic Planning Committee; also served as vice chair of Americanism, Public Relations, and Junior Activities committees, as well as currently serving as American Legion Auxiliary national vice president.
Professional/personal background:Pam is a 69-year PUFL member of the American Legion Auxiliary Department of Illinois. When she was a pre-teen, her parents transferred her to Urbana Unit 71 so she could be an active Junior member. Pam never looked back. She has served in all Junior offices in her department, including Honorary Department Junior President in 1972. She continued her service in the ALA as an adult serving several offices in her unit, including president, historian, and sergeant-at-arms. She served as district president 2002-2003. On the department level, she also served several offices, including department president in 2010-2011. She was proud to serve with then-National President Carlene Ashworth as a Power of One girl!
Pam wanted to be a nurse from the young age of 3. She achieved that dream in 1977 and had a wonderful 47-year career. She loves caring for people who need her help. She has worked in the Burn Center, Pediatrics, Neurosurgery, and spent much of her career caring for head and neck cancer patients and their families. She has had family members suffer from this terrible illness and is able to assist families in understanding what is happening to their loved ones.
Pam is married to Harl “Butch” Ray. They have been married for 46 years. Butch is retired from the Secretary of State’s office in Illinois serving as director of Physical Services. Butch and Pam have two daughters. The oldest daughter is Dr. Sara Helmus, an associate Dean of Students at Morton College and loves teaching so much that she still teaches a chemistry lecture class. Sara is married to Jonathan and they have a beautiful husky, Siko. Pam and Butch’s youngest daughter, Ami, is a master’s degree licensed counselor. She also works at a law firm as their office manager and paralegal. Ami has two wonderful children. Chloe is 14 and Ben is 11. They are definitely Butch and Pam’s pride and joy.
“I am so proud of my family. My parents are no longer on this earth, but I know they are cheering me on from up above as I take this step to serve the organization that they raised me in,” said Pam. “What an incredible honor this will be for me and my family.”
Pam’s passion has always been helping people. She has found that the ALA’s mission is a way to continue doing that. Her family is her other passion. What better way to bring the two together than with a theme of Mission Driven, Family Focused.
Dr. Coral May Grout
Department of Massachusetts: Eugene M. Connor Unit 193
Eligibility: Through father, Charles E. Grout, who served in the U.S. Air Force in the Philippines and Australia during WWII. Also adds military service of her grandfather, Stanislas Laplante, who served in the U.S. Army during WWI.
Offices Held: Served several unit-, district-, and department-level chairmanships and offices, including the district Education chair for 25 years and department president three times. National: chair of Children & Youth, Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation, Education (twice), Americanism, Constitution & Bylaws, Public Relations, Legislative, Leadership, Community Service, and Junior Activities committees. Also served on the National Executive Committee, and as national secretary and national historian.
Professional/personal background: After receiving a bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College, Coral earned a Master of Education degree from Boston College and then took her love for learning to the next level by graduating with a Doctor of Education degree from the University of Massachusetts.
Coral is a retired superintendent of schools, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, middle school administrator, and middle school teacher. She is an adjunct faculty at Franklin Pierce University and Worcester State University. For the last 14 years, Coral has been a Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education consultant for underperforming school districts and RETELL. She is a national presenter on grantwriting and leadership topics, and also on the board of directors for Trusted Financial Life Insurance Corporation in Milwaukee. She is the treasurer for the Mount Holyoke College Class of 1975 and is a Leader and Eucharistic Minister for the St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. She is also a town moderator for Winchendon, Mass.
Coral lives in Massachusetts and Florida with her cat, Chloe. Her favorite pastimes include traveling, playing golf, exercising, and gardening. She is an only child to Charles and Rachel Grout (deceased).
Ann Buchanan
Department of West Virginia: Unit 16
Eligibility: Through husband, Fred B. Buchanan, who was a U.S. Navy Corpsman.
Professional/personal background:Ann has been a member of the American Legion Auxiliary for 39 years. She retired from the Cabell County Board of Education as a mathematics teacher after 35 years. She has been married to her husband, Fred B. Buchanan, since April 16, 1966. They had two children together, Scott (U.S. Navy) and Shelly, who sadly lost her life in an automobile accident in November 2006. Shelly is survived by two daughters, and Scott also has two daughters. The whole family are members of The American Legion Family. Ann is active in the Madison Avenue Christian Church, and she volunteers at the Huntington Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Ree Ross
Department of Pennsylvania: Unit 534
Eligibility: Through late father, WWII veteran Benton W. Hardic; and husband, Ronald Ross, Vietnam War veteran.
Professional/personal background:Ree has been married to her husband, Ronald, for 51 years, and they have two daughters, two grandsons, three granddaughters, three great-grandsons, and two great-granddaughters, whom she loves and adores. After graduating in 1971, Ree spent 45 years working for a family-owned newspaper in her hometown, where she archived photos that appeared in paper, wrote columns, and was the major typesetter. She is a member of the AmVets and VFW Auxiliary, and belongs to the Wyalusing Presbyterian Church, where she served as a Sunday School teacher and held offices in the women’s group. Ree also served for several years with the Pennsylvania State Police Youth Week as a counselor and administrative assistant.
Last year, she started the Wreaths Across America program in her community, and after much success, added on two more cemeteries, with more in the works. She’s been active with co-chairing a car show fundraiser for their American Legion 15th District Family, with all proceeds benefitting the Pennsylvania Homeless Veterans Corporation. So far, their donations have exceeded $90,000 to help provide housing, jobs, and education for homeless individuals.
Shareen Johnson
Department of Wyoming: Don Stough Unit 33
Eligibility: Through father, Master Chief Petty Officer John Sturgeon, who served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and Vietnam War as a naval submariner. Also adds military service through her twin sister, Kathleen Ebert, who retired from the U.S. Navy after 20 years.
Professional/personal background: Shareen has been a member of the Auxiliary for 42 years. She worked as a medical transcriptionist for 21 years for a group of orthopedic surgeons. Shareen then worked 12 years for the State of Wyoming through the Department of Health at the Wyoming Life Resource Center — a facility for intellectually disabled and dual diagnosis residents — as the clinic coordinator until retiring in 2022. Since then, she has worked full time at a grocery store as the pricing coordinator and staff scheduler.
Vickie Thrower-Mills
Department of Alabama: Buford D. Byrom Unit 176
Eligibility: Through late father, Past Department Commander Grady Rutherford, who served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam Era; and adds military service of late husband, Jimmy N. Thrower, who also served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam Era.
Professional/personal background:Vickie has been a member of Unit 176 for 48 years and has grown a strong American Legion Family within her own family. She is married to Gerald Mills; she has two sons, three stepsons, one bonus son, one grandson, and three granddaughters — all are members of the Legion Family.
Vickie is the Vice President of Operations for Rohogo Management in Guntersville, Alabama. She has been in the hospitality industry for 36 years, serving as a regional director of operations, a general manager for both Hilton and Marriott-branded hotels. These leadership roles have allowed her the opportunity to receive many awards for her performance: having been in the top five general managers in the world, twice for Hilton brand hotels, along with other hotel performance awards.
She graduated from Arab High School in 1981 and studied computer programming at Tennessee Valley College in Huntsville, Alabama. Nancy is a member of the Arab Church of Christ and the Jefferson County 8 & 40 Salon.
Joan Cannon
Department of California: Unit 249
Eligibility: Through father, JW Holloway, a retired chief petty officer who served in WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam War. She also adds military service of her son, Desert Storm veteran David Cannon, U.S. Navy submariner.
Professional/personal background:Joan graduated from West Hills Junior College with an Associate of Arts degree in liberal studies. After 30 years of service, she retired from the U.S. Naval Air Station in Lemoore, and Defense Logistics Agency’s Defense Distribution Center in San Joaquin, California, and the Defense Distribution Center in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, as a supply system analyst.
Joan has one son, David Cannon, two granddaughters, Alyssa and Giselle Cannon, and two grandsons, Nicholas and Christopher Cannon (both deceased). Joan is a member of the Manteca Garen Club and the Young Ladies Institute 126 (a Catholic women’s organization) in Manteca, California.
Angela M. Walker
Department of Illinois: Unit 145
Eligibility: Through herself as a U.S. Navy veteran.
Professional/personal background:Angela is a motivational speaker, community navigator, and advocate for veterans. She is a member of the Paralyzed Veterans of America Wisconsin Chapter, where she serves as an executive board member and is involved in membership recruitment. Additionally, she is a national leader and spokesperson on the PVA Anita Bloom Women’s Veteran Committee.
Angela has held multiple leadership positions as a two-time past president of a Rotary International Club, and she currently serves as an Assistant Governor, District Membership Chair, and a member of the PETS Council at Large, as well as a facilitator for the District Leadership Academy. Presently, she is the District Leadership Chair and actively works on supporting and promoting global grants at Rotary International in collaboration with multiple clubs.
Angela is also a highly accomplished athlete, having won gold medals in several National Air Rifle and Pistol Competitions. She has achieved over ten gold medals in the National Veterans Creative Arts competition and received numerous accolades for participating in more than ten adaptive sports competitions.
Hilary Ott
Department of Alaska: Unit 57
Eligibility: Through grandfather, Donal Ray Anderson, who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII as well as during the Korean War.
Professional/personal background:Hilary is a lifelong storyteller, seasoned media professional, and dedicated advocate for veterans and their families. With more than 15 years of experience in multimedia production, communications, and nonprofit leadership, she brings a unique blend of creativity, technical skill, and heart to everything she does.
Hilary currently serves as director of the Indiana American Legion Foundation, where she leads statewide efforts to support veterans in crisis, mentor patriotic youth, and grow strategic partnerships that advance the mission of The American Legion Family. Prior to this role, she served as a visual media specialist in support of the Media and Communications Division at The American Legion National Headquarters. She served as a visual media specialist at The American Legion National Headquarters, where she produced multimedia content and covered high-profile events that amplified the organization’s programs and elevated its national visibility.
Hilary lives in Indianapolis with her two children, Cheyne and Sophie, along with her Golden Retriever, Cooper. Hilary holds a Bachelor of Science in Media Arts and Science from Indiana University. She draws daily inspiration from the values of selfless service, sacrifice, and the sisterhood that define the American Legion Auxiliary.
Nancy Magginnis
Department of Indiana: Kendallville Unit 86
Eligibility: Through brother, Vietnam War veteran Don Leighty, U.S. Army; and father, Marve Leighty Jr., who served in the U.S. Army during WWII.
Professional/personal background:Nancy is a lifetime member of the Auxiliary and comes from a true American Legion Family. Her husband, Ira, is a Sons of The American Legion member; both of her parents (Marve and Dorothy Leighty) were very active Legion Family members before their passing; her brother Don Leighty and his wife Linda are both active in the Family; Nancy’s other brother, Dick Leighty, is a charter member of the Sons; she has six nephews and six nieces who are involved if eligible; and several great-nephews and nieces who are members if eligible.
Nancy graduated from Ball State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, education, and speech. She also completed master’s courses from St. Francis University and the University of Missouri. She is retired from Northeast Indiana Works as a manager of five county education and career offices. Formerly, Nancy worked in marketing and public relations at Fort Wayne National Bank, as well as working in marketing and public relations at Concordia Lutheran High School. She is a former editor of the Fort Wayne Lutheran Newspaper and was a high school journalism teacher.
Nancy is involved in the Ball State University Alumni Association, East Noble High School Alumni Association, East Noble High School Theatre Alumni, East Pointe Condominium Homeowners Association as treasurer, and the Eastern Indiana Agriculture Association. She is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary 2749 and a lifetime member of the 8 & 40. Nancy is also a member of the St. John Lutheran Church and is involved in the Noble County Community Fair. She received Indiana’s highest citizen award, called the Sagamore of the Wabash, as well as a Noble County Leadership award.
