Hall of Fame Special Honoree
The Honorable Elizabeth Dole
As a tireless advocate to those caring for our nation’s Wounded Warriors at home, her Foundation in partnership with the Wounded Warrior Project created the Hidden Helpers Coalition to shine the light on the estimated 2.2 million caregiving children. Our Military Kids is an active member of the Hidden Helpers Coalition and is one of the few entities providing direct support to this population of children, ensuring they can take a break from their caregiving duties, relieve stress, find community support, and have time to be a kid through their OMK-funded extracurricular activities. Senator Dole has been on the forefront to ensure these families get the recognition and services they deserve.
Biography
A native of Salisbury, North Carolina, Elizabeth Dole graduated with distinction from Duke University as a member of Phi Beta Kappa, earned a law degree from Harvard Law School, and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Harvard University. She served as Deputy to the Special Assistant for Consumer Affairs during the Nixon Administration, launching a career of dedication to public safety, for which she received the Humanitarian Award from the National Commission Against Drunk Driving and the Lifetime Achievement Award from Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. She was selected for induction into the Safety and Health Hall of Fame International for her transportation, workplace, and blood safety accomplishments. In the fall of 2012, the National Safety Council presented her their “Flame of Life Award” as one of the century’s foremost leaders on safety.
Her resume includes six years as a member of the Federal Trade Commission, and two years as Assistant to President Reagan for Public Liaison. In 1983, she became the first woman to be appointed U.S. Secretary of Transportation, serving five years. She later served as U.S. Secretary of Labor where top priorities included workplace safety, resolving the very bitter 11-month Pittston Coal Strike, and initiatives to help youth at-risk.
Throughout her career, she has strived to help women and minorities reach their full potential. Elizabeth Dole learned to leverage resources, look for innovative solutions and inspire people to work together to champion breakthrough issues of quantum importance during her years in public service. For example, as Secretary of Transportation, she worked with the late Senator Lautenberg and the late Senator Lugar to ensure enactment of the 21-year old drinking age. At virtually the same time, she issued a landmark regulation which is credited with widespread enactment of the first state safety belt laws and air bags in cars. These three actions, the “Trifecta”, have saved nearly 500,000 lives to date with a projected 20,000 per year going forward.
Elizabeth Dole was only the second woman to serve as president since Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross in 1881. She totally restructured the world’s largest humanitarian organization during her eight years as president, serving as a volunteer in her first year. She led a massive transformation of the way the Red Cross collects, tests, and distributes one-half of the nation’s blood supply, to ensure that blood is safe to give and safe to get. Following the Red Cross, she sought the Republican presidential nomination, becoming the first viable female candidate from a major political party. Elected in 2002, Senator Dole became the first woman to represent North Carolina in the United States Senate.
In 2012, she founded Caring for Military Families: The Elizabeth Dole Foundation to raise awareness and support for the 5.5 million young spouses, mothers, fathers and other loved ones caring for our nation’s wounded warriors at home. She is leading a movement to expose the military caregiver crisis and generate critical resources to help these hidden heroes.
Senator Dole has received numerous awards. Most recently, she received the Distinguished Service Medal from the American Legion; the Outstanding Civilian Service Medal, Department of the Army; and the Military Officers Association of America’s National Service Award. She was honored by Public Counsel with its prestigious William O. Douglas Award, the AARP Andrus Award, and the Former Members of Congress Association’s Civic Statesmanship Award. Senator Dole resides in Washington, DC.
Hall of Fame Special Honoree
LTG Roger Schultz, USA (Ret)
17th Director, Army National Guard
LTG Schultz has served on OMK’s Board of Directors since the organization’s inception. He has been the Chair of the Board of Directors and has been instrumental in garnering support within the National Guard, allowing us to execute our mission. His care and concern for the populations we serve have been a catalyst to expanding our services to support children one year of age through high school graduation. His direct advocacy has been critical in securing the resources we need to serve our beneficiaries.
Biography
Roger Schultz retired as a Lieutenant General October 2005, with 42 years and 9 months of service in the Army National Guard. He was called to active duty on three occasions. In 1968, he was mobilized with a Mechanized Infantry Battalion from Northwest Iowa. He led both a Rifle Platoon and a Scout Platoon in Vietnam. In 1997, he was called to serve as the Deputy Director of Army Operations. In 1998, he was selected to serve as the Director of the Army National Guard. His 7-year tour of duty as the Director of the Army National Guard places him as the longest serving director in the history of the National Guard.
Prior to this assignment, General Schultz served as the Deputy Adjutant General, Iowa National Guard, and as the Deputy Director for Military Support on the Department of the Army Staff. In that capacity, General Schultz was responsible for coordinating all Department of Defense military support to civilian authorities, to include disaster relief operations. Prior to duty in the Pentagon, Schultz served as the Operations Officer and Chief of Staff for the Iowa National Guard. He has 27 years of emergency management experience at the state and national level.
General Schultz assumed duties as Director, Army National Guard, National Guard Bureau, Washington, DC June 1, 1998. As Director, he was responsible for the formulation, development, and implementation of all programs and policies affecting the Army National Guard. In that capacity, he was responsible for an $11.7 billion budget. His active military service began in 1963. He served 4 years as an enlisted soldier, and he was commissioned an infantry officer following Officer Candidate School at the Iowa Military Academy.
Hall of Fame Special Honoree
The Honorable Trent Kelly
Congressman Trent Kelly
Representing the First District of Mississippi
During Representative Trent Kelly’s deployment to Iraq in 2010, his three children received Our Military Kids activity awards.
Rep. Kelly knows the challenges military families face during a National Guard call-up, understands the value of Our Military Kids’ support to the populations we serve, and has been a staunch advocate for the National Guard and the military community as a whole.
Biography
On Tuesday, June 2, 2015, Trent Kelly won a special election runoff to represent the First District of Mississippi in the 114th Congress. Rep. Kelly lives in Saltillo with his wife of 33 years, Sheila, and their three children John Forrest, Morgan, and Jackson. They are members of Saltillo First United Methodist Church.
Rep. Kelly was born on March 1, 1966, in Union, Mississippi to parents John and Barbara Kelly. He graduated from Union High School and East Central Community College. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi and law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law. In 2010, he received his master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Rep. Kelly has spent 38 years in the Mississippi Army National Guard as a Combat Engineer and is currently serving as a Major General. In 1990, he mobilized for Desert Storm as an Engineer Second Lieutenant. In 2005, he deployed as a Major to Iraq with the 155th Brigade as the Operations Officer of the 150th Engineer Battalion. From 2009 to 2010, he deployed as a Lieutenant Colonel to Iraq as the Battalion Commander of Task Force Knight of the 155th Brigade Combat Team and commanded over 670 troops from Mississippi, Ohio, and Kentucky. He has received two Bronze Stars, the Combat Action Badge, the Bronze, Silver, and Gold de Fleury medals, and numerous other federal and state awards for his service.
Rep. Kelly has worked at McRae’s Department Store as a manager, maintained a private law practice in Saltillo, and served as Tupelo City Prosecutor and Forfeiture Attorney for North Mississippi Narcotics Unit. Prior to being elected to Congress, Rep. Kelly served as a District Attorney for the 1st Circuit Judicial District (Lee, Pontotoc, Alcorn, Monroe, Itawamba, Prentiss, and Tishomingo) managing all felony cases.
In Congress, Rep. Kelly serves on the House Armed Services Committee, serving as Chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee. Trent also serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, serving as Chairman of the Defense Intelligence & Overhead Architecture Subcommittee. Rep. Kelly also serves on the House Agriculture Committee.