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| In Memoriam: MIDN Luke Bird ’24 |
 The Naval Academy recently confirmed the death of MIDN Luke Bird ’24 in a hiking accident while on a semester abroad program in Chile. Our alumni community joins with our Naval Academy community to mourn this terrible loss. “We are incredibly saddened by the tragic loss of Midshipman Luke Bird,” said VADM Sean Buck ’83, USN, 63rd Superintendent, U.S. Naval Academy. “My wife, Joanne, and I and the entire Naval Academy community offer our sincerest condolences to Luke’s family, friends, and fellow midshipmen during this difficult time. I encourage all of our Naval Academy family to offer support to one another as we navigate the grieving process.” |
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| Call for 2023 Distinguished Graduate Award Nominees |
 The U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association considers the Distinguished Graduate Award (DGA) the highest recognition we bestow on a living graduate, recognizing leaders who through their personal example of lifelong service personify the fulfillment of their “potential for future development in mind and character to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship, and government.” As an additional criterion, we consider it vital that our DGAs have demonstrated a lifetime commitment to support the Naval Academy and our alumni. The window for nominating graduates for the 2023 DGA cycle opened 1 July 2022. We will consider packages submitted on or before 15 October 2022. Please find complete nomination process and selection criteria here. Please direct questions to CAPT Wes Huey ’87, USN (Ret.), DGA program manager, at wesley.huey@usna.com or 410-295-4023. |
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| Call for Nominations for Eastern and Central Regional Trustee Candidates for Board of Trustees |
 In May 2023, CDR Bill Squires ’75, USNR (Ret.), Eastern Region Trustee and CDR Richard Cataldi ’69 USN (Ret.), Central Region Trustee, will complete their terms of office on the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association Board of Trustees (BOT). Both of their positions are now open for nominations. Section 4.5(b) of the Bylaws states, “Any regular member may propose candidates to the nominating committee to be considered for the positions of the Chair, Vice-Chair, and regional trustee.” Regional trustee candidates must be regular Alumni Association members – defined in our Bylaws as “graduates of [USNA] and former midshipmen who did not graduate, after the last Academy class of which they were a member has graduated, and who, in any case, have applied for membership and been admitted” – who express a willingness to serve as a Trustee while residing in the region they serve. Regular members nominating candidates must submit petitions with at least 150 signatures of regular members from the candidate’s region. Our community is committed to ensuring an inclusive BOT. We trust this opportunity inspires our community to act on that commitment by petitioning nominees who represent our rich diversity. Nominations and petitions must be received no later than 1 October 2022. The BOT Nominating Committee will certify all nominations and forward the final slate of nominees to the BOT for approval in November/December 2022 – elections will occur in the spring 2023. Please submit nominations and petitions to the Nominating Committee, U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association, 247 King George Street, Annapolis, MD 21402-5068. Nominations and petitions can be sent by email to nominating_committee@usna.com. |
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| Last Call to Sign Up for San Diego SACC! |
 The next SACC is less than a month away! Take this opportunity to meet directly with recruiters representing a wide variety of industries, premier schools, and Reserve and Blue & Gold Officers. If your organization needs new talent, SACC provides hundreds of well-qualified candidates in one venue. Join us on Thursday, 25 August, for information sessions from innovative companies such as Rivian, REV, and NextEra Energy. The career fair kicks off Friday, 26 August, with a candidate breakfast hosted by Kite Pharma. Register online. Email sacc@usna.com with any questions. Want to know more? Recent candidate, Enrique Castellon-Davis ’20, shares his experience attending SACC in Washington, DC. |
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| Travel with Us in 2023! |
 With travel in full swing for the summer, we are excited to announce a new travel package in the 2023 travel lineup. Alumni Travel will be booking the Monaco Grand Prix for 25-29 May. Be on the lookout for the 2023 Alumni Travel Catalog with your next Shipmate. Bookings are strong and we look forward to helping you plan your next adventure. Let us know your thoughts and ideas! Email Amy Garwood, Manager, Alumni Travel/Membership Services, at amy.garwood@usna.com for any questions and/or comments. |
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| Secure Payments for Life—And Support for the Naval Academy! |
 Rates for a new charitable gift annuity (CGA) went up on 1 July, making this attractive method of making a gift even more attractive. CGAs provide fixed, secure payments for life for you and/or another person and provide future support for the Naval Academy. In addition to a secure income stream, CGA benefits include a charitable tax deduction for a portion of your gift; tax-free income as part of each annuity payment for a period of years; capital gains tax savings if you donate appreciated stock; and future support for your favorite program at the Academy. Learn more about charitable gift annuities. For your personalized illustration or to ask questions about how a CGA works, email plannedgiving@usna.com or call 410-295-4105. *CGA gift minimum $10,000, donors must be 65 or older to start receiving payments. The U.S. Naval Academy Foundation does not currently issue CGAs to residents of Alabama, Arkansas, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Washington. |
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| New Shipmate Feature Highlights Unsung Heroes |
 The U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation flagship publication, Shipmate, introduced a new feature in June called 5 Minutes with … This Q&A formatted feature will showcase the extraordinary things our alumni are doing in the Fleet and Marine Corps and highlights their impactful achievements in the private sector and in their communities as teachers, mentors, nonprofit leaders, or volunteers. We want to highlight alumni working under the radar to improve the lives and experience of their sailors and Marines, who are leading under unusually challenging circumstances or whose innovations are making a difference for warfighters. Do you know an unsung hero? Send suggestions to Jimmy DeButts, Shipmate Managing Editor, at jimmy.debutts@usna.com. |
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