Dear ANSO Familia,
I want to thank Ms. Blanca Rosas for everything she and all of the other ANSO leaders who served our organization for the last several years have done for all of us. Their hard work and dedication have paved the way for significant progress for Latinos and Hispanics in the Sea Services. Those of us who are blessed to follow them have a much easier task because of all they have already done. Thank you Blanca, Jose, and the Board of Directors (BOD) members who preceded us. We are in your debt.
It is an honor for me to have been selected as your new President. Having just retired, I was hoping I would find a great hobby to keep me from being bored everyday! I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to continue to give back to our Service members. Thank you for putting your confidence in me. I am fully committed to making ANSO the premier Hispanic and Latino Resource Group in any Service. It is an honor to have Rolando Machado as our Vice President. Together with the other members of the BOD, we will make ANSO even greater than it has been.
As your President, I intend to focus on four lines of effort, all tied to ANSO’s Five Pillars (Resources, Membership, Recruitment, Professional Development, and Community Outreach).
- LOE 1: Increase the Resources we provide our members. (Resources and Professional Development) – We will provide our members better Leadership Training, Mentoring, and career management opportunities, as well as help identify and provide learning opportunities through partnerships and sponsorships.
- LOE 2: Grow our Community ( Membership and Recruitment) – We will increase our internal membership, and support the Service’s outreach and recruiting programs to increase the number of Latinos/Hispanics in service, especially in retaining our top talent to see them reach the highest ranks possible.
- LOE 3: Increase external Community Outreach and partnerships. (Community Outreach, Professional Development) – We will work with outside organizations, like HISPA, Hispanic Star, HACR, and other ERGs to increase our external engagement, to offer our members increased visibility, and give them opportunities to engage outside in support of underrepresented Latino/Hispanic communities.
- LOE 4: Increase ANSO Brand Recognition – Too few service members know what ANSO is and does. We will aim to increase awareness of our name and brand, while working to become a premier Hispanic and Latino Resource group in the United States Sea Services. We will ensure we are fully engaged with our members and all the Sea Services Leadership, and to provide the highest value to our members, and the highest levels of support to our Services.
I need your support to do all of this. ANSO was established by the Honorable Secretary of the Navy Eduardo Hidalgo in 1981 to reach out to Hispanic/Latino communities and attract qualified Hispanics/Latinos to apply to the Sea Service’s Officer programs. This mission is still applicable today. While the enlisted community has grown significantly, our Officer Corps have not. We need to continue the mission. Today, Secretary Hidalgo would be exceedingly glad to see Secretary Del Toro in his seat. We have come a long way, but there is still much to do. Let’s do this, together.
My first request to all of our members:
In two weeks, Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations and activities will begin across the US. ANSO should be part of as many events as possible. We have posted several of these on our webpage calendar. I encourage everyone to visit ansomil.org, follow us on LinkedIn, and if you have it, Facebook, and try to participate in as many Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) events as you can. Whenever the opportunity arises, please talk about ANSO. We will have our own HHM event in Late September/Early October. As you all may know, the new Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Carlos Del Toro, is a lifetime ANSO member. He will be at our HHM event. We are waiting to confirm his availability before we set a date. All ANSO members should be present, if able.
There are a few other events taking place that we should attend if at all possible.
- HISPA Virtual Recruiting Event Oct 7 1700-1900 – This is a great opportunity to give back to our community and for outreach
- Hispanic Star HHM Opening Ceremony Sep 15th 1530 – Virtual – Hispanic Star has been a strong supporter of ANSO in the past year.
- NHHC Panel “Latinx: A question of Indentity” Sep 15th 1200-1300 Washington Navy Yard.
Details on these are/will be posted on the ANSO events page and our social media.
I am at your service, always. Please do not hesitate to reach out directly to me with any questions, concerns, or recommendations. Please feel free to connect with me on LINKEDIN.
With the utmost respect,
Roy Love, CAPT USN, (Ret)
President, Association of Naval Services Officers