September 30, 2018

Spotlight: NALPA Area 2 vice president

NALPA

Jane McKnight, a 15-year NALPA member, is serving in her third year as NALPA’s Area 2 vice president.

Jane McKnight, a 15-year NALPA member, is serving in her third year as NALPA’s Area 2 vice president.

Born and raised in the small northern Wisconsin town of Phillips, McKnight now lives in Oak Grove, Ky., home of U.S. Army base Fort Campbell and is a member of American Legion Auxiliary Fort Campbell Unit 233. She’s eligible for the Auxiliary through the honorable service of her late father, who served in the U.S. Army Air Corp in World War II, and through her husband, James. He served in the Old Guard at Fort Myer alongside American Legion National Commander Brett Reistad in the late 1970s, and retired in 1998 after 21 years in the Army with the 5th Group Special Forces.

A 25-year member of the Auxiliary, McKnight has held several leadership positions at the Auxiliary Department of Kentucky level, including president, first and second vice president, chaplain, historian, and on the Auxiliary National Executive Committee. At the unit level she has worked every program of the Auxiliary and served as a secretary, treasurer, and chairman for membership, Americanism, Constitution and Bylaws, education, Girls State, public relations, poppy and Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation committees. Currently, she is the vice president and secretary of her district and is on the Auxiliary National Legislative Team.
“Yes, I’m a very busy lady,” McKnight admits. 

Mike Hjelmstad: What’s something unique about your post?

Jane McKnight: Our Fort Campbell Post 233 had two charters. The post originally chartered as Camp Campbell in 1946, and then changed to Fort Campbell in 1953.

Hjelmstad: What do you like most about being an Auxiliary member?

McKnight: I love serving our veterans, the military and their families, and lobbying for their continued needs.  

Hjelmstad: What inspires you to continue serving?

McKnight: Love of our country and what the American Legion Family represents.

Hjelmstad: What is your goal for NALPA this year?

McKnight: To reach out to the entire American Legion Family to be members and to inform them of all the public relation resources that we have available for them to have successful programs.

Hjelmstad: Do you have any ideas for NALPA going into the future?  

McKnight: Keep on moving forward strongly like we are doing now. Over the past three years I’ve witnessed positive changes, plus the wonderful working relationship we have with The American Legion’s Media & Communications staff.  Still, some members of the American Legion Family aren’t clear of what NALPA does. All members of NALPA, not just the national leaders, need to promote our organization and what NALPA can do for your post, unit, district and all levels of the American LegionFamily.

Hjelmstad: What words of advice do you have for the Legion Family?

McKnight: Don’t give up, we are celebrating 100 years of service. Let’s move forward into a second century being positive, kind and proud of all the wonderful things our American Legion Family promotes. Preserve our legacy, service, not self.
For God and Country.

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