News

Let me know if you have any news you would like to share with the AMS Membership; Anniversaries, Mile Stone Birthdays, New Grandkids, Retirements, anything you want to send is welcome. Though your submissions we can make this an exciting page to visit. Email me at RalphMayer@atlanticbb.net

Hello from Bill Hogan...

We moved back to St. Louis in 2004 when we had an unexpected offer to buy our house.  We were thinking about it but out of the blue we were faced with a decision and made it.  With all our friends leaving Washington and our relatives urging us to return, it wasn't a hard decision.  So we are here and enjoying retired life as it is.  Upon returning I got involved with St. Louis University and ended up teaching and working with GIS graduate students on various projects.  We worked on a wide number of projects ranging from GIS applications for various police and fire departments to digital mapping and weather treat assessments for our local electric and gas utility companies.  It was great to work with such smart and innovative kids and professors.  I
ran into some health problems and ended my university work in 2010.  Now I am involved with cardiac rehab, working out four days a week and doing great.  We do some volunteer work and plan on getting more involved in the spring. 

We visit our kids in Virginia as often as we can however lately we seem to have to cancel out more often than we make it.  Hopefully, one of our trips may be timely for attending one of your meetings.

Thanks for keeping us posted.

Bill

NGA Officially Opens New Facility With Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.

On September 28, 2011 the National Geospatial- Intelligence Agency (NGA) celebrated the official opening of the Agency’s East Campus located in Springfield, Va. Thanks to an invitation from Ms. Letitia A. Long, NGA Director, past AMS Presidents Larry and Judy Bowles witnessed this celebration along with 500+ seated in the NGA auditorium and the many that watched the ceremonies via simulcast.T

The ceremony began the start of a week-long recognition of NGA’s fifteenth anniversary. Dignitaries attending from the Intelligence Community, the Department of Defense, Congress and  Northern Va. included Sen. Mark Warner, Va. , eighth District Congressman James Moran, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, Jr., Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Michael Vickers, former NGA Director retired Vice Adm. Robert Murrett, Virginia House of Delegates Member Mark Sickles, Fairfax County Board of Supervisor  Chairman Sharon Bulova and Commander, Baltimore District , U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Col.  Dave Anderson.

DID YOU KNOW...

The other day I asked Mario Tristani if he was still playing music, this was his response, Ralph...

"When Vicki and I first moved down to Florida in the late 90's, I played solo guitar at an American Legion for a couple of years till I got tired of the smoke and hauling around equipment.  I still play music with friends and at camp ground as we are RVers.  I don’t play music professionally anymore. 

With that being said, ten years ago I signed up as a volunteer with the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office as a Public Service Officer.  And now I am a Process Server (serving subpoenas) with the Sheriff’s Office (can you believe that??).  I work about 10 to 15 hrs a week and really enjoy rubbing elbows with law enforcement folks. They are a great bunch of people!!

The only other thing that I would add is how many times I come in contact with folks who have nothing and their homes are not much to speak of. This makes me thankful and blessed for what we have. Although I have a canceled weapon permit, I can only carry pepper spray for protection. Every place I serve the dispatch is aware of my location in case of any problems. I have served many and have not had any problems thus far. Vicki on the other hand is not too happy and would rather me playing music. But, I'm having fun!!!"

Click HERE to read an article about the first AMS annual Murrells Inlet luncheon.