Rosemary Williams Keynotes AMPA Gala

The American Military Partner Association (AMPA), the nation's premier organization for LGBT military spouses and their families, announced that Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy Rosemary F. Williams will keynote AMPA's inaugural national gala dinner on May 17 in Washington, DC.

"We are truly honored and excited to be welcoming Deputy Assistant Secretary Williams as the keynote speaker at AMPA's first national gala dinner," said Stephen Peters, president of AMPA and the husband of an active duty Marine Corps officer. "Our community has benefited greatly from her openness, inclusion, and support, and we look forward to formally thanking her as we celebrate our progress and our modern military families at AMPA's inaugural gala dinner."

In her role as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy, Williams is responsible for policy, advocacy, and oversight of all community support to service members and their families, as well as quality of life issues, family programs, military spouse career advancement, and much more.

Prior to her appointment, Williams served as a vice president at Reingold, Inc., a social marketing and strategic communications firm, Director for Communication and Public Liaison at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and as Senior Advisor for Strategic Communications to the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, where she also served as the Department of Veterans Affairs representative to the White House Council on Military Families.

Before her government service, Williams enjoyed a 25-year broadcast journalism career, receiving numerous awards including a National Emmy Award for Team Coverage of the attacks on September 11th and the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award for a documentary on apartheid in South Africa.

The 2014 AMPA National Gala Dinner, which will be held at the Liaison Hotel on Capitol Hill, will celebrate and recognize the spouses and families of America's LGBT service members and veterans. In addition to honoring Deputy Assistant Secretary Williams, the gala will also honor Tracy Johnson, the nation's first publicly identified surviving spouse of a gay or lesbian service member killed in the line of duty, as well as other AMPA members who will be recognized for their contributions and public advocacy.

The American Military Partner Association (AMPA), a non-partisan and non-profit 501(c)3 organization based in Washington DC, is the nation's premier resource and support network for LGBT military spouses and their families. Founded and led by same-sex military partners in 2009 as the Campaign for Military Partners, AMPA is committed to connecting, supporting, honoring, and serving the partners and spouses of America's LGBT service members and veterans."

To purchase tickets to the AMPA National Gala Dinner, visit www.MilitaryPartners.org/Gala. Businesses, organizations, and individuals interested in sponsorship packages for the event may email [email protected]