PHOENIX–The 12th Annual Leaders & Legends event, at which PenFed was an honoree, honored a remarkable group of veterans, most from the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame.
Seven Purple Heart recipients took the stage, including Tom Kirk and David Allwine, former POWs who endured the infamous Hanoi Hilton. Kirk even celebrated his 95th birthday during the event.
Leaders & Legends brings together icons from sports, business and the military. For 11 years, the event has showcased the importance of improving the lives of Veterans by connecting them to the unconditional love of service and emotional support dogs.
According to PenFed, the heart of Leaders & Legends is its unique and engaging presentations. This year’s theme was “Trust—the tangible intangible.”
“This was significant because of a changed situation. It was also a clear example that success is possible when the more things change, the more they stay the same,” PenFed said.
The “change” was the venue, the Arizona Biltmore and not a Las Vegas casino. And this year, two new beneficiaries will share the lucrative amount raised. The “same” is a November weekend where attendees have up close and personal opportunities with the presenters.
The first beneficiary is The PenFed Foundation, led by PenFed Credit Union President/CEO James Schenck and Foundation President Andrea McCarren.
“They have a history of prioritizing the welfare of Veterans. In fact, 99 cents of every dollar raised by the Foundation goes directly to their Veterans’ program,” PenFed said.
The second beneficiary is Rick Hogg’s “In Honor of Duco Project.” Hogg is a 29-year US Army Special Forces Veteran with Delta Force experience. He served with Duco, his Combat Assault Dog. Hogg’s primary mission is to prevent Special Ops Forces K9 handlers from having to make a medical decision for their partner based on their finances.
Sports always play a key role at Leaders & Legends. Hall of Famers Dara Torres, Kurt Busch and Rickey Henderson gave career insights. World Series highlights were provided by Jim Leyland, Joe Torre and Bernie Williams. I hosted a panel with Chris Carpenter and Jim Edmonds.
The military was well represented by Hogg and Delta Force teammates Tom Satterly and Chris VanSant, Brian Mahler, a Marine and Navy SEAL, and Captain Walt Slaughter, a Naval Aviator with extensive aircraft carrier experience including more than 1,000 carrier landings. Also featured was Jim Dimatteo, Top Gun Adversary leader and Aviation Hall of Famer.
Other memorable sessions featured David Pratt, who explained the history and development of Three Forks Ranch, and its unprecedented river restoration, along with its Health and Wellness center. Harold Hamm, Continental Resources Founder and Executive Chairman, spoke on energy and America’s oil and gas industry. Ron Kruszewski, Stifel Financial board chairman and CEO tackled the economy, inflation and related issues.