Houston to Host American Legion National Convention in 2013May 22, 2008
Contact Information: “The city of Houston was selected from stiff competition because they met the requirements of our RFP, they had a compact downtown housing block that reduces our shuttle costs significantly, their hoteliers provided very competitive rates, their downtown was alive and vibrant and they listened to our suggested recommendations for improving their bid,” said Jeff Olson, chairman of the National Convention Commission for The American Legion. Past American Legion conventions have been held in Phoenix, Reno, Salt Lake City and Honolulu. Convention cities are selected on a basis of a variety of criteria, including, but not limited to, the availability and price of hotel rooms, meeting space, city services and the needs of the national organization and the departments. “So much has changed in Houston since The American Legion last met here in 1979, especially in downtown. With the recent opening of Discovery Green park and the Houston Pavilions project, there is an immense sense of livelihood and activity going on downtown,” said Greg Ortale, president and CEO of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The American Legion has witnessed the pioneering spirit of our city over the past 30 years, and that definitely helped us secure this important group.” The National Convention is the governing body of The American Legion and is held each year to conduct the business of the organization. With more than 5,000 delegates from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, France, Mexico and the Philippines, these Legion leaders will hear special reports from two dozen committees and will adopt resolutions that will guide the organization’s legislative and operational efforts for the coming year. Addresses by the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs, senior military leaders and elected officials are typically on the agenda. The President of the United States has traditionally addressed Legionnaires, as have candidates running for the nation’s highest office during election years. “It’s a great honor to host the national convention of one of America’s greatest organizations. The American Legion has served our great country and community for almost a century and Houston now has the chance to give back,” said Greg Ortale. ### About The American Legion Chartered by Congress in 1919, the nearly 3 million-member American Legion is the nation's preeminent service organization for veterans of the U.S. armed forces, including active duty, National Guard and Reserves and their families. A powerful voice for veterans in Washington, The American Legion drafted the original GI Bill and was instrumental in establishing the agency that today is the federal Department of Veterans Affairs. The American Legion is headquartered in Indianapolis, IN and has nearly 15,000 American Legion posts worldwide. |
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