Laura Bush Joins Community, Corporate, and Civic Leaders as Salvation Army National Advisory Board Member
Former First Lady Selected for Leadership, Commitment and Experience with The Salvation Army Throughout the Years
San Antonio, TX (January 14, 2010) - Mrs. Laura W. Bush has joined The Salvation Army's National Advisory Board, a group of national civic, philanthropic and business leaders who assist the organization in matters ranging from strategic planning to public outreach.
Mrs. Bush, who attended her first Board meeting today in San Antonio, has been a long standing supporter of The Salvation Army's charitable works, including serving as the keynote speaker during the Army's 2007 National Advisory Organizations Conference in Dallas, attended by more than 2,000 organizational volunteers, staff and officers.
"We are honored that Mrs. Bush will be joining The Salvation Army's National Advisory Board, to help serve The Salvation Army in its mission nationally," said Rob Pace, The Salvation Army's National Advisory Board Chairman. "Mrs. Bush's experience, compassion and leadership will be an asset for the organization, and we look forward to working with her for years to come."
Mrs. Bush joins the National Advisory Board as a national and international representative for the United States. During her eight years in The White House, Mrs. Bush advocated for literacy by establishing the annual National Book Festival in 2001 in partnership with the Library of Congress, and continues to promote global education and literacy as the Honorary Ambassador for the United Nations Literacy Decade. In addition, Mrs. Bush has been involved with The Heart Truth to raise awareness about heart disease in women, and serves as Global Ambassador for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure to support breast cancer awareness research around the world. Mrs. Bush holds a Bachelor's degree in education from Southern Methodist University and a Master's degree in Library Science from the University of Texas at Austin.
Additional information about The Salvation Army's National Advisory Board is available at http://mysaboard.org.
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About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for 129 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. About 82 cents of every dollar raised is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.