About the chapter
More than 15 years of service to military veterans in the Mahoning and Shenango Valleys.
The Mahoning and Shenango Valleys Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America enters its sixteenth year as a leading advocacy group for military veterans. The organization has received fourteen consecutive MOAA 4-star or 5-star Level of Excellence Awards in fifteen years.
- 16th
- Year as a chapter
- 5★★★★★
- Level of Excellence
- 14
- Awards in 15 years
- 5
- Counties served
Chartered in 2012, growing ever since
Earned consecutively since chartering
Recognition for recruiting, retention, and programming
Columbiana, Mahoning, Trumbull, Lawrence, Mercer
Who we are
Officers and spouses who stay in the fight for their community.
This chapter is a strong supporter of the ROTC program at Youngstown State University and provides scholarships and awards for cadets. The chapter also awards a medal to a cadet in the area JROTC program. Members participate in area Memorial Day and Veterans Day parades and ceremonies.
Several chapter members are alumni of the Youngstown State University ROTC program. Members also enjoy being involved in supporting servicemen and women who are deployed from the Youngstown Air Reserve Station and the Pennsylvania National Guard in Farrell, Pennsylvania.
MSVC covers Columbiana, Mahoning, and Trumbull counties in Ohio and Lawrence and Mercer counties in Pennsylvania. It is one of seven chapters in the Ohio State MOAA Council of Chapters, and publishes a newsletter in print and electronic form eleven times a year.
- ROTC scholarships and cadet awards at YSU
- JROTC medal presented to a local cadet
- Memorial and Veterans Day parades
- Support for deployed service members and families
Level of Excellence
Fourteen Levels of Excellence in fifteen years, for recruiting, retention, and chapter programming.
Founding history
From an organizational meeting to a five-star chapter.
01 · October 27, 2011
The chapter begins
Twenty-six people agreed to chapter membership and twenty attended the organizational meeting. The decision was made to proceed with chapter establishment and to submit an affiliation request to MOAA.
02 · October 28, 2011
MOAA approves affiliation
COL Dick Calta formally requested affiliation of the Mahoning and Shenango Valleys Chapter with MOAA. The MOAA Council and Chapter Affairs Board approved the request the same day.
03 · December 8, 2011
First officers installed
COL Dick Calta installed the first slate: COL Walter Duzzny, USA (Ret.) as President, LT John Holzer, USN as 1st Vice-President, LTC Donald Rasile, USA (Ret.) as 2nd Vice-President, and CWO3 Don Oglesby, USCG (Ret.) as Secretary/Treasurer.
04 · February 23, 2012
Charter presented
VADM Norbert Ryan, Jr., USN (Ret.), then President of MOAA, presented the chapter charter to the Mahoning and Shenango Valleys Chapter.
05 · December 31, 2012
Give Me 10! winner
The chapter won MOAA’s Give Me 10! membership program for the most paid members in Category I, chapters of 49 members or fewer.
06 · December 31, 2013
Recruiting and retention honors
Winner of MOAA’s 2013 Chapter Recruiting Challenge and 2013 chapter retention recognition.
Meetings
Once a month, always in good company.
The chapter typically meets once per month at A La Cart Catering in Canfield, Ohio, with a few exceptions. Membership meetings are held at dinner on the fourth Thursday of the month in the spring and summer. In the fall and winter, when daylight saving time is inactive, the chapter meets at lunch time on the third Friday of the month.
In the summer months members enjoy a variety of local events together. Monthly meetings are open to members, spouses, and guests, and attire for most events is business casual.
Typical dinner meeting
- 1800Social
- 1830Dinner
- 1930Program
Meetings are held at A La Cart Catering, Canfield, Ohio. Email msvcmoaa@gmail.com for details on the upcoming meeting.
Monthly meetings alternate between dinner and lunch depending on the season.
Constitution and by-laws
Use the links below to access the chapter’s current governing documents.
Join us
Come to a meeting as our guest.
Chapter dues are $20 a year, and surviving spouses and currently serving officers are exempt. Members, spouses, and guests are always welcome at monthly meetings.