fromthepresident
Paving the Way
Military people can face unique challenges as they move
into the civilian workforce. MOAA’s TOPS program helps
servicemembers and their spouses fi nd the right niche.
M
OAA established The tion has helped thousands of
Officer Placement job seekers this year alone.
Service (TOPS) in 1953, Staff members in national
and in the more than 50 MOAA’s TOPS and Council
years since, the program and Chapter Affairs depart-
has grown and progressed tremendously, ments are working together
evolving into a fi rst-class program that to encourage MOAA’s af-
provides transition assistance to thousands fi liated chapters to establish
of members and their families every year. local TOPS networking
There have been dramatic changes in groups. (See “netWorking
how the employment process unfolds, but for You” in the October 2009
one thing remains constant — the impor- Military Offi cer.) A grow-
tance of the personal touch. That’s the ing number of chapters have
value of MOAA’s TOPS program: We offer appointed TOPS liaisons to
personal, specialized assistance every day advise, counsel, and assist
when we critique résumés, counsel indi- MOAA members seeking jobs
vidual members, provide mentors and net- in their particular geographic
working contacts through our state-by-state locations. After all, who
networking program, and assist employers. knows the turf better than a local resident?
TOPS’ dedicated staff ensure our on- Military personnel transitioning to ci-
line Career Center and job database are vilian careers or seeking other positions in
updated daily with new positions and ca- their second careers have earned the high-
reer-transition information. MOAA TOPS est quality efforts on their behalf — just as
representatives are on the road constantly, they earned the expanded education ben-
traveling to military bases across the na- efi ts of the Post-9/11 GI Bill — because they
tion and around the world to speak face- served nobly, often in harm’s way, while
to-face with groups of military offi cers others took a safer, possibly more lucrative,
and NCOs and their family members. career path. Supporting America’s service-
We also sponsor the largest military ca- members during their transition is one way
reer fair in the nation not once, but twice a MOAA honors your service and thanks you.
year. In April and September, MOAA held If you are willing to be a TOPS networker,
its annual spring and fall career fairs at the please e-mail
lindas@moaa.org.
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
in Washington, D.C.; in October, we held a
third career fair in San Diego in conjunc-
tion with the association’s annual meeting.
Taking these events together, the associa- — Vice Adm. Norb Ryan Jr., USN-Ret.
12 MILITARY OFFICER NOVEMBER 2009 PHOTO: STEVE BARRETT
NNov_presidents.indd
12ov_presidents.indd 12 110/5/09 12:12 PM0/5/09 12:12 PM
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