Maj Gen Whitehead presents a commemorative plaque to Rob Sanchez on the occasion of his becoming the Chapter’s first Community Partner. (Photo by Elliott Jones)
Peggy McGee
The Green Valley Chapter Military Officers Association has traditionally awarded $1,500 scholarships to Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps students from Sahuarita, Rio Rico, and Nogales High Schools. With the cost of higher education constantly on the rise, even for community colleges and instate tuition rates, the Chapter wanted to increase the amount of the scholarships to $2,500.
Unfortunately, some of the traditional routes to obtain grants are no longer viable. The board of the Scholarship and Military Assistance Fund started meeting in the spring to come up with a way to bring in additional funds to support the program. Maj Gen Jim Whitehead, USAF (Ret), suggested the chapter establish a Community Partner Program with local businesses or individuals. It was decided that to become a Community Partner, one must pledge to donate a minimum of $2,500 to the Scholarship and Military Assistance Fund on an annual basis. Although it was not an easy task, Gen Whitehead persisted and was instrumental in getting the Community Partner program off the ground.
The Chapter welcomed its first Community Partner, Rob Sanchez and his wife Evie, on Nov. 4. Rob is the area manager for Guaranteed Rate Mortgage Financing and is especially committed to helping those who have served in the military.