A chance meeting occurred on September 30, the evening before the Government Shutdown. The State FCCLA Officers were in Washington DC for Capitol Leadership Conference. On Monday night we took the late night moonlight tour of the monuments. We met Command Master Chief for the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Evelyn Vonn Banks at about 10 pm on the dark steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
Service to country… Servant leader attitude…. Single parent mom who challenged herself with education and training and rose in the ranks to the highest enlisted woman in the Navy. Evelyn Vonn Banks will speak at State FCCLA Conference and intrigue you with her stories of work in the Navy in Alaska, Japan, the North Arabian sea, and support for Iraqi Freedom, US Naval Academy and at the Navy Shipyard.
When MN FCCLA State Officers met her, she was finishing her work after the Navy Shipyard shootings and the week of funerals. She has won numerous decorations including the Legion of Merit gold star, Four gold stars for Navy and Marine Corps Commander Medals, and many more….She came there sadly to say that her dream of having a permit to do a retirement speech on the steps in Martin Luther Kings’ footprints would not be able to happen due to the government shutdown.
She knew if she came there she would meet “someone who could listen to her speech” that night… Then she met us! She gave part of her retirement speech to the State Officers- in the dark and before we had to run off to catch the trolley car waiting for us.
Evelyn has known four U.S. Presidents personally and done ceremonial coin tosses with them at the annual Navy- Army football games. You will be most impressed with her attitude of service, both personally and professionally. A lady with a sense of humor and graciousness, you will learn a great deal from her leadership example for GYSDAY!
