Diane Duscheck Department of Wisconsin: Abendroth-Connolly Unit 282
Eligibility: Through the World War II service of her father, Roland Duscheck. Offices Held: Served many duties, offices, and chairmanships at unit, district, and department levels. National: NEC, Central Division National Vice President, and chairman of Constitution & Bylaws, Junior Activities, ALA Girls Nation, Legislative, Leadership, National Security, Community Service, Public Relations, Americanism, Education, Children & Youth, and Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation. Currently serving as national vice president, designated director on ALA Foundation Board of Directors, Future Focus vice chairman, and on National Strategic Planning Committee.
Professional/personal background: Retired in 2014 after a 34-year career teaching seventh and eighth grade science in parochial and public schools. Helped with contract negotiations and was her school's union representative for 12 years. Besides her volunteerism with the American Legion Auxiliary, Diane donates her time at the Mitchell Park Horticultural Domes and Easter Seals Society’s camps for physically handicapped children and adults, and manages and maintains investment property.
View Full Bio
Kathy DunganDepartment of Mississippi: Drane-Prine Unit 79
Eligibility: Through father Wittie Card, a WWII veteran. Offices Held: Served most offices and chairmanships at unit, district, and department levels. National: NEC and chairman of Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation, Children & Youth, Leadership, Constitution & Bylaws, Education, ALA Girls Nation, Legislative, Auxiliary Emergency Fund, Junior Activities, and Poppy. Currently serving on National Strategic Planning Committee and the Centennial Strategic Plan as a strategy captain.
Professional/personal background: Is a 41-year member of the Auxiliary. She and her husband, William, have one son, Christopher; two grandchildren, Lauren, 6, and Lawson, 2 -- all members of The American Legion Family. Their daughter-in-law is Megan. Retired from the Mississippi Supreme Court after serving 22 years. She was a judicial assistant to a Supreme Court Justice. Is active in her church and continues to be active in her department and local Auxiliary unit.
Mary "Dubbie" Buckler
Mary "Dubbie" Buckler is a lifelong resident of the greater Indianapolis area where she has earned a reputation as a caring leader in business, public service, elective office, and civic service. She is an accomplished business executive with an impressive background in management, finance, and issue advocacy. Her career path reveals a strong commitment to serving where she can make a difference in people’s lives by giving back to the community. Dubbie is also proud to have served as the Federalist Party chair at Hoosier Girls State during high school, and while in college, as one of only five full colonels in the United States in Angel Flight, an honorary to the Air Force ROTC.
Marta Hedding
Marta Hedding of Indianapolis has served as American Legion Auxiliary’s national treasurer since 1994. Prior to becoming national treasurer, Hedding operated a consulting business offering marketing, organizational development and accounting services to small businesses. She also helped start a non-profit charged with long-range economic development planning for the State of Indiana, where she served as vice president of business and public affairs, corporate secretary and assistant treasurer. Hedding has served in numerous leadership positions with her neighborhood association and at her church, where she has served on the children’s ministry team, finance committee, executive planning committee, and as the administrative board chairman.
Trish WardDepartment of Kansas: Unit 250
Eligibility: Through father John Brusati, Army, WWII; and grandfather Edmund Lindberg, Navy, WWII.
Professional/personal background: Is an 18-year member of John P. Hand Unit 250 in Louisburg, Kan. Currently employed as a field operations manager for CenturyLink, a global IT company. Is a 1983 graduate of the University of Southern California and 2001 graduate of the University of Kansas. Is a member of the National Association of Parliamentarians.
Karyn Porempski Department of New York: Kensington Unit 708
Eligibility: Through husband Joseph Porempski, Army, Vietnam; father Albert E. Kramer, Pearl Harbor Survivor, WWII; and grandfather Albert F. Kramer, WWI.
Professional/personal background: Retired from Federal Reserve Bank and as secretary of the county American Legion office serving 12,000 Legionnaires. Serves on the town Veterans Committee. Her husband is a past department vice commander; serves as county and district finance officer, and department Audit chairman. Her deceased father was a WWII veteran and Pearl Harbor survivor. Deceased mother Lorraine, daughters Tracy and Holly, and granddaughters Rebecca and Jenna are members of the ALA. Grandson Jared is a Sons of The American Legion member.
Peggy MillerDepartment of Wyoming: Unit 42
Eligibility: Through father, husband, brothers, and sons. They served in the U.S. Army and Air Force.
Professional/personal background: Has a business degree and worked for Safeway for 29 years, 10 years as a manager. Is a life member of the ALA and DAV. Served in the ALA in three states: North Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming. Has four boys, four daughters-in-law, five granddaughters, three grandsons, one grandson-in-law, and three great-granddaughters. Is retired and spends most of her time with the ALA and volunteering with the VA hospital and outreach clinic and homeless veterans. Drives the DAV van to take veterans to their appointments and shopping. Belongs to the USBC and bowls on four leagues.
Diane SpencerDepartment of Kentucky: Nathan Caulder Unit 132
Eligibility: Through deceased grandfather Harvey Jackson, Army, WWII.
Professional/personal background: Works for the University of Kentucky, 36 years of that time at Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Alzheimer’s Disease Center as a research administrative coordinator/clinical for research on Healthy Brains Longitudinal Research Study. Is the coordinator of recruiting new participants into the study along with doing neuropsychological testing on the participants of the study. Has been a member of Nathan Caulder Unit 132 for 24 years. Is a member of the First Baptist Church in Versailles, Ky., a member of the famous Honorable Kentucky Colonels, Ladies Social Club, and co-chair of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorder Advisory Council of the State of Kentucky. Became a widow in 2016. Has two sons: Ozon and Jermaine; four grandchildren: Ryan, Cheyenne, Tyler Nicole, Briana; and is a great-grandmother to baby girl Kyan.
Nancy MichalskiDepartment of Nevada: Unit 40
Eligibility: Through husband Ronald L. Michalski.
Professional/personal background: Worked for TWA for 25 years. Born in Chicago. Married husband Ronald in 1959; they have three children and six grandchildren. Volunteers at the Boulder City Veterans Home and VAC SE Clinic in Henderson. Works for veterans through ALA and other veteran organizations.
American Legion Auxiliary chaplains express our founding principle of service to God and country and celebrate diversity among people and faiths. They also provide spiritual and emotional guidance, sending dignity and respect to the occasion.
Evelyn EspinolaDepartment of Colorado: Unit 209
Eligibility: Through husband Helder Espinola, Army, Vietnam Era.
Professional/personal background: Has worked all her life in customer service. Married to her veteran for 40 years. Has two children and five grandchildren. Has worked in and around her community with veterans and with children for the past 20 years. Holds a position on her church board, which, in turn they support all that she does in the Auxiliary. Has been a member of the American Legion Auxiliary for eight years and loves everything she does and has achieved so far as goals. When she was department chaplain, she had the greatest experience. Being able to pray and comfort someone is one of the best experiences of her life. Served as chaplain for department for three terms before moving up into higher positions.
Susan CampbellDepartment of North Carolina: Edward G. Bond Unit 40
Eligibility: Through deceased first husband, Stephen L. Mench, Chief Petty Officer, U.S. Navy, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon; and through second husband, Richard Campbell, Airman 1st Class, Air Force, Vietnam.
Professional/personal background: Has been a computer operations supervisor, a data services office manager, a laboratory office technician, and currently an assistant director of elections for Chowan County, N.C. Has lifetime memberships in the DAV Auxiliary and the VFW Auxiliary, and is an active member of Cape Colony Church of Christ. Has one son and four stepchildren, four grandchildren and six step-grandchildren, and six step-great grandchildren, with almost all of them in the Legion Family.