Photo: MOAA President and CEO Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, USAF (Ret), speaks during MOAA's Annual Meeting of the Membership on Oct. 25 in Alexandria, Va.

Kelly’s speech included details on six focus areas selected to strengthen and grow the association:

1. Maintaining Key Advocacy Positions and Mission Focus

Kelly, who spent 2024 meeting with many key lawmakers on the Hill, thanked members for harnessing their “grassroots power” and supporting MOAA’s legislative priorities all year.

“We want to be recognized and respected as the foremost organization advocating on behalf of the uniformed services community and their families,” Kelly said, noting the recent release of Ending the Wait for Toxic-Exposed Veterans.

This report, published by MOAA and Disabled American Veterans (DAV), provides a blueprint for reforming how our government responds to service-related toxic exposures.

2. Chapter System Viability

“Councils and chapters remain the heartbeat of our association and carry the weight of our community engagement,” Kelly said.

MOAA has 386 councils and chapters across the country and operating virtually, with a combined membership representing 10% of MOAA’s national membership. Kelly said he has made chapter visits a “major priority”; 2024 will see about 115 chapter visits from MOAA HQ by the end of the year.

3. Growing Membership

Membership is growing overall, particularly at the Basic member level, Kelly said, but the association is making efforts both to increase paid Premium and Life membership levels and better reach the currently serving population.

“We have been working with the association of graduates from each of the service academies … so as they graduate [the goal would be] they become automatic Basic members,” Kelly said. “We’re doing the same things with large ROTC organizations.”

4. MOAA Foundation Stability

MOAA’s charities, The MOAA Foundation and the MOAA Scholarship Fund, demonstrate that while we are an association of officers, we are not just about officers, Kelly said.

“It’s our actions and our deeds … that reach out to the broader service community that make that statement true,” Kelly said. “The majority of those things happen through our two charities.”

The MOAA Scholarship Fund, which recently marked its 75th year, disbursed nearly $11 million in loans and grants for the 2024-25 school year.

MOAA’s focus is largely on The MOAA Foundation, which is still working to build its endowment. The need is clearly there: In the immediate wake of hurricanes Helene and Milton, the foundation quickly approved $270,000 in crisis relief grants for servicemembers, veterans, and families impacted by the storms.

Kelly thanked JP Morgan Chase, which had representatives in attendance, for making multiple, generous donations this year, including $75,000 to support the foundation.

5. Strengthening Brand and Reach

MOAA is continuing to leverage our communication channels, such as Military Officer magazine and The MOAA Newsletter, to engage with the broad service community and strengthen our membership. Kelly noted ongoing efforts on social media, working alongside influencers in the military and spouse communities who can share MOAA’s mission with their large, and often younger, audiences.

“We are trying to make sure the next generation of folks see the same value of MOAA that all of us have seen over the years,” Kelly said.

6. Financial Stability

MOAA continues to use funds from its endowment to help cover expenses, Kelly said, adding this is not sustainable in the long run. MOAA is working aggressively to identify new revenue sources, Kelly said, chiefly our upcoming conference in 2025.

Total Force+: MOAA’s ‘People Conference’

MOAA will launch TotalForce+, a “people first” conference focused on advancing solutions for the military and veteran communities, Oct. 28-29, 2025, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md.

The event will bring 5,000 people together, including key decision-makers from the uniformed services community, academia, industry, and nonprofits.