Date: Sun, Sep 8, 2013
Time: 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Event Location: Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Avenue, Elgin, IL 60120-5596

Join us for our Kickoff Celebration with local dignitaries, patriotic music from the Elgin High School Chamber Choir, under the direction of Roz Zager, the Color Guard provided by American Legion-57, book sales provided by Barnes & Noble, and refreshments provided by Sam's Club.

 

Our featured speaker for the Kickoff is Erica J. Borggren, Director of Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs.

Erica Borggren

An Illinois native, Erica Borggren was appointed Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA) in August 2011. As Agency Director, Borggren oversees a 1,300-person staff dedicated to serving those who have served.  With a $128,000,000 operating budget, IDVA fulfills its mission of empowering veterans to thrive through its four Veterans’ Homes, its 80-plus Veteran Service Offices, and its special programs and initiatives.  Borggren also serves as Secretary of the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs (NASDVA) and is a 2014 Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow.

Borggren previously served as a senior staff member for Army Gen. David H. Petraeus during his time as Commanding General in Iraq, at US Central Command, and in Afghanistan. Prior to her time in the Middle East, Borggren served as an Army Medical Service Corps officer in Yongsan, South Korea. A Rhodes Scholar, Truman Scholar, and the valedictorian of her West Point class, she holds postgraduate degrees in comparative social policy and theology from Oxford University.