Founded in 1919, the American Legion Auxiliary is the world’s largest patriotic women’s service organization. With a membership at nearly 850,000, local American Legion Auxiliary units have a strong presence in more than 9,500 communities nationwide. The American Legion Auxiliary’s mission to serve veterans, their families and their communities is carried out through its hundreds of outreach programs delivered by its members, volunteers and National Headquarters.
Mission Statement
In the spirit of service, not self, the mission of the American Legion Auxiliary is to support The American Legion and to honor the sacrifice of those who serve by enhancing the lives of our veterans, military, and their families, both at home and abroad. For God and Country, we advocate for veterans, educate our citizens, mentor youth, and promote patriotism, good citizenship, peace and security.
Vision Statement
The vision of the American Legion Auxiliary is to support The American Legion while becoming the premier service organization and foundation of every community providing support for our veterans, our military, and their families by shaping a positive future in an atmosphere of fellowship, patriotism, peace and security.
Kris Nelson
2011-2012 National President
NATIONAL PRESIDENT'S THEME Honoring Their Service ONE Wildly Important Goal (W.I.G.) Through mission delivery, the American Legion Auxiliary will become so appealing to people who care about veterans that membership will increase.
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Kris Nelson, 59, is eligible for Auxiliary membership through her husband Terry (Vietnam Era, Army Reserves), stepfather Arthur Tarnowski (WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Navy) and brother Rick Tarnowski (Air Force, retired 2008).
She has held a number of leadership roles in the Auxiliary at the unit, district and department levels. Her unit awarded her a life membership in 1995. At the national level, she served as national vice president, National Executive Committeewoman, Northwest Division Girls State Committee, Northwestern Division Membership Committee and chairman of the following committees: ALA Girls State, Education, Americanism, Children & Youth and Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation. She is a current board member of the American Legion Auxiliary Foundation and a member of the Long Range Strategic Planning Committee.
Retired as director of human resources after 37 years with Consolidated Telephone Co. in 2008, Nelson has two children, Troy (Angie) and Sarah (Kent), and five grandchildren. She is a member of St. Andrews Catholic Church and is past board chairman of the Minnesota Telecom Alliance Education and Human Resource Committee. She also is a pastboard president of the Crow Wing County United Way and currently serves on their Women’s Health Initiative. She serves as editor of the SOLT Haiti Mission newsletter and as a member of the City of Brainerd Memorial Committee. She is a partner of the Eight & Forty Salon 85.
President Nelson holds American Legion Auxiliary mission delivery near and dear to her heart. For her project as national president, she has initiated a campaign to increase membership and volunteer capacity among a younger generation. “Through mission delivery, the American Legion Auxiliary will become so appealing to people who care about veterans that our membership will increase,” Nelson told Auxiliary members and delegates during her installation of the organization’s highest office at national convention. “We need to refocus how we do things and create opportunities for the younger generation that are meaningful and that they are able to work into their schedules. We must encourage and support new ideas of mission delivery projects and opportunities that women of all ages can participate in.”
“We can only increase our membership and volunteer capacity if community members know who we are and what we do,” she said. “Asking community members to join you in Auxiliary service projects will give them hands-on experience, will let them see and feel how our service projects make life a little easier for our veterans, military and their families.”