About ALA National President | Past ALA National Presidents
Dr. Coral May Grout
Department of Massachusetts: Eugene M. Connor Unit 193
Eligibility: Through father, Charles E. Grout, who served in the U.S. Air Force in the Philippines and Australia during World War II. Also adds military service of her grandfather, Stanislas Laplante, who served in the U.S. Army during WWI.
Offices Held: Served several unit-, district-, and department-level chairs and offices, including the district Education chair for 25 years and department president three times. National: chair of Children & Youth, Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation, Education (twice), Americanism, Constitution & Bylaws, Public Relations, Legislative, Leadership, Community Service, and Junior Activities committees. Also served on the National Executive Committee, and as national secretary, national historian, and national vice president.
Professional/personal background:Coral retired from her position as Superintendent of Schools in Acushnet, Mass., in 2006. To keep busy, she accepted an offer to work for the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) as an evaluator of underperforming school districts and an evaluator for RETELL — a required program to ensure that students who do not speak English receive proper instruction and assistance. Coral left DESE at the end of the 2025 school year. Her education includes an A.B. in Psychology & Education from Mount Holyoke College; M.Ed. in Secondary Administration from Boston College; and Ed.D. in Educational Planning, Research, and Administration from the University of Massachusetts. Coral’s religious involvement is with St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church in Baldwinville, Mass., where she is a leader, Eucharistic minister, and assists with fundraising.
Within her community, Coral has served on multiple town committees and recently retired after nine years as town moderator. She is involved with the Massachusetts Veterans Cemetery as a volunteer, the Winchendon Historical Society where she formerly served as secretary of the board, financial supporter of the Clark Memorial YMCA and the Charles E. Grout Memorial Golf Tournament, Catholic Financial Life Insurance Corporation Board Member for eight years, USJB Education Foundation Board Member, and has held positions with the Mount Holyoke College Class of 1975 for the past 50 years. For the past 30 years, she’s been a national presenter on the topics of educational leadership and grant writing to audiences of 10 to 1000.
Coral enjoys traveling and has visited more than 50 countries. In addition, she tries walking four to five miles per day and has completed The American Legion Family’s USA 250 Challenge by walking 250 miles. She enjoys gardening, as well as golfing. She’s the only living member of her family and lives in their 100-year-old home in Massachusetts and spends winters in Florida. Chloe, her 8-year-old tiger cat, lives and travels with her.
Dr. Lisa Chaplin
Department of Virginia: Colonial Heights Unit 284
Eligibility: Through father, John Thomas, who served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.
Offices Held: Served several unit-, district-, and department-level chairs and offices, including the district ALA Virginia Girls State board member for five years and department president for a year. National: ALA Girls Nation, Legislative, Children & Youth, and Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation committee chair.
Professional/personal background: Professionally, Lisa is a Board-Certified Nurse Practitioner with a Doctorate in Nursing and a Professor at Georgetown University’s Berkley School of Nursing — teaching graduate and doctoral nursing students. She served on the University’s Graduate Research Steering Committee, and the School of Nursing’s Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science, the Doctor of Nursing Practice Admissions Task Force, the Task Force to Reduce Admissions Bias, the Council for Outcomes and Evaluation, the Awards and Scholarships Committee, chaired the Faculty Search Committee for two years, and served on the DEI, Belonging and Anti-Racism Committee. Currently, Lisa chairs the Evaluation and Outcomes Committee. She is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners, Rotary International, and volunteers with Virginia’s Medical Reserve Corps.
Lisa comes from an American Legion Family: Her father was a longtime American Legion member, and her mother, Past National President Peggy Thomas, was her biggest ALA influence. Lisa’s husband Kevin is a member of the Sons of The American Legion (SAL) Squadron 284 in Colonial Heights, Va., honoring the service of his father and grandfather, and served as the SAL Detachment of Virginia Commander for two terms from 2023-2025, and he currently chairs the national organization’s Media and Communications Committee. Those eligible of Lisa’s extended family are also Legion Family members.
Teri Miller
Department of Illinois: Peoria Unit 2
Eligibility: Through father, Leonard R. Krapp Sr., U.S. Army Air Corps WWII.
Offices Held: Served several unit-, district-, department-, and division-level chairs and offices, including 2004-2005 department president and Central Division Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation and Education committee chair. National: Education committee vice chair for three years and Poppy committee vice chair.
Professional/personal background:Teri is married to George Miller, married for 25 years. She retired in October 2025 after working for 40-plus years for Peoria Public Library — 35 of those years as the manager of Outreach Services. Teri attended Western Illinois University with a bachelor’s in library science with a K-12 teaching degree. Familywise, she has two sisters and one brother, along with many nieces and nephews.
Doreen Gallagher
Department of New Jersey: Unit 346
Eligibility: Through father, John Gallagher, U.S. Army Vietnam, and maternal grandfather, Christopher Gifford, U.S. Army WWII.
Offices Held: She has served various unit-, district-, and department-level offices and chairs, such as 2015-2016 department president and department Children & Youth committee chair. Eastern Division: Legislative, Membership, Junior Activities, and Children & Youth committee chair. National: Junior Activities, Americanism, Auxiliary Emergency Fund, and Poppy committee vice chair.
Professional/personal background:In her personal life, Doreen is currently employed as an Underwriting Services Representative for an auto/home insurance company and has her Property and Casualty License. She is a graduate of Neptune High School. Doreen is currently involved in the Neptune Township Parade Committee and volunteers as a co-leader for Girls Scout Troop 60054. She has an older brother and sister, a twin brother. Along with their spouses, all are members of The American Legion Family. Doreen’s pride and joy are her four nieces and three nephews.
Jane Benzel
Department of South Dakota: Battle Mt. Unit 71
Eligibility: Through grandfather Cecill Stanley, father John Stanley, husband Dale Benzel, and daughter Kim Benzel-Lewis.
Offices Held: Served unit-, district-, and department-level offices and chairs, including 2015-2016 department president and department Membership committee chair. National: Membership committee vice chair and Constitution & Bylaws committee member.
Professional/personal background: Jane is a widow but joined the Auxiliary under her husband, a Vietnam veteran. She’s a 38-year PUFL member of the Auxiliary and a life member of the VFW. She has three children. Her youngest daughter served 20 years in the U.S. Army.
Jane taught elementary school for 42 years. She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees with a specialist in teaching reading. All these years teaching have given her experience in working with people. Jane is passionate about what she does and strives to work to the best of her ability at whatever she takes on. Her unit relies on her years of experience in the Auxiliary as their chief mentor and advisor. Jane has a very active Legion Family, and there are always events happening. The Legion and Auxiliary are her passion.
Besides her teaching, Jane worked with her husband on their ranch for many years. She now owns and operates a storage unit business. When she retired, Jane planned on volunteering. There are a state veterans home and a VA in Hot Springs, so she has plenty of opportunity. Weekly, she volunteers at the VA and several times a month at the state home. Jane has received the 1,000-hour pin at the VA and is well on her way to the next one. Jane is on the Honor Guard team for her post and is proud to honor those who have passed.
She is an active member of her church and regularly substitutes at the church’s Day School. As a member, she’s served as the church council vice president and secretary and president of the ladies’ guild. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and taking road trips. During her travels, she’s visited over half of the state capital buildings and has been overseas four times, visiting seven countries. Along with traveling, she likes sewing and doing yard work.
Patricia Murray
Department of Arkansas: Wright-Brown Unit 158
Eligibility: Through father, Gordon C. Murray, grandfathers Homer H. Murray and George C. Osborn, and uncle, George C. Osborn Jr.
Offices Held: Various unit-, district-, and department- level offices and chairs, including department president and department Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation committee chair. National: National Executive Committee member.
Professional/personal background:Patricia retired after a 35-year career at the United States District Court in Little Rock, Ark., serving primarily as courtroom deputy and case manager to federal judges. She has a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Parents, the late Gordon and Iris Murray, were a large influence in Patricia’s professional and service life. Both were members of the Legion Family, and she followed her mother’s footsteps in serving as department president. She has dedicated herself to many veteran projects because of their guidance and examples of service they gave through the years.
In her retirement, Patricia has kept busy with involvement in veteran, community, and civic projects. Some of the organizations include 8 & 40, Arkansas County Night of Hope, Extension Homemakers Club, Friends of Arkansas Post National Memorial, and most recently, completing her training as a Master Gardener.
Ellen Nathan
Department of Utah: Unit 912
Eligibility: Through husband Arnie Nathan (Vietnam veteran, deceased) and father, WWII veteran Max Gertson.
Offices Held: Department — president; NEC; 2nd vice; Community Service; Leadership chair; National Security chair; Poppy chair; parliamentarian; Past Presidents Parley. District — District 7 president; vice president; ALA Girls State chair; and Poppy chair. Unit — Unit 90 president and vice president; Unit 912 president, Ivins Veterans Christmas Store.
Professional/personal background: Worked for Crystal Springs Bottled Water from 1980 to 2005. Managed computer systems for the state of Florida. Spent the last five years of work life traveling from Ivins to Fort Lauderdale every two weeks to help them keep the systems running. Retired in 2005 and worked with her husband in his search firm, and in 2007, he came down with Agent Orange related issues that were from his military service. He lived another seven years with an artificial heart valve and passed in 2014. “The American Legion was there for me during this time and I feel like I owe my time to The American Legion Family and will continue my work with them for years to come.”
Jane McKnight
Department of Kentucky: Fort Campbell Unit 233
Eligibility: : Through father, Joseph Frank Foytek, WWII Army Air Corps. Her late husband James Arlen McKnight retired from the U.S. Army after 22 years.
Offices held: Served on several unit-, district-, and department-level offices and chairs, including department historian and 2012-2013 department president. Southern Division: Public Relations and Americanism committee chair. National: Poppy Committee vice chair, Legislative Committee member, and National Executive Committee member.
Professional/personal background:Jane has two sons, Carl and Joseph, who live in Kentucky, daughter Carol and son-in-law Daniel (retired U.S. Army), and grandchildren Matthew and Natalia. She is a “proud mama of feline fur babies” Blade and Polly.
Jane is a graduate of John A. Gupton Mortuary College, Nashville, Tenn. She is a retired funeral director/embalmer/office manager.
Beyond the ALA, she is a part of the Honorable Order of the Kentucky Colonels since 2013 and the Kentucky Ambassador for the Freedom Flag Foundation since 2019. Jane is also a member of the Zoning Codes Committee of the City of Oak Grove, Ky.
Debra Jeanne Haas
Department of Kansas: Philips Stuckey Shaffer Unit 296
Eligibility: Through father Edward Crane, WWII Navy veteran, and husband Gary Haas, Air Force Vietnam veteran.
Offices held: Served various unit-, district-, and department-level offices and chairs, including 2015-2016 department president, and department secretary. National: Chair of Junior Activities, Poppy, and Auxiliary Emergency Fund committees, and National Executive Committee member.
Professional/personal background:Jeanne has a Bachelor of Science in education from Emporia State University. She has been an educator for over 40 years. She is the owner and operator of Gary Haas Oil Company. She has three children and seven grandchildren.
Outside of the ALA, Jeanne is a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and a lifetime member of Girl Scouts of USA. She is also the City Mayor of New Strawn.
"I remember going down to the Legion post with my grandfather [World War II U.S. Army veteran Howard Schlitter], and hearing him say things like, “You’ve got to take care of the veterans. You’ve got to be there for them and help them out.” None of that really resonated with me until after he was gone. Then, I realized I have to be his voice."
- Mike Monserud, ALA member of Auxiliary Unit 37 in Ames, Iowa
