POINT LOOKOUT, MO. — On Wednesday, Sept. 11, at 9 a.m., College of the Ozarks will hold a special ceremony to commemorate the lives of those who perished in the terrorist attacks that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001.
The public is invited and encouraged to attend the ceremony.
The ceremony will be held at the Lest We Forget 9/11 Memorial located next to the Point Lookout Fire Department on James Forsythe Drive on the College of the Ozarks campus.
Special guest speaker, Sonja Maria Lohmeyer, has a diverse portfolio of experience spanning government, private, and military sectors in communication and stakeholder engagement, change transformation, leadership coaching, strategic planning and production, protocol and logistics, and national defense. Maria has worked for the U.S Congress, White House, and U.S. Navy; in consulting practices at Assuage LLC, Booz Allen Hamilton, Accenture, and Alpha Delta Pi International; and, in the entertainment industry for The Walt Disney Company.
The ceremony will include a welcome by Brigadier General James P. Schreffler, College of the Ozarks vice president of patriotic activities, music from the College of the Ozarks Concert Band, the raising of the 9/11 National Remembrance Flag, a special presentation by the fifth-grade students at the College’s S. Truett Cathy Lower School, and a symbolic volley by Ted Martin, fire chief of Branson Fire Department, and Chris Berndt, fire chief of Western Taney County Fire Protection District.
“College of the Ozarks is intentional about involving and educating students in such important remembrances, so that we never forget,” said Chassidy Brittain, director of patriotic activities. “This ceremony is a great opportunity for the community and campus family to come together and honor the many citizens and first responders who lost their lives.”
More About S. Maria (Miller) Lohmeyer
In 2002, Lohmeyer accepted a direct commission in the U.S. Navy Reserve. Captain Lohmeyer is actively serving as the reserve chief of public affairs at the United States Transportation Command – the Combatant Command nexus of supply chain and contingency response support for the U.S. military; and is dual-hatted as the chief of staff for the 500 officers and enlisted members of the Navy Reserve Public Affairs community. She is an Iraq War veteran awarded the Bronze Star Metal for Meritorious Service in a combat zone and has mobilized or deployed on active duty five times throughout her 22+ year military career.
Notable career experiences include serving as chief of inaugural ceremonies for the 58th and 59th Presidential Inaugural Ceremonies at the U.S. Capitol; owner & CEO of Assuage Leadership & Strategic Planning; public liaison and director of special events for the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; director of public affairs for Joint Task Force Guantanamo in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and, as legislative affairs officer for the Commanding General, David Petraeus (ret.) of Multi-National Force Iraq.
Lohmeyer graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in organizational communication from the University of Central Florida, with minor concentrations in German language studies and radio/television broadcasting. She has completed post-graduate coursework through National Defense University, The Defense Information School, and Naval Postgraduate School Center for Executive Education; and earned a leadership coaching certification through GiANT Worldwide.
Maria lives in southwest Missouri Ozarks with her husband and is a doting stepparent of two talented adult children.
The above press release is from the College of the Ozarks.
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