The Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes Appointed Ray Clifford as Executive Director.

The Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes today announced that the Board of Directors unanimously approved the appointment of Ray Clifford as Executive Director.

“Ray has been instrumental in getting the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes where it is today. His knack for strategic planning, comprehension of the changing needs within the wounded hero community and dedication to mission delivery has been critical in the development of some our most successful programs,” said David Walker, member of the Board of Directors. “As executive director, Ray’s contagious compassion for our severely injured service members will inspire government agencies, corporate America, private organizations and individual donors to step up and honor those that have given so much for their country. We have no doubt that he will continue to push the Coalition forward, leading the way in raising awareness for, and providing much-needed assistance to, our injured and disabled troops.”

Mr. Clifford first started with the Coalition in the spring of 2004 as director of marketing and strategic development. Prior to that, he spent over 20 years in the marketing and promotion industry, specializing in strategic planning, marketing and promotional programs between Fortune 500 brands and leading retailers.

Mr. Clifford has been instrumental in helping the Coalition identify and assist severely wounded service members from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He spearheaded the creation of the Coalition’s highly regarded Wounded Hero Emergency Relief Program, overseeing the distribution of more than 3 million dollars in direct financial aid to support more than 3,000 service members and their families.

He also worked closely with the Military Severely Injured Center (MSIC) in Alexandria, V.A., a military support office established by the Department of Defense, to implement policies and procedures to identify and verify the needs of injured service members and their families. This system was critical in the development of the Coalition’s Wounded Hero Registry which tracks the progress of wounded service members from the War on Terror and allows the Coalition to proactively adjust mission programs to meet the changing needs of wounded service members and their families.

“I am honored to be elected executive director of the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes, and proud to be a part of such a wonderful organization that looks after our wounded troops,” says Clifford. “I am looking forward to working with the board of directors, our dedicated volunteers, partners, government agencies and private organizations to provide support and assistance to the men and women who have been severely injured defending our nation.”

As Executive Director for the Coalition, he will continue to serve as the lead liaison between governmental agencies and service organizations, including the Department of Defense, Military Severely Injured Center, Army wounded warrior program (AW2), Palace Hart, Marine 4 life and SafeHarbor.

In addition to overseeing the daily operations, Clifford will lead the development and refinement of mission-based programs, looking for new opportunities to develop key partnerships between governmental and private organizations to better identify and meet the evolving needs of the wounded hero population.

Mr. Clifford is also a proud veteran of the United States Air Force and resides in Croton-on-Hudson, NY.

For more information on the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes, visit www.saluteheroes.org

About The Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes:
The Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that offers several programs to assist disabled veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan: Wounded Hero Emergency Financial Relief (provides urgent financial assistance to disabled veterans), Homes for Wounded Heroes (offers nearly cost-free, new or renovated disability adapted homes to men and women), Hire A Hero (reaches out through a network of organizations to help prepare and place motivated, qualified veterans in quality jobs), Family Support Network (offers special services to help relieve financial and emotional burdens facing heroes and their families), and the Road to Recovery Conferences (all-expense paid educational and service events for wounded servicemen and servicewomen and their families). For more information please visit the website at www.saluteheroes.org