Honor Flight Chicago is excited to welcome two new directors to the organization. Doug Meffley is Honor Flight Chicago’s new Director of Communications, and Edna Ho is the organization’s new Director of Operations.
Both positions are new and are responsible for the day-to-day management of Honor Flight Chicago.
Doug and Edna have spent the past two months getting to know the organization. They are excited to meet all of the volunteers who help make the organization what it is, and of course, they are looking forward to interacting with our nation’s senior war veterans and giving them the honor and thanks they deserve.
In the meantime, continue reading below to get to know Doug and Edna, and feel free to reach out and introduce yourself. Their email addresses are included below.
Doug Meffley – Director of Communications
As Director of Communications, what are your primary job responsibilities?
My primary focus is on our external relationships including public relations, content, and events. I have quickly grown to love opening our mail, answering the phone and getting to know all of our incredible veterans and volunteers that we come into contact with on a daily basis.
What were you doing before joining the Honor Flight Chicago team?
I was a “lifer” at Northwestern University prior to joining Honor Flight Chicago. My career started as an undergraduate journalism student with a work-study job in the athletics department. That turned into a full-time opportunity in athletics communications and marketing that lasted nearly two decades. During that time I also performed public address announcing duties around the city of Chicago, which was a great way to meet folks from around the area.
What excites you most about being a part of Honor Flight Chicago?
In just the short time I have been here, our mission at Honor Flight Chicago is already proving to be incredibly fulfilling work. Not a day goes by that we are not touched by the story of a veteran or humbled by the generosity of a volunteer or donor. Since joining HFC, I have unlocked stories I have never heard in my own family. Both of my grandfathers served in WWII: my paternal grandfather served with the Army Corps of Engineers and was present at the Battle of the Bulge while my maternal grandfather was a mechanic stationed across the Pacific theatre. I also have uncles on both sides of my family who served during the Vietnam War era. My experience in learning new details from my own family’s history excites me about the possibilities that the “Inspire” portion of our mission can have in carrying on the stories of our veterans for the next generation.
What’s one thing that would surprise most people about you?
Even though it went off the air shortly after I was born, M*A*S*H is my favorite television show of all time. I own the entire series, watch re-runs whenever they are on and can probably quote or at least run down the plot of nearly every episode. My four-year-old son hears the theme song and announces that “Daddy’s show is on.” When I left my last job to join Honor Flight Chicago, I spelled out “GOODBYE” in thumbtacks on the giant posterboard in the office.
Is there anything else you’d like the Honor Flight Chicago community to know about you?
I’m incredibly thankful to Mary, the Board of Directors and the scores of volunteers who have built Honor Flight Chicago into the standard bearer of the Honor Flight Network. To step into a leadership role with an organization that has already accomplished so much and is poised to continue its growth into a new era with Vietnam veterans is a true privilege.
Edna Ho – Director of Operations
As Director of Operations, what are your primary job responsibilities?
My primary responsibilities will be to oversee the administration of the office and look for operational improvements, to coordinate the flight logistics with our teams of volunteers, to assist in our fundraising efforts including event planning and coordination, and to secure foundation and corporate support for Honor Flight Chicago.
What were you doing before joining the Honor Flight Chicago team?
Before joining Honor Flight Chicago, I served as the development director at Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Cook County, a non-profit organization that advocates for children involved in the Cook County foster care system. Prior to that, I was in media and communications with the City of Chicago, Fox 32 and WGN-AM.
What excites you most about being a part of Honor Flight Chicago?
I’ve been hearing from colleagues and volunteers about how hectic, yet so perfectly choreographed flight day is that I’m looking forward to experiencing the day firsthand. Beyond that, I am excited to meet our senior veterans and hear about their experiences and the roles they played in our history.
What’s one thing that would surprise most people about you?
That I played bass in a punk band.