CWO4 (Retired) Mark Cortor

Vice President of Retired Affairs ​

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As your Vice President of Retired Affairs, I work closely with our Chief Legislative Officer and Executive Director to address issues raised by our retired members, as well as concerns I identify that require engagement with CWOA leadership, Coast Guard leadership and Congress. Many of you likely read my recent letter responding to the Washington Post article regarding veterans’ benefits—an issue I felt strongly required our Association’s voice.

For the first time in our Association’s history, I established a strong working relationship with the Coast Guard National Retiree Council, of which we are now an active member. In partnership with our Executive Director, I also had the privilege of assisting in the development of the USCG Estate Planning & Final Affairs Handbook, an important resource for our members and their families.

At our 2023 Annual Meeting, I recommended the creation of a legislative letter-writing service to empower our members to deliver a unified message to their congressional representatives. After assuming the role of Vice President of Retired Affairs—and with the support of our Executive Director—we brought that initiative to life. This past fall, during the government shutdown, our “Action Network”enabled approximately 25,800 letters to be sent to Congress, powerfully demonstrating our collective voice and advocacy strength.

I respectfully ask for your vote to continue serving as your Vice President of Retired Affairs. I remain fully committed to working tirelessly on your behalf and to strengthening our Association for the future.