ST. LOUIS – Over 2,100 logisticians arrived at Union Station Hotel in downtown St. Louis for the beginning of the 2023 Logistics Officer Association Symposium on March 28. This week-long symposium marks LOA’s 41st anniversary and includes a variety of sessions related to logistics and professional development.
“The engagement between the membership and our industry partners in the exhibit hall is off the charts,” said Jason Kalin, LOA President. “This symposium is picking up right where we left off in Salt Lake City last year and we couldn’t be more excited.”
#LOA2023 began with a full-day offering of LOA University, including sessions on theory of constraints, data analytics, project management, strategic competition, and other logistics-related content.
Jerry Ottinger, the Chief Learning Officer and Dean of LOA University, described how “the energy is remarkable and surpassed all expectations. Many of the sessions were standing room only–we’re excited to continue the momentum and expand our offering next year.”
LOA University offered an opportunity for logisticians from military, government, and industry to learn about key topics, providing the foundation for the rest of the symposium.
“In the course titled ‘The How and the Why,’ the presenters shared concrete and actionable items to help us at the tactical level to prepare for contested logistics and strategic competition with near-peer adversaries,” said Capt Kallie Leonard, Logistics Career Broadening Officer at Hill AFB and president of the LOA Wasatch Chapter.
Additionally, in the president’s opening remarks, Jason Kalin announced the results of the 2023 LOA election, congratulating Brandi Scott and Evan Hanson who will serve as the LOA Vice President and Chief Information Officer respectively.
“We are excited for you to join the team and take LOA to a new level,” Kalin said in his speech to the membership.
The LOA symposium will continue throughout the week with keynote speakers including Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force General David Allvin, the Commander of Air Mobility Command General Mike Minihan, and other notable speakers from the Department of Defense, industry, and academia.