Skookum Speaker Series: Staff Sergeant Travis Mills, U.S. Army (Ret.)
Presented by Skookum
Thursday, October 10, 2024
Doors 9 a.m. | Lecture 10 a.m.
Online registration is now closed. Please check in at registration in the Admiral Theatre lobby on event day to secure seats. Thank you to our generous sponsors at Wounded Warrior Project, Alliant, Bank of America, and Chubb.

This event is not included in Admiral Theatre ticket packages. Coffee and tea service is generously provided by Skookum Contract Services. Parking includes free two and three-hour street parking options and paid lots around the theatre; one directly across the street.

In recognition of National Disability Awareness Month this October, Skookum, an employer dedicated to creating opportunities for people with disabilities and supporting veteran employment, is proud to host this inspiring, inaugural event. We are honored to introduce Retired US Army Staff Sergeant Travis Mills, a recalibrated warrior, motivational speaker, actor, author, and advocate for veterans and amputees.

Travis now travels nationwide, sharing his story and inspiring everyone to overcome life’s challenges and adversity. Join us to hear his powerful message and celebrate the resilience and strength of those with disabilities.

Meet Travis Mills / Founder, Travis Mills Foundation

Born and raised in Vassar, Michigan, United States Army Staff Sergeant (Ret.) Travis Mills of the 82nd Airborne is a recalibrated veteran, motivational speaker, actor, author and an advocate for veterans and amputees. In addition to being the founder of the Travis Mills Foundation, Travis also serves as the President of the Board of Directors.

Travis has achieved his vision for the Foundation by bringing together a talented array of experts who masterfully accomplish the Foundation’s mission. Per Travis’s lead, the team at the Foundation are not only respected colleagues, they are family.

Travis' Story

On April 10, 2012, Travis was critically injured by an improvised explosive device (IED) during a routine patrol on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan. The explosion blew off portions of all four of his limbs and he is one of only five quadruple amputees from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to survive.

While recovering at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, family was a crucial component to Travis’s healing. His wife, Kelsey, their daughter, Chloe, along with both their families, spent 19 months at Walter Reed, recovering alongside other veterans and their families.

Travis maintained his lifelong mantra of: “Never Give Up. Never Quit,” and credits Kelsey and Chloe (then 6 months old) as the driving force behind his positivity and persistence to overcome the challenges of his new normal.

After his recovery, Travis attended an adaptive sports camp in Colorado and realized the need for a such a place where a veteran and their entire family could relax, reconnect and find strength. Born out of this idea, Travis and Kelsey founded the Travis Mills Foundation Veterans Retreat.

The Mills Family lives near the retreat and in 2017, welcomed their second child, Dax, who is named after the two medics who saved Travis’s life – Daniel and Alexander.

Travis continues to have an outstandingly positive outlook on life and works to offer more adaptive opportunities for recalibrated veterans and their families.

Travis’s New York Times bestselling memoir, “Tough as They Come,” is available online and in bookstores and he’s working on his second book.

In September 2013, Travis and his wife Kelsey founded the Travis Mills Foundation, a nonprofit organization, formed to benefit and assist post-911 veterans who have been injured in active duty or as a result of their service to our nation. The veteran and their families receive an all-inclusive, all-expenses-paid, barrier-free experience in Maine where they participate in adaptive activities, bond with other veteran families, and enjoy much-needed rest and relaxation in Maine’s great outdoors.

What is a recalibrated veteran?

SSG Travis Mills coined the term “recalibrated veteran” after he lost portions of all of his limbs in an IED explosion while serving our country in Afghanistan. He was injured and healed; he didn’t want to be called a “wounded warrior” – his wounds had healed. Instead, he referred to himself as recalibrated. He adjusted to his new normal; he recalibrated.

About Skookum

Creating opportunities for people with disabilities

Founded in 1988 out of a desire to do good in our community, Skookum has carried forward our social mission "creating opportunities for people with disabilities" in all that we aspire to be. From our humble beginnings in small-town America, we have grown to be the best value provider of choice for facility management and manufacturing sectors. Skookum does this by investing in our people first.

Skookum’s customers rely on Skookum to consistently deliver a quality product on time so that the customer in turn can accomplish their jobs. This drives Skookum’s core value proposition – We meet our mission when our customer meets their mission.

This philosophy is critical to our success as a team. At Skookum, we work diligently to sharpen our leaders’ skills so they can provide exceptional client support. Skookum is dedicated to ensuring specialized recruitment, career advancement, and job training methods are employed across the nation. Skookum is a national leader in disability and Veteran recruitment, hiring, and retention.

NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet
Our Culture, Our CommUNITY: "We Are Bold, Impactful, and Revered."
Presented by NAACP Bremerton Unit 1134 and the Admiral Theatre Foundation
Saturday, September 14, 2024
Reception 5 PM | Program 6 PM
Tickets $85 (incl. dinner and fees) - Dinner options below

NAACP Bremerton Unit 1134 and the Admiral Theatre Foundation proudly present the 2024 NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet / Our Culture, Our Community: "We Are Bold, Impactful, and Revered." This year's festivities include remarks by Craig Sims, Attorney at Law and Former King County Deputy Prosecutor, and Dr. Chauné Fitzgerald, founder Washington State Tri-Cities Black Chamber of Commerce, and live performances by Ms. Ruth Jones, and the Eugenie Jones Band. This special event includes dinner service, silent auction, dessert dash, raise the paddle and more.

Craig Sims / Attorney at Law and Former King County Deputy ProsecutorSchroeter Goldmark & Bender (Shareholder)

Craig is an accomplished trial lawyer with over 25 years of litigation and leadership experience. His calling, “to be of service to others,” is what drew him to the practice of law. Craig’s focus is to seek accountability while honoring the lives of his clients and their families. Craig has a proven record of accomplishment litigating civil cases, including several multi-million-dollar settlements and jury verdicts. Craig was the lead trial lawyer for the team that received one of the largest asbestos jury awards in the state of Oregon (2016). He has been recognized as a Washington “Super Lawyer” (2023 & 2024) and was honored as one of the Best Lawyers in America (Best Lawyers – 2022, 2023, & 2024 editions).

Prior to joining Schroeter Goldmark & Bender, Craig served as a Senior King County Prosecutor. While on assignment with the Most Dangerous Offender Program, he prosecuted a number of homicides and high-profile cases; seeking justice while advocating for those who’d been harmed. Craig also served as the Criminal Division Chief in the Seattle Attorney’s Office where he oversaw a team of more than sixty attorneys and staff.

Craig has taught trial practice as an adjunct professor at Seattle University School of Law and is a visiting lecturer at the University of Washington Law School. He’s a member and past president of the Loren Miller Bar Association, which gave him the Excellence in the Legal Profession award. During his career, Craig has also been presented with the Washington State Bar Association Professionalism Award, named as The King County Bar Association Mentor of the Year for the Young Lawyers Division, received the Professionalism Award by the Washington State Association for Justice, and was named Outstanding Plaintiff Trial Lawyer by the Washington Defense Trial Lawyer’s Association. Craig has traveled the country consulting on issues of mentorship, civility and diversity. He is often asked to speak at lawyer trainings on all aspects of lawyering skills.

Craig takes pride in his educational background, having graduated from Seattle University School of Law and The University of Oregon.

Craig’s guiding life motto is: “I am preparing my children for the world, while preparing the world for my children.”

Dr. Chauné Fitzgerald / Founder, Washington State Tri-Cities Black Chamber of Commerce

Dr. Chauné Fitzgerald / Founder, Washington State Tri-Cities Black Chamber of Commerce

Dr. Chauné Fitzgerald is an award-winning community leader, activist, and influential business owner for over 25 years. Chauné is currently serving as the CEO of the Washington African American Chamber of Commerce and is the founder of Women of Wisdom Tri-Cities. Chauné is firmly committed to education, policy and public service, and environmental justice entrepreneurialism.

Chauné is an advocate for equity, economic development and bridging the gaps of social and economic disparities among low-income and marginalized communities. Leading the way with Clean Climate Act initiatives, Chauné launched the first Zero-Emissions Electric community car share program in Eastern Washington with WSDOT. Most recently, Chauné took on the role as the Project Director for the U.S. Department of Transportation's NW Small Business Transportation Resource Center serving Alaska, Montana, Oregon, Idaho, and Washington State.

Chauné holds a Doctorate in Counseling and Strategic Leadership, Master of Science MBA degree with an emphasis on Business Organizational Leadership and Management. Chauné is a native of Illinois and graduate of Southern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Care Management / HCM, and holds Master of Cosmetology Licenses in Georgia and Washington State.

Chauné’s hobbies include traveling, cooking, event planning and writing curriculum. Her Motto is: “Put God first and you will never be last.” She is the mother of three and wife of Eric Fitzgerald, Nuclear Engineer at Hanford Site in Richland, WA.

Dinner Menu Options

Option A:
Beef Medallions with Demi-Glace
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Seasonal Vegetable Chefs Choice
Fresh Green Garden Salad
Fresh Rolls and Butter

Option B:
Northwest Coho Salmon w/ Dill Aioli
Wild Rice Pilaf Bistro Blend
Seasonal Vegetable Chefs Choice
Fresh Green Garden Salad
Fresh Rolls and Butter

Option C:
Grilled Portobello Mushroom Stuffed with Italian Vegetables and Bistro Blend Rice Pilaf
Seasonal Vegetable Chefs Choice
Fresh Green Garden Salad
Fresh Rolls and Butter