Announcing the September edition of "Lunch with the General!"

 This continuing series, hosted by the Marine Corps Coordinating Council of Greater Charlotte, features Marine Corps general officers speaking on Marine Corps-related topics of the day. The event also provides an opportunity for Marines -- active, retired and former -- and interested members of the public at large to network and share comraderie. The event is open to the general public, so we urge you to also invite interested friends and colleagues to join you for the presentation. Our guest speaker is Lieutenant General Gary S McKissock (Ret), who will be introduced by Ms Moira Quinn, COO of Charlotte Center City Partners.  

Lieutenant General Gary McKissock graduated from Edinboro University (PA) in 1964 with a degree in Education, and was commissioned a Marine Corps second lieutenant in 1966. His logistics career included an array of staff and operational assignments from Vietnam, to the Middle East, to Headquarters Marine Corps – including an assignment right here in Charlotte as the Inspector-Instructor of our own Marine Corps Reserve 4^th Maintenance Battalion.

In Vietnam, General McKissock served as both a platoon and company commander in 7^th Motor Transport Battalion. Other command tours included Transport Company, 8^th Motor-T Battalion; Maintenance Company, 2d Service Battalion; Brigade Service Support Group 8; and 8^th Motor-T Battalion. Additionally, he commanded the I Marine Expeditionary Force Logistics Support Base at Al Khanjar, Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm, the Marine Corps Service Support Schools, and 1st Force Service Support Group at Camp Pendleton, California. In 1997, he assumed command of Marine Corps Logistics Bases, and later launched and became the first commander of Marine Corps Materiel Command.

As a staff officer, General McKissock served as the Combat Cargo Officer on the USS Cleveland; in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower, Reserve Affairs and Logistics in Washington, DC; and as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Logistics, Second Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, NC. In December 1993, while serving as Chief of Staff, 2d Force Service Support Group, he was promoted to Brigadier General and assumed duties as the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Installations and Logistics (Plans) at Headquarters Marine Corps. Following one last command tour, his final assignment was as Deputy Commandant, Installations and Logistics, Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington D.C, a position he assumed in September 1999.

In addition to Edinboro University, General McKissock is a graduate of the Motor Transport Officers' Course, the Supply Officers' Leadership Course, Amphibious Warfare School, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. His personal decorations include the Legion of Merit with gold star; the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with two gold stars, the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V", the Navy Achievement Medal with Combat "V", the National Defense Service Medal with bronze star, and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.

General McKissock retired from active duty in 2003. Among other activities, he now serves as Senior Mentor for the Marine Corps’ MAGTAF Staff Training Program at Quantico, Virginia; CEO, Tera Group, Allentown, PA (working in desalination); Visiting Fellow, Institute for Defense and Business (a leadership cross-feed program between the University of NC–Chapel Hill and the Department of Defense); and Founder, Core Strategies (an executive development program). Closer to Charlotte, he owns Midtown Sundries in Denver (NC). He and his wife live in Hubert, NC and he remains a popular guest on the speaker circuit.

Because of the limited number of seats and LtGen McKissock's diverse breadth of experience, we anticipate an early sell-out – so please register promptly! On-line registration closes September 15 with limited luncheon-day registration available. Simply click on the "PayPal Checkout" button, above; you'll then be given the option of selecting your preferred credit card for payment.