 Hello everyone, I am D.V. National Commander Butch Whited. I am so pleased to be joined today by D.V.'s Washington Headquarters Executive Director Randy Rees and National Service Director Jim Marslack for a special presentation to a very deserving individual. It is an absolute honor to recognize Board of Veterans Appeals Chairman Cheryl Mason as our 2021 Outstanding Federal Executive of the Year. Thank you so much. This is an award we only give to one individual each year for northerly performance in service to veterans and looking back over the past year as so many have been impacted by the pandemic, it was clear that this selection would be an easy one to make. Chairman Mason, Randy and Jim have nothing but good things to say about your relationship with you, with the Board and the work you do for veterans, particularly in the wake of COVID. Congratulations to you and I'll let Randy and Jim offer a few words. Congratulations Chairman Mason. You know since 2017 seems like a lifetime ago due to COVID in circumstances that have intervened but in reality from day one, from confirmation in November of 2017, picking up the mantle of a brand new law and starting to move people over through the ramp process into the new dockets of the Appeals Modernization Act and then executing in 2019 just in time for Procopio and Bluewater Navy claims. But I think that the tide turned whenever the choice was made by the majority of the VA to stop processing Bluewater Navy claims and your leadership shown through when you decided the Board was going to process those claims and we certainly recognize that and appreciate that and then in 2020 with COVID-19 when everybody is kind of going offline and locking down, the Board followed suit, just put on the mask and continue to truck along and go virtual. So for outstanding leadership, we couldn't ask for more than Chairman, a six-year term you're going to get your fair share. We appreciate your leadership and your excellence. So congratulations again. Jim? Chairman, it's been a privilege to work with you for so long right and we go way back before AMA and just some great opportunities working together to build something that really is changing the lives for veterans and their families. So it's been a privilege to be able to work with you this entire time and you know, you're a trailblazer for sure, taking care of business for us and veterans. So we certainly appreciate it. And this was an easy choice as the Commander had mentioned for us. So congratulations. And we're always here to be able to help you guys in any way we can. So thank you. Well, thank you. And I'm going to hold it up again for a minute before I start remembering Mark. So I just want to thank you so much. This is an honor. And I just want to say good morning to you all again. It's really an honor to receive this award. It was a huge surprise to me. As you know, ensuring veterans receive the benefits and services that, you know, they deserve is not something that we can do by ourselves. We have to rely on you, our partners and our many partners throughout the VSOs. But I will say that DAV is a very special organization for us. Anything we ask you guys are there stepping forward and showing the way. And we really appreciate it. So I have to thank all of you from Commander Whitehead, Executive Director East, Jim, Tom Wendell, who does a great job here on site for us. And with for your commitment to our veterans and their dependents as a dependent of a veteran and a longtime military spouse and the daughter of a veteran. For me, you know, as you all know, what I do here is really my passion. I really think that it's very important that each one of us every day understand what our veterans need and look for a way to deliver those benefits and services where we can under the law. And that's the board's mission. So I really appreciate everything you've gone. You've done this, as you've noted, has been a very challenging year this past year with COVID. But none of us stopped. We just pivoted and we figured a way to pivot. And so when I asked you guys for help with our virtual telehearings, you stepped forward and you worked with our great board employees, our judges and our hearing team and our attorneys to make it work. Everyone stepped forward and really made it work. And that kind of partnership is really important for all of us serving our veterans and our veterans community. And so we look forward to our continued partnership with you and adapt as we adapt to move forward. So again, it's really an honor to receive this and a huge surprise. And I really have to accept this on behalf of our board employees and staff, the judges, the attorneys, our administrative staff, our hearing branch personnel and our operations staff, because I'm just the leader here. They really are the ones that get the job done. And it's an honor to serve with them and serve them while we serve veterans. So again, I just really appreciate it. And I thank you for this tremendous honor. So thank you all so much. Thank you. Chairman Mason, I think it goes without saying that we look forward to our continued partnership with the board and with you again. Congratulations on this well deserved recognition. And thank you for what you do day in and day out for our veterans. Thanks. Thank you. Thank you.