Participants from the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps gathered for the Association of Naval Services Officers (ANSO) annual symposium for eastern region chapters September 7, 2016 at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia. The theme of this year's symposium was "Taking Charge of Your Career and Your Future." Mentoring and career development were the common link for the activities of the day, including panel discussions and speed mentoring sessions. The symposium brought together officers, enlisted personnel, civilian executives and other leaders in the sea services and maritime industry. Of note, Midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy and Cadets from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy participated in discussions and mentoring activities throughout the day. A key focus of ANSO's efforts is supporting the development of the next generation of sea service leadership, and the eastern region symposium provided the opportunity to engage directly with future leaders. "The symposium was extremely productive," said Lt. Rolando Machado, ANSO Navy Service Representative. "Personally, I benefitted from an hour-long one-on-one mentoring session with a post-command officer within my community [surface warfare]. The speed mentoring and professional development sessions were well-defined and spurred discussion. Of course, the flag level participation from all three services made it memorable." Flag-level participation included the Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Paul F. Zukunft; Naval Inspector General, Vice Adm. Herman A. Shelanski; National Defense University President, Major Gen. Frederick M. Padilla; and Superintendent of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Rear Adm. James E. Rendon. In addition, Naval History and Heritage Command provided full-length banners commemorating "Hispanic Americans in the U.S. Navy" to fortify the history of Hispanics in the Naval service. ANSO's mission is to assist recruitment and retention efforts in the Hispanic community by fostering the personal growth and professional development of officers, enlisted and civilian personnel. The mission also includes providing support with mentoring, networking, training and educational opportunities, and engaging junior personnel through outreach initiatives. "The 2016 ANSO Eastern Region Symposium, in spite of the lower than expected attendance, was another resounding success," said ANSO President, retired Rear Adm. Will Rodriguez. "All who attended, speakers, mentors and mentees alike, were fully engaged from the minute we started to the time we finished. The questions posed by our attendees were in depth and provocative. My personal thanks to all who planned and executed this symposium; your concern for your Shipmates was a beacon of light throughout the symposium!"