Anna M. Harris Howell is Medically Retired from the United States Army, she is a 28 year Cancer Survivor Veteran who entered the Military as part of the Woman Army Corp (WAC) in February 1971.   After completing over eight and a half years of service, she ETS’d out of the military and starting working  for the Government until she took an early retirement due to medical reasons in 1993. She partnered in a business with her dear friend Mozell Nervis at the Fort Bliss Post Exchange, where she assisted in managing an Art Gallery and Afro-centric Gift Shop from 1992 to 1996.  She worked for the El Paso Independent School District as a substitute Teacher with Special Need children until she was medically retired completely in 1996 due to numerous medical problems related to her battle with Cancer.

She was educated at El Paso Community College, Kansas State University and City College of Chicago (Germany Branch). If you look at the list of Volunteer Service for Anna you would say that she was a very busy person, one of her favorite sayings is “Let my works speak for me.”  She worked and reorganized the Junior Enlisted Family Center of Fort Bliss for over 10 years, establish the first Thanksgiving basket program that was done from donation which went from 28 to giving out over 1000 basket a year. She assisted in establishing the forward Family Support Group for 108^th Brigade and 2/24 ADA Battalion. She has a passion for working with the Soldiers and families of Soldiers.  Due to her hard work during Desert Storm and Desert Watch, she was award the Fort Bliss Volunteer of the Year in 1997, which was a very distinguish award it also made her one of the first Enlisted Spouses to receive this award for Fort Bliss.

Through the Cotillion/Debutante Ball, which she assisted in re-organizing, she assisted in giving out over $500,000 to young ladies for continued education during 6 Cotillions. In 2009 Anna assumed the leadership of the Cotillion and served as the Coordinator/General Chair of the       re-named, Bi-Annual Heritage Cotillion with McCall Neighborhood Center serving as host.

Anna loves working with children and on Thanksgiving morning you will find her with a group of teenagers and young adults down at the convention center with the Mayor feeding and serving the homeless and less fortunate. Other volunteer services that she is committed to is the McCall Neighborhood Center for the last 23 years as a Volunteer, Board Member and is a past President of the Board of Directors, she volunteers with several Masonic Organizations, she served as the Imperial Deputy for the Desert of Texas for the Daughters of the Imperial Court, which she has overseen eleven (11) Courts (Clubs)  in eleven (11) Cities throughout the state of Texas for the last 14 years as a volunteer.  She has been a Life Member of the Woman’s Department, Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce since 2012and is a past president .She is also a member of El Paso Chapter Commission for Women and currently serves as the President,

 Anna not only donates time and efforts, but she is always donating items or money to several non-profit organizations.  But most of all, her compassion and love for Christ, is truly demonstrated in all of her sharing with others especially those that are less fortunate and her hard work in her church.  She always humbles herself and never takes her responsibilities lightly.  Always stating “I’m just trying to give back some of what God has graciously given to me.” That is Anna M. Harris-Howell.