Voices of September 11th 10th Annual Always Remember Gala will be held on Wednesday, April 12, at the New York Athletic Club in New York City, 180 Central Park South. Secretary Leon Panetta, 23rd United States Secretary of Defense and former Director of the CIA, will be a featured speaker. Also presenting is Lara Logan, 60 Minutes correspondent who has become one of the most prominent reporters on the global stage. ESPN Host Mike Greenberg will serve as emcee. VOICES board members, Bonnie McEneaney McNamara and John Gannon, are co-chairing the event.

“VOICES is honored to have Secretary Panetta provide his insights on his long and distinguished career in public service spanning five decades,” said VOICES Founding Director , Mary Fetchet, whose son, Brad, perished on 9/11. “This year we are privileged to honor Secretary Panetta with the VOICES Leadership Award in recognition of his lifetime commitment to public service and unwavering dedication to protecting our nation.”

Secretary Panetta has had a 50-year career in public service at the highest levels of government. As Director of the CIA, he successfully led the operation that brought Osama bin Laden to justice; and as the 23rd Secretary of Defense, appointed in 2011, he established a new defense strategy. In 1997, Secretary Panetta returned to his hometown of Monterey Bay, California to establish and co-direct The Panetta Institute for Public Policy, a non-partisan, not-for-profit study center that seeks to inspire men and women to lives of public service.

This year, VOICES Building Bridges Award will be presented to 60 Minutes correspondent, Lara Logan. “Few journalists have spent as much time in Afghanistan since 9/11 as Lara has. Her bravery and commitment to keeping the American public informed by reporting from the war zone is truly inspirational,” said VOICES’ Mary Fetchet.

Lara Logan’s bold, award-winning reporting has earned her a prominent spot among the world’s best foreign correspondents. In 2010, her 60 Minutes report from the Afghan battlefield, "A Relentless Enemy,” earned her electronic journalism’s highest award, a duPont - Columbia University Silver Baton. In February 2011, Logan was almost killed in Tahrir Square in Egypt during the revolution there. She was sexually ssaulted and beaten by a mob of some 300 men while reporting a story for 60 Minutes on the Egyptian Revolution.

Past award recipients include Former FBI Director Robert Mueller, U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, 9/11 Commission Co-Chairs Governor Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton, as well as New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.

Cocktails begin at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and a dessert reception. The event concludes at 10 p.m. Sponsorships and tickets are available online at www.voicesofseptember11.org, or by calling the VOICES office at 203-966-3911.

About Voices of September 11th

Voices of September 11th (VOICES) is a non-profit organization providing long-term mental health support, resources and programs that promote resiliency in the lives of the thousands of individuals and families impacted by 9/11 that we work with every day.

Through our partnership with the Centers for Disease Control, VOICES assists survivors and responders in accessing treatment from the World Trade Center Health Program for mental health conditions, and life-threatening illnesses due their exposure to toxins in the aftermath of the attacks. VOICES 9/11 Living Memorial commemorates the 2,977 lives lost and documents stories of survivors.

VOICES Center of Excellence leverages our expertise to assist communities, throughout the United States and abroad, in preparing for and responding to other acts of terrorism and mass violence.