Veterans Business Council Hosting Annual Breakfast Nov. 1

SARATOGA SPRINGS —The Veterans Business Council of The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce has announced it will host its annual breakfast at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 1 at the Holiday Inn in Saratoga Springs. 

The morning will feature a keynote by local veteran, author, and artist Ryan Smithson, and is open to all to attend. Registration is $25 per person, according to a press release from the Saratoga County Chamber. Proceeds will benefit the programs and mission of the Veterans Business Council.

 Smithson’s keynote, War, Writing and Butterflies, will discuss his military service in Iraq and how a college writing assignment turned into therapy and a published memoir. Smithson was an engineer in the Army Reserve and served in Iraq from 2004 to 2005. He fortified military posts, repaired roads, and convoyed supplies across northern and western Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the release states.

Upon returning, and for therapeutic reasons, he wrote a memoir, “Ghosts of War: The True Story of a 19-Year-Old GI.” He earned an MA in English from SUNY Albany, and currently works in State Government Sales for T-Mobile, according to the release.

“This annual event presents an outstanding networking opportunity, while simultaneously championing the mission of the Veterans Business Council,” stated Jason Collins, Chair of the Veterans Business Council of The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, in the release. “I am thrilled for our attendees to hear about Ryan’s inspiring story and the profound impact creativity has had on his life.”

The event is open to all with advance registration, which is available online at saratoga.org.