Keynote Speaker

1SG Daila Espeut-Jones, U.S. Army (Retired)

OCOEE, Fla. – The City of Ocoee will hold its first in-person Memorial Day Ceremony since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ceremony will honor and thank all who served in the United States Armed Forces. The event will be held on Thursday, May 25, 2023 at 11 a.m., at the Ocoee Lakeshore Center, 125 North Lakeshore Drive. The public is invited to attend.

First Sergeant Daila Espeut-Jones, a retired combat veteran with 22 years of service in the U.S. Army, will be the keynote speaker. During her military tenure, she served in many positions around the world which includes Squad Leader, Platoon Sergeant, Training Non-Commissioned Officer, Customs Supervisor, Plans Supervisor, Area Support Team Leader, Korean Linguist, Senior Transportation Supervisor, First Sergeant and Acting Transportation Division Sergeant Major.  Ms. Espeut-Jones has received more than 30 awards and honors including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Army Achievement Medal and Army Accommodation Medal.

She is the past president for the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Sunshine Chapter in Orlando and Chair Emeritus of the Orange County Mayor’s Veterans Advisory Council.  She is an active member of the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club in Orlando, National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) Post 4287, Orange County Veterans Court Mentorship Program and 2022 Florida Governor’s Women Veterans Fact Finding Committee. She also serves on the Board of Directors at Samaritan Resources Center.  In 2015, First Sergeant Espeut-Jones was selected as one of Orlando Business Journal’s Veterans of Influence. As a writer, she is one of the co-authors of Amazon’s “Girlz Run the World in Pearls”.

In addition to the keynote speaker, Ocoee resident Sherri Gladney will sing the National Anthem at the ceremony. The Ocoee Police and Fire Department Honor Guards will present the colors and carry a wreath to be set in place at the city’s Memorial Wall.  An Ocoee High School Band member will play Taps.  Refreshments will be served. 

For more information, please call 407-905-3100.

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About the City of Ocoee – Ideally situated at the heart of all of Central Florida’s major highways and expressways, Ocoee is home to a vibrant residential and business community making it an ideal place to live, raise a family and grow a business.  With a population of nearly 50,000, Ocoee is the third largest city in Orange County known for its exceptional quality of life, boat launches, fishing docks, nature trails, picnic areas, sports facilities and playgrounds. For more information, visit www.ocoee.org.