Involvement

Boy Scouts of America

National Camping School Task Force – 2019

Serving on a new task force from the National Outdoor Programs Team to develop the syllabus for resident camp directors and resident camp program directors.  This will be the first complete rewrite of these course since about 2000.

Director, National Camping School – 2019, 2018, 2015, 2014, 2009, 2008

Directed National Camping Schools at June W. Norcross Scout Reservation in 2019, Lake of the Ozarks in 2018, Ten Mile River Scout Reservation in 2014 and 2015 and at Clements Scout Ranch in 2008 and 2009. These schools were among the latest in their respective regions. This made them large schools with between 120 and 180 students. Each school offered all sections of the resident camp syllabus except camp ranger. As director, I was responsible for recruiting staff, ensuring the quality of instruction and coordinating facility arrangements with the local council.

Guest Scout Executive, Senior Leadership Essentials I – 2016

Senior Leadership Essentials I is the first of two training sessions designed to prepare the future top leadership of BSA. Candidates are selected to participate based on recommendation of their Scout Executive and Area Director with the approval of BSA senior leadership. As the guest Scout Executive, I provided practical examples and a reality check for the participants of the course.

Chairman, Northeast Region Planning Conference – 2016

Chaired the first Region Planning Conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Worked with Scout Executives from each area to organize, plan and deliver the conference. Jim Hans served as staff adviser to the conference. Every council in the region participated.
BSA has not held region wide or nation wide gatherings since 2008. The other regions will be duplicating our model over the next year. Feedback from Scout Executives and staff was overwhelmingly positive.

Committee Member, Top Hands Conference – 2014, 2013

Top Hands is the annual conference of the BSA that brings together all Scout Executives and senior managers from councils across the country to meet with the National Council leadership. Top Hands is designed to focus on the tactics needed to implement the strategy outlined at the National Annual Meeting.
Chaired the subcommittee responsible for the general sessions. Over the years the conference had become criticized for becoming a parade of hours-long presentations without addressing the concerns voiced by local councils. The committee was charged by Gary Butler, Deputy Chief Scout Executive/COO, to make the conference more closely aligned with the needs of local councils. In my role I worked with the departments of the National Council to help focus their presentations into more concise and relevant presentations.

Community

Elder, Orchard Park Presbyterian Church – 2015 to present

Advisory Board Member, Western New York STEM Hub – 2014 to present