Leadership & Senior Staff

General Robert B. Neller USMC (Ret.) (TX)

General Robert B. Neller served the Marine Corps for more than 40 years, retiring in 2019 as the 37th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps. Prior to that assignment, he served as the Commander, Marine Forces Command from July 2014 to September 2015 and Commander, Marine Forces Central Command from September 2012 to June 2014.

A native of East Lansing, Michigan, General Neller graduated from the University of Virginia and was commissioned in 1975. He has served as an infantry officer at all levels, including command of Marine Security Force Company Panama during Operations JUST CAUSE and PROMOTE LIBERTY; 3d Light Armored Infantry Battalion during Operation RESTORE HOPE; 6th Marine Regiment; and 3d Marine Division.

General Neller also served as Deputy Commanding General, I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (05-07); Assistant Division Commander for 1st and 2d Marine Divisions; and President of Marine Corps University.

His Joint assignments include service in the Policy Division of Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Casteau, Belgium, and as the Director of Operations (J-3) of the Joint Staff in Washington, D.C.

General Neller is a graduate of the Armor Officer Advanced Course, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, NATO Defense College, and the Armed Forces Staff College. He holds a master’s degree in Human Resource Management from Pepperdine University.

Eric J. Candelori (VA)

Eric J. Candelori is a Senior Vice President & Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch and has been with the firm for 31 years. He is also the co-founder of EMP180 Weight Loss. Eric has been involved with the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation for over 40 years and has served in several board leadership positions including Vice President, Treasurer and Acting President. He is also a member of the board and Vice Chairman for the Navy Mutual Aid Association. Eric served in Marine Corps as a Lieutenant from 1984-1987. He and his wife, Heather Evans live in Vienna, VA.

Steven M. Post (TX)

Steven Post recently retired as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of L-3 Communications, a prime contractor in aerospace systems and national security solutions.  Before assuming that position in 2008, Steve held several positions at L-3 and its predecessor companies, including Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the Integrated Systems Group and, prior to that, group counsel and associate counsel positions. Prior to joining L-3, he was an instructor in the Contract Law department at the Judge Advocate General’s School in Charlottesville, VA.

He began his legal and military career at the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate in Ft. Dix, NJ, as the contract and fiscal law advisor and as senior trial counsel. Following that assignment, Steve served as a trial attorney in the litigation division for the Judge Advocate General at the Pentagon. Post earned his law degree with honors from Indiana University, and his undergraduate degree from the University of Dayton.

Sergeant Major Micheal P. Barrett USMC (Ret.) (IN)

Sergeant Major Micheal Barrett, USMC (Ret.)17th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. Director, Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. A son, brother, husband and father. United States Marine since 1981. Served as 17th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps from June 2011 to February 2015.

Cassie Broemmer (TX)

Cassie Broemmer is the Partner and Chief Revenue Officer for Car Wars/Call Box. She is responsible for driving revenue growth through strong partnerships with our dealer clients and partners, leveraging both the Consulting and Sales teams. She also advises on Marketing and Sales Operations initiatives for Van Tuyl Companies.  Cassie ran the Marketing and CRM divisions for Van Tuyl Group, the nation's largest privately held automotive group, for 11 years. She then led the marketing efforts to rebrand the group to Berkshire Hathaway Automotive when it was acquired in 2015. With twenty-four years in the automotive industry, she served as a district sales manager with AutoTrader.com and held positions as a regional sales manager, national sales trainer, national accounts director, and director of CRM sales at Who's Calling, Inc. 

Kareem El (DC)

Kareem is the founder and CEO of 4RL - a tech startup that's attacking the issue of loneliness by redefining how we use technology to enable connections in real life. He also manages Merchant Go-To-Market operations at DoorDash HQ, and is an executive MBA candidate at the NYU Stern School of Business. Kareem brings nearly a decade of experience in Strategy & Operations from Defense to Big Four Consulting and Tech. 

Kareem graduated from Howard University with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Marines after completing the Officer Candidate Course. He served a tour as a Logistics Officer and earned the honor of commanding one of the Marine Corps' three Aerial Delivery Platoons. After transitioning, Kareem worked at Deloitte, where he advised federal clients on Strategy and Brand Risk. Kareem left Deloitte to Launch 4RL in 2021 and has since bootstrapped the development of the company's first product. At DoorDash, Kareem leads "new product" readiness and is responsible for launch success.

Kareem is the first former MCSF scholarship recipient to join the board as a full director and is the youngest board member in the Foundation's history. Kareem's father, USMC Veteran Sergeant Natambu Elshabazz served in the Marine Corps from 1964-1968 and was wounded in combat in Vietnam. 

Kareem is a native Washingtonian and lives in the neighborhood he was raised in near the H-street Corridor in NE DC.

Steve Fusco (CA)

Steve Fusco joined Rewards Network as President in 2018, overseeing the Sales and Partnerships functions and serving in a general leadership position in support of the CEO, Senior Leadership Team and organization at large.

As a growth leader, Steve brings a strong background and deep experience in the fields of e-commerce, finance, banking, and technology, translating into the successful businesses he built at PayPal and before that, Citigroup.  At PayPal, Steve served in a number of roles of increasing responsibility. Most recently, Steve served as Vice President and General Manager of Global Distribution in which he led a global team responsible for partnership with technology platforms and marketplaces. Prior to PayPal, Steve served in a variety of executive roles at Citigroup, in both the Credit Card and Retail Banking businesses.

A native of New York and graduate of Duke University and UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, Steve spent his early career in the Marine Corps and remains active in veteran’s causes.  In 2014, he was recognized by the Silicon Valley Business Journal as one of Silicon Valley’s “40 under 40.”

Steve currently resides in Northern California with his wife and three children.

Matthew Gantz (PA)

Matthew Gantz is an entrepreneur.  He served as Executive Vice President for U.S. operations with the global specialty pharmaceutical company BTG International from 2009 until mid-2016. In that role, he had responsibility for BTG’s global specialty pharmaceuticals business and administrative oversight for U.S. business operations. He is a non-executive director of Swedish Orphan Biovitrum. Prior to BTG, Matthew was Founder and CEO of Acureon Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical company focused in the hospital areas of infectious diseases, transplant and ICU. Prior to Acureon, he was the President and CEO of Hydrabiosciences Inc., a privately held biotechnology company developing novel, ion channel medicines in the pain and cardiovascular area. From 2000 to 2003, Matthew was the VP Europe for Chiron’s Biopharmaceutical Division where he was directly responsible for $100+ million Infection Disease and Oncology business. From 1996 to 2000 he was the GM for PathoGenesis Europe before the company was acquired by Chiron. Prior to Chiron/PathoGenesis, Matthew held a variety of US sales and marketing roles at Abbott Laboratories Diagnostics Division. Matthew served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, earned his MBA from Harvard and his undergraduate degree from Princeton University.  Matthew served as a company commander and infantry officer in the Marine Corps. His distinguished service during Operation Desert Storm earned him the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V for “heroic service and courageous leadership under enemy fire.

Jennifer Hazelton (TX)

Jennifer Hazelton is the President and Founder of Windell Advisors, LLC, offering finance and accounting management services to nonprofit organizations.  An accomplished and strategic-minded senior operations executive and top corporate officer, she is a persuasive communicator with an engaging style and experience in public accounting, public and private corporations, and nonprofit organizations.

For more than 17 years, Hazelton served as Chief Financial Officer of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, one of Houston’s largest operating charities. A certified public accountant, she oversaw the accounting and finance departments, as well as operational areas including scholarship and grant management, purchasing, and membership departments. Prior to joining the Rodeo, Hazelton served as the Chief Financial Officer for GSA Management in Delaware, managing technical support and compliance for real estate and venture capital funds. She started her career at Arthur Andersen in Richmond, Virginia and is a certified public accountant.

Hazelton has been named a “Best CFO of the Year – Nonprofit” and a “Woman Who Means Business” by the Houston Business Journal.  She is committed to giving back and volunteers with and serves on boards of several literacy and education focused nonprofits, including Neuhaus Education Center, the Children’s Museum of Houston, and serves as the Treasurer and an Executive Committee member of the National Scholarship Provider’s Association.

Dan Henderson (PA)

A principal of CooksonPeirce, Dan serves as the firm’s chief executive officer.

Dan joined the firm in 2002 after a 10-year career in the investment advisory business. He worked in various positions with Ameriprise, Fragasso Financial Advisors and as the director of wealth planning at PNC prior to CooksonPeirce. He is responsible for key client relationships and CooksonPeirce’s strategic planning, including the overall marketing effort.

Dan received a B.S. in business with a concentration in finance from Boston University, which he attended on a full Navy ROTC scholarship. After graduating, Dan served as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps. During his four years of active duty, he served in combat and was decorated during Operation Desert Storm. He received an honorable discharge in 1992 with the rank of captain.

He continued his education with courses from The American College, where he earned the Chartered Financial Consultant designation.

Dan and his wife, Barb, spend a portion of the year in Naples, Florida and take regular trips back home to Pittsburgh throughout the year. When not spending time with his family or at work, Dan’s interests are traveling, riding his bicycle or Harley-Davidson, and going to concerts or art events. He serves on the board of St. Barnabas Health System and co-chairs the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation’s annual Steel City Awards Dinner.

Robert E. Joyce Jr. (CO)

Rob Joyce is the former CEO and board director of Norican Global A/S (dba Norican Group), a Danish company created in September 2008 through the merger of the Wheelabrator (BVI) and DISA Groups (Denmark).

Immediately prior to this, Rob served as President and CEO of the Wheelabrator Group, a position he held from January 2003. From 1996 to 2003 he served in several executive leadership roles of increasing responsibility within USFilter (at the time a NYSE listed company), culminating with the position of Chief Operating Officer. Other career experience prior to USFilter includes: North American Logistics Director, Black & Decker; Senior Manager, Deloitte & Touche Management Consulting; and Facilities Engineer, Merck & Co.

Rob served in the United States Marine Corps as a Combat Engineer Officer from 1984-1988, having earned his commission through the NROTC program at the University of Michigan.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree (cum laude) in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. He is married to the former Colleen Erin Rafferty, and they have two adult sons.

Rear Admiral Keith Jones USN (TX)

A native of Ferriday, Louisiana, Keith joined Toyota in 2005, leading diversity and inclusion initiatives to advance strategy, policy and programs to further diversify Toyota’s workforce, workplace and community connections across North America.

He lives in North Texas and works at Toyota’s national headquarters in Plano, TX.

Prior to joining Toyota, Keith chartered and led corporate diversity initiatives at Volkswagen of America, the Kellogg Company and Shell Oil Company.  Jones earned a MBA from California State University in Bakersfield and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

A proud Sailor in the United States Navy, Keith sailed aboard the USS Enterprise on active duty and still serves in the Navy Reserve component.  A logistician by training and experience across joint, combined and expeditionary commands, he has held command positions at every rank attainable and will close out his career in the Fall of 2020 as a Rear Admiral (Upper Half) and assignment as Deputy Director, Logistics, Fleet Supply and Ordnance, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, HI. 

Ken Korngiebel (UT)

Mr. Korngiebel is a Portfolio Manager on the U.S. micro/small cap and global research teams. He joined Wasatch Global Investors in 2015.

Mr. Korngiebel’s investment career has spanned decades, during which he has covered small, mid and large cap growth stocks across all sectors.

Prior to joining Wasatch, Mr. Korngiebel was a founder, partner and lead portfolio manager at Montibus Capital Management, which is a business backed by Stifel Financial Corp. At Montibus, he led a team of five investment professionals from 2006 to 2015, managing the firm’s long-only small and SMID cap growth portfolios totaling $1 billion in assets. Earlier in his career, he was a senior managing director and lead portfolio manager at Columbia Management Company—where he rebuilt a six-person investment team, implemented a new philosophy and process, and managed small, SMID and mid cap growth portfolios totaling $2.6 billion in assets. His tenure at Columbia Management was from 1996 to 2006.

Mr. Korngiebel holds a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Spanish from Stanford University. He is also a CFA charterholder.

Ken has lived in Venezuela, Spain and Switzerland. He speaks Spanish, and his French is passable. He is also an avid skier, wine collector and struggling golfer.

Rear Admiral Margaret Kibben, CHC, USN (Ret.) (VA)

Rear Admiral Margaret Grun Kibben U.S. Navy (Ret.) is the owner and executive consultant for Virtue in Practice, LLC. Culminating a military career of over thirty years active duty as the U.S. Navy’s 26th Chief of Chaplains, she spent her career invested in the development and support of the chaplaincy, providing guidance regarding resiliency, ethics, and character to senior leaders, ultimately including the Secretary of the Navy, the Chief of Naval Operations, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and the Commandant of the Coast Guard.

Prior to her final assignment, Rear Admiral Kibben served as the Chaplain of the Marine Corps, where she advanced efforts within the Corps to enhance moral and ethical leadership, and increased focus on providing personal and spiritual recovery from combat missions for chaplains and other military caregivers.

Earlier in her career, Rear Admiral Kibben had a variety of positions, working with multiple commands and making multiple deployments, most notably to Afghanistan where she was the Command Chaplain for the Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan and the senior mentor to Afghan leadership U.S. leaders. Upon her return, she was assigned as Director of Manpower, Personnel, Training, and Education and then as Executive Assistant for the Chief of Chaplains.

Rear Admiral Kibben is a member of the Princeton Theological Seminary Board of Trustees and the Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Goucher College, Towson, Maryland, her Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey, and a master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island.

An avid cyclist and gardener, Chaplain Kibben also enjoys spending time with her husband, Lieutenant Colonel Timothy J. Kibben USMC (Ret.) and their daughter, Lindsay.

R. Scott LaRue (CA)

Scott LaRue currently serves as vice chairman of investment banking at Piper Sandler.

Prior to assuming his current responsibilities, LaRue served for eleven years as global co-head of investment banking and capital markets. He joined Piper Sandler in 2003 and spent much of his career covering the consumer sector, ultimately serving as co-head of Piper Sandler consumer investment banking. LaRue was also a founding member and continues to serve on the investment committee for the Piper Sandler merchant banking group.

In the course of LaRue’s 30 years in the investment banking industry, he has completed numerous transactions across a wide range of industries including packaged goods, food and beverage, agribusiness, retailing, real estate, gaming, lodging and diversified industrials. His extensive background in corporate finance includes mergers and acquisitions, public stock offerings, leveraged finance, asset securitizations and public and private debt offerings.

Prior to joining Piper Sandler, LaRue led the food and beverage industry team at CSFB/DLJ, where he was the firm’s senior consumer product banker on the West Coast. Before that, he was a managing director at Bank of America Securities.

LaRue is a graduate of the University of Southern California.

Frank Martell (CA)

Frank Martell is a business executive, advocate for financial empowerment, and leader in the housing industry. Frank has over 35 years’ executive leadership experience in the marketing, financial services, and business information industries.  He is currently the president, chief executive officer, and a member of the board of directors of loanDepot, Inc. a leading independent mortgage lender and digital commerce company committed to supporting its customers throughout the homeownership journey.  Prior to joining loanDepot in April 2022, Frank held various executive positions at CoreLogic, a leading global property information, analytics, and data-enabled solutions provider where he served as president, chief executive officer and Board member from March 2017 to January 2022. Before joining CoreLogic in 2011, Frank served as the president and chief executive officer of the Western Institutional Review Board, and before that as chief financial officer of Information Services Group, Inc. and Advantage Solutions. From 1996 to 2006, he held various leadership positions at ACNielsen Corporation, including vice president and treasurer, chief operating officer, and president of Asia Pacific and Emerging Markets; executive vice president of the Marketing Information Group, and chief operating officer of ACNielsen and president of Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Frank spent the initial 15 years of his business career in a variety of financial leadership roles at General Electric.

Frank serves on the global board of directors of Operation HOPE, a best-in-class provider of financial literacy empowerment for youth, financial capability for communities, and financial dignity for all. Frank is also a member of the board of directors of Compass, Inc. and previously served in a similar capacity at Bank of the West and the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). He was named by the Orange County Business Journal as the 2013 Outstanding CFO of a Public Company. Frank has also received various awards for his distinguished leadership in the housing industry from Inman and HousingWire.  He holds a B.S. degree in accounting from Villanova University.

Peter Pace, Jr (IL)

Pete is a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs and leads a private wealth business based in Chicago. 

After earning his undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University, Pete served as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps, attaining the rank of Captain.

He joined Goldman in 2006 after completing his MBA at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business, earning concentrations in Finance, Accounting, and Entrepreneurship.  Pete helped launch the Goldman Sachs Veteran’s Network in 2011 and is active with a number of organizations focused on veteran’s issues. After frequent moves growing up in a military family Pete, his wife Lynsey and their three children are happy to call Chicago home. 

Greg Parsons (NY)

In addition to leading the business of Semper Capital, Greg serves as Chairman of the Investment and Risk Management Committees and is also a member of the Compliance Committee. Prior to joining the firm in 2008, Greg served as an Associate Principal at McKinsey & Company in the Financial Services Group. Greg began his career over 20 years ago and served as a Captain and Infantry Officer in the United States Marine Corps. Greg earned an AB from Princeton University.

Paul "Mickey" Pohl (PA)

Mickey Pohl has extensive trial and appellate experience having handled such cases throughout the country for more than 40 years. He has tried a wide variety of jury and non-jury cases across the United States and has argued numerous appeals in state and federal courts. Mickey has counseled clients on U.S. litigation issues in Europe, South America, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. His practice includes product liability, toxic tort, antitrust, corporate governance, telecommunications, natural resources, and health care matters. He is one of few lawyers who has tried massive public nuisance cases.

Mickey is a Life Member of The American Law Institute where he has taught trial advocacy, and he is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He also has chaired the Lawyer's Advisory Committee of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and has served as Chairman of the Board of the Rand Corporation's Institute for Civil Justice. Mickey is listed in The Best Lawyers in America in four categories, and Pennsylvania Super Lawyers has listed him as the "Best Lawyer" in "Bet-The-Company" litigation. In 2017, the Legal 500 publication named Mickey to its inaugural "Hall of Fame" for his litigation successes.

Lieutenant General Lori Reynolds USMC (Ret.) (MD)

Lieutenant General Lori Reynolds (retired) graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1986. She was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant in the Marine Corps and assigned as a communications officer. Commands in the operating forces include command as a LtCol of 9th Communication Battalion from 2003-2005 where she deployed the battalion to Fallujah Iraq in support of 1st Marine Expeditionary Force from 2004-2005. 

As a Colonel, she commanded 1st Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group from 2009 – 2011 where she deployed the MHG to Camp Leatherneck Afghanistan. In that capacity, her command built and she commanded Camp Leatherneck, the home of NATO Regional Command Southwest. She also commanded AO Belleau Wood, the area of operations surrounding Camp Leatherneck. 

In the supporting establishment, she commanded Recruiting Station Harrisburg, PA, as a major. As a Brigadier General, from 2011-2014, she commanded Marine Corps Recruit Depot/Eastern Recruiting Region Parris Island SC, where she was responsible for recruiting and training 30,000 new Marines a year. 

Her staff positions include staff and leadership billets at Marine Corps Systems Command, Headquarters Marine Corps C4 and the Joint Staff J6. From 2014-2015, following her time at Parris Island SC, she served as Principal Director, South and Southeast Asia, Office of Secretary Defense for Policy. From 2015 – 2018, she has commanded the Marine Corps component of United States Cyber Command, Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command. Most recently, she served as the Deputy Commandant for Information, US Marine Corps. She retired from active service in July 2021.  

She is a graduate of the Naval War College and the Army War College. 

Her decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, The Legion of Merit, and The Bronze Star Medal.

Harvey Seegers (MD)

Harvey Seegers is the Associate Dean of the Busch School of Business at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.  In addition to his headquarters leadership responsibilities as Associate Dean, Harvey is also a member of the senior faculty.  He is an Associate Professor, teaching Executive Leadership, Operations Management, Quantitative Analysis, and Business Law courses to graduate students in the school’s Master of Science in Business program.

Harvey was an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps for 12 years on active duty and for 12 years as a reservist. His active duty roles included:  Infantry Company Commander in the 4^th Marines; Judge Advocate at Marine Corps Base Quantico; Adjutant of the Marine Barracks in Washington, DC; and Aide-de-Camp to the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General P.X. Kelley. His awards and decorations include two Meritorious Service Medals.

Following his active duty service, Harvey assumed various senior leadership roles in the civilian sector. Highlights include:

• Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of General Electric’s electronic commerce division, a $600 million global enterprise doing business in over 40 countries;
• Founder and President of The Home Depot’s electronic commerce division, homedepot.com; currently a $5 billion business in North America; and
• Chairman of the Board, Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, a PK-12 Catholic Girls’ School in suburban Maryland with over 700 students.

Harvey received a B.A. degree with distinction from The University of Virginia, an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, and a J.D. from Catholic University, where he was an Executive Editor of the Law Review. He is a Member of the Bar of the United States Supreme Court.

Linda Silver (TX)

Linda Silver, Ed.D., joined the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in July 2017 as the Eugene McDermott Chief Executive Officer. Under her leadership, the Perot Museum celebrated its 10th anniversary year and expanded its impact to more than 11 million people since its opening. Remaining singularly focused on the Museum’s mission of inspiring minds through nature and science, Linda has delivered year-on-year surpluses allowing the Museum to make critical investments back into its staff, exhibit floors, and education programs, all the while ensuring financial aid remains available to allow every school in North Texas to benefit from the Perot Museum’s many science education initiatives. In 2020, Linda doubled down on the Museum’s commitment to advancing new knowledge by unveiling a state-of-the-art science and collections facility which houses the Museum’s paleontology team, their laboratories and 150,000 scientific specimens.

Prior to leading the Perot Museum, Linda worked for the government of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates where she served as associate director of the Technology Development Committee. While in this position, she oversaw the creation and growth of informal science education initiatives designed to build a sustainable and diversified knowledge economy aimed at integrating the emirate into the global ecosystem. Prior to this position, she spent eight years as the president and CEO of Great Lakes Science Center – one of the nation’s leading science and technology centers. She led the center in its first-ever strategic planning process and achieved a financial turnaround, taking the institution from operating losses to a balanced budget and creating a 75% earned-revenue business model. Linda began her museum career at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County where she spent 13 years in positions of increasing responsibility which culminated in the role of vice president of Education and Guest Relations for the 5 museums that comprised the NHMLAC family of museums.

She holds degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles – Bachelor of Arts; Pepperdine University – Master of Business Administration; the University of Southern California — Doctorate of Education and Harvard Business School – Executive Education Program. Linda is a passionate and experienced museum leader with an unparalleled track record of delivering exceptional science education, civic and community engagement, and operational excellence.

LtGen Geroge W. Smith Jr. USMC (Ret.) (NC)

A career infantry officer, LtGen Smith’s assignments in the operating forces include Rifle Platoon Commander and 81mm Mortar Platoon Commander in 2d Battalion, 1st Marines; Logistics Officer and Rifle Company Commander in 1st Battalion, 3d Marines; and Commanding Officer, 1st Force Reconnaissance Company, during which he deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. 

 Other assignments include Series and Company Commander, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego and Aide-de-Camp to the Commanding General; Inspector-Instructor, 4th Force Reconnaissance Company; Future Operations Planner, I Marine Expeditionary Force G-3 and G-5; and Deputy Operations Officer, 1st Marine Division. He also served consecutively as Military Assistant to the Assistant Commandant and Military Secretary to the 35th Commandant of the Marine Corps.

From 2007 to 2010, Lieutenant General Smith served as the Commanding Officer, The Basic School in Quantico, Virginia.

As a General Officer, he served as Commanding General, MAGTF Training Command/Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twenty-nine Palms, California; Deputy Commander, Regional Command Southwest in Helmand Province, Afghanistan; Deputy Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Quantico, Virginia; Director, Manpower Plans and Policy Division, Quantico, Virginia, Director, Strategy, Plans and Policy Directorate, U. S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Florida, and recently as the Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense, and most recently as Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies, and Operations Headquarters, Marine Corps.

Lieutenant General Smith graduated with honors from: The Basic School, the U.S. Army Infantry Officers Advanced Course where he was the Distinguished Honor Graduate for Class 2-92; Marine Corps Command and Staff College, the School of Advanced Warfighting where he was the recipient of the General Clifton B. Cates Award, and the Marine Corps War College. He is also a graduate of the Joint Forces Staff College and the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.

He has been privileged to serve in commands that have been awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Navy Unit Commendation, and the Meritorious Unit Commendation.

Henry Stoever (VA)

Henry is a Principal with the Brentwood Advisory Group, a leading team of experienced C-level executives, that provides interim and fractional executive management and consulting services focused on helping clients fill key resource gaps, solve mission-critical issues, and improve operating results. 

Previously, Henry served as the President & CEO of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) where he was responsible for the leadership and operations of the $17 million, 52-person national organization, serving more than 1,300 boards, and representing more than 40,000 individual trustees, across more than 2,000 member institutions, systems, and foundations worldwide. At AGB, he provided a deep understanding of the importance of citizen governance and a wealth of experience in building on the strengths of a member-focused organization.

Prior to AGB, Henry served as the Chief Marketing Officer at the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), where he inspired the marketing, partner relations, and board-development teams, helping to provide insights on critical issues that shape board agendas for the largest association of corporate directors in the United States.

Prior to NACD, Mr. Stoever spent four years at Brazos Higher Education Service Corporation where he developed and launched StudentLoans.com. He has also held several marketing leadership positions for CoStar Group, Inc., Sprint-Nextel Corporation, LexisNexis Group Inc., and Kraft Foods, Inc. Mr. Stoever also served for five years in the United States Marine Corps, resigning at the rank of captain.

In addition to his service as a trustee for the United States Naval Academy Foundation’s Academic and Scholarship Programs board, Henry serves as an advisory council member for the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue. Previously, Henry served as a board member for Cycurion, Inc., a private cybersecurity company, Boulder Crest Retreat for Wounded Warriors, the Chesapeake Bayhawks, and Bethesda Lacrosse. He was also a visiting professor at American University’s Kogod School of Business from 2010 to 2014.

Henry holds a BS in economics from the United States Naval Academy and an MBA in marketing and strategy from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. Mr. Stoever and his wife, Glenn, reside in Alexandria, VA. He is the father of five children.

Catherine Thomas (DC)

Catherine Thomas has spent more than three decades supporting Marines and military families. Over the years she has been dedicated to improving and strengthening the military community through spouse networks and Marine Corps Family Readiness programs. Additionally, she has supported Marine spouses and families through several deployments, including multiple combat deployments. Mrs. Thomas has worked professionally in the field of education and training. She has been both an elementary classroom teacher and instructional assistant. She also worked for Junior Achievement assisting in their financial literacy program for middle-schoolers. A graduate of Texas Tech University, she is married to Gen Gary Thomas, the current Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. They have three adult children, two sons-in-law and five energetic grandchildren.

General William L. “Spider” Nyland USMC (Ret.) (FL)

General William L. "Spider" Nyland served the Marine Corps more than 37 years, retiring in November 2005 as the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. His distinguished career included 122 combat missions with fighter attack squadrons in Vietnam, and subsequent combat sorties in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. He commanded VMFA-232, MATSG Pensacola and 2d Marine Aircraft Wing. He was the first Naval Flight Officer(NFO) ever selected to the general officer ranks. Gen has been a very active supporter of, and faithful attendee at, Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation balls and golf tournaments for many years. He resides with his wife, Brenda, in Pensacola, FL.

Lieutenant General Jeffrey W. Oster USMC (Ret.) (VA)

Lieutenant General Jeffrey Oster served in a civilian capacity in Iraq from February through June 2004 as the Deputy Administrator and Chief Operating Officer of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), one of two principal deputies to Ambassador L. Paul Bremer. He remained in Iraq to assist in the transition of governance from the CPA to Iraqi sovereignty and to support the establishment of the US Embassy.

During the last five of his 35 years on active duty, LtGen Oster served and commanded at every level of the Marine Corps Operating Forces. Additionally, he has focused on Christian ministry, philanthropic and service activities, including serving as the chairman of the Executive Committee of the Military Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ International; as vice chairman of the Board of Governors of the Marine Corps Association; and as vice chairman of the Board of Directors of the Navy Mutual Aid Association.

Margaret B. Davis

As President and CEO of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation from 2009-2017, Margaret Davis led the Foundation through nine year of record-setting mission success. Upon retirement from the Foundation, the Board of Directors named her President Emeritus, only the second in the Foundation's history.

Prior to the Scholarship Foundation, Margaret's experience spanned a 30-year professional career in nonprofit management, communications, and resource development, as well as almost 20 years of volunteer leadership with Marine Corps Family Readiness programs.

Her work at the civic and national levels included being Associate Dean at Washington National Cathedral and of counsel or on staff with National Children’s Museum, the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Ravinia Festival, and Northwestern University.

In addition to her years of volunteer family support work with major Marine commands (including Marine Forces Reserve, Marine Forces Europe, and Marine Corps Mobilization Command), she was awarded the Department of the Navy Superior Public Service Medal in 2008. With a life-long commitment to education and family welfare, Margaret has also served on the boards of Milton Academy, Family Focus, and Chicago Children’s Museum. She is a graduate of Mt. Holyoke College.

Margaret is a granddaughter of a WWI Marine Corporal. She and her husband, retired Marine Major General Andrew “Drew” Davis, live in Annapolis, MD, and have two daughters, Caroline and Captain Katharine Davis USMC.

Dr. James Weinlader

Dr. Weinlader has been actively involved with the Foundation since 1977, serving with the Chicago Marine Scholarship Ball committee for seventeen years, and on the Foundation's Board of Directors beginning in 1983.  Jim's dedication culminated in his election as President of the Foundation in 1994, a position he held until the end of 2004.  A retired Marine Corps Reserve colonel, he spent his working career in education, serving for two decades in college teaching and administration and sixteen years with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.