37th Commandant of Marine Corps Elected Chairman of Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation

General Robert B. Neller brings 45 years of military and leadership experience to the role

ALEXANDRIA, VA, (April 6, 2020) — The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation announced today the appointment of General Robert B. Neller USMC (Ret.) as its new Chairman of the Board. General Neller served as the 37th Commandant of the Marine Corps before retiring in July 2019. General Neller succeeds Lieutenant General George Trautman III, USMC (Ret.), who served as Chairman of the Board since 2016. During his tenure, LtGen Trautman oversaw a dramatic increase in scholarship dollars awarded and successfully implemented a strategic plan that will guide the Foundation’s efforts for the next 10 years.

“It was a great honor to serve as Chairman of the Board for the last four years,” LtGen Trautman said. “It is my pleasure to announce General Neller’s appointment. I am confident that General Neller’s many decades of leadership experience and deep understanding of the challenges Marine families face will further strengthen the Scholarship Foundation’s mission to Honor Marines by Educating Their Children.”

Founded in 1962, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation is the Nation’s oldest and largest provider of need-based scholarships to military children, awarding more than 40,000 scholarships valued at over $135 million. In the 2019-20 academic year alone, the Scholarship Foundation awarded $8.2 million to the children of Marines, Navy Corpsman and Religious Program Specialists attending post-high school, undergraduate and career technical education programs in all 50 states.

“General Neller’s commitment to Marines, their families and the education of their children is well-known and demonstrated through his decorated career,” said Lieutenant General Robert R. Ruark USMC (Ret.), President and CEO of the Scholarship Foundation. “General Neller’s appointment as our new Chairman holds great promise for the future of this organization and the families we serve.”

“To me, there is no greater purpose than serving Marines and their families,” General Neller said. “For nearly six decades, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation has done that with life-changing results for thousands of Marine families. To lead this organization in this critical mission is a calling I eagerly embrace.”

For more information on the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, please visit www.mcsf.org