Profile Candidacy Worksheet

A Composition Of Thoughts, Beliefs, And Achievements For Meeting The Desired Competencies

Selling the Vision – Compelling Communications

Marketing / PR / Communications: *Confident Experience

Beginning at ground zero in the current council, I elevated Council Communications to the Vice President level on the Executive Board and was supported by a transformative volunteer communications committee. Together, we have built a strategy, designed accountable goals, and implemented transformative initiatives to improve council communications internally (charter partners, units, local council) and externally (business, education, and chamber).

I invested significant time and financial resources to enhance technology infrastructure by recruiting and hiring an outside marketing consultant to elevate our brand. Key improvements include:
- Engaging a managed service provider to update and improve the council's phone, internet, and technology capacities.
- Designing a new Council website capable of selling the adventure Scouting offers. Creating a dedicated membership recruitment page.
- Designing “landing pages” that complement traditional publications for council special events that are user-friendly on all technology platforms. The objective of these electronic stakeholder communications is simple: easy messaging that is quick to understand and find.
- Installing a campus-wide wireless internet at the main camp facility to support camper security, volunteer convenience, and council operations. The system allows for a complete camera security system, Media Alert, Camp Doc, and other youth protection.

Non-cost-related marketing requires creativity. I enjoy and attempt to dedicate one day each month to making civic club presentations and seek to have opportunities to participate in local television and radio community programming to share the message of Scouting. I require local district executives to write performance goals that include public speaking and chamber event participation.

I have created a council plan to recruit, train, and launch “District Influencers” to expand the positive message of Scouting and Council services throughout the unit-level social media. The model for this is similar to private school communication tools.

Connecting Scouting to a rapidly changing society requires adaptive strategies while protecting the integrity of our organizational values. Scouting is in a unique position to regain its place as the community’s foremost leader of youth development. Subtle but intentional changes to our terms, such as referencing Exploring as our workforce development program, are paramount to delivering a clear and understandable message to education, chamber, and business partners, especially when organizing new units.

Membership *Highly Proven Record:

I have consistently met membership goals throughout my career. Old North State Council presented a new challenge and opportunity as School Access completely ended just before my arrival as Scout Executive. Overcoming this challenge required time and relationship building. However, the council ended 2024 with a 28% increase in Cub Scouts that fueled an overall growth of 9% for a total of 3,388 registered youth members in the Triad. Old North State Council saw a 40% increase in girl participation and a 35% increase in diverse market populations. Flipping a school district's no access policy, new units, unit engagement, and leadership from a resolute council membership committee generated excitement for this growth.

I believe in month-to-month membership growth and was enjoying 19 consecutive months in Coastal Georgia until Covid-19 impacted our work. Old North State is now in its 10th month of consecutive growth.

Overcoming membership challenges is now common. However, my resolve to grow amongst challenges was founded in the West Tennessee Area Council. Following the change in membership standards and member fallout in 2013, WTAC was only one of five councils in the region with three years of consecutive membership growth.

During my 23 years of service to Piedmont Council, I was a part of a team that moved membership from 10,000 in the early 90s to 18,000 by 2011. Units of Excellence, Retention, Fall Recruiting, School Access, and Commissioner service to ensure units remain excellent and healthy for youth to experience scouting are my driving factors for membership growth. After those basics are met, the creative methods to seek new members can be properly deployed.

Building Organizational Talent

Staff Development: *Highly Proven Record:

I am a “teacher” and take great pride in sharing my wisdom and experiences when developing staff and relationships. I have a very high retention record of executives and office team members. Building a family and team atmosphere is critical to my engagement and the satisfaction of other employees.

I am also a “student” and take equal delight in listening to younger staff members, understanding their very different life challenges, both personal and professional, and remaining youthful in their environments. This open-minded approach affords me a better perspective of our current Cub Scout-aged families, helps me make relevant decisions, and candidly energizes my daily activities.

My strategies start before a candidate is selected and include employing a careful pre-screening process, an honest and direct explanation of the job demands, and an intentional effort to match the personality of the candidate with the district or volunteers to be served.

I see an “Eagle Scout” in every new Cub Scout recruit. This is also true about District Executives becoming Scout Executives. Middle Tennessee has a long tradition of national leadership for Scouting, as signified by the office wall plaque. My tenured leadership style is proven based on the number of professionals who have advanced into council management positions across the country.

After employment, I implement situational leadership tactics, adherence to goal setting, backdating tasks, appropriate recognition, and ensure the executive is introduced to volunteers who will embrace and partner with our management team for their success.

Scouting is Fun! Fun begins at the top with the executive leadership and becomes contagious amongst the team. This in no way impedes the serious work that must be done, but rather fosters a family environment that tempers the daily tasks, conflict resolution, and even compliance that our organization now faces in new ways.

Middle Tennessee Council employs a large team of professionals. I will organize or foster an employee-based “relations” team to address the needs of all members and counsel me on creative ideas and level the interaction between management, field, clerical, and support staff.

Lastly, I work to maintain a council culture that adheres to all BSA “Business Practices”, human resource trainings, safety, stewardship, with the oversight of the Scout Oath and Law in daily operations. Respect, recognition, empathy for life circumstances, and an understanding of diverse ideas and cultures are premium. I apply a careful balance of my religious beliefs, the influence of Scouting in my own life, and a strong record of time-tested leadership to the workplace.

Board – District – Unit Development *Highly Proven Record:

I am an Eagle Scout, have a family history of scouting experience, and a tenured and proven career of providing leadership to both professional and volunteer members of the BSA. I work at the pleasure of the Executive Board but have become highly respected for my business acumen, innovation, and relentless positive attitude to further Scouting.

I often start with “why” in my leadership and management style and utilize experiences and stories to help individuals understand the mission of the BSA, underscored by a reminder of the privilege we are given to serve, lead and guide children and fueled by the critical work we must do to deliver the promise of scouting at a high level.

I am an innovative thinker who seeks volunteers to meet lofty objectives. My vision and strategies often push my professional team, but subsequently bring out their best performance and inner character.

I believe in recruiting the best top-level leadership available to complete the tasks of the council, and I pride myself in engaging local and even national corporate leaders. I excel when allowed to meet and ask top community leaders to help the local council satisfy inhibiting needs, or even better, enrich the experience of our scouts and their future lives.

I am highly confident and capable of engaging community CEO’s yet on a turn of the dime, having meaningful conversations with their employees who are often our unit-level leaders. Scouting itself has taught me this valuable tool that uniforms and binds people of all levels of society to the Scout Oath, Law, and Mission.

Proven leader of large geographic councils: West Tennessee 23 counties, Coastal Georgia 22 counties, with the capacity to make the most distant county feel like they are next-door neighbors to the Council Service Center.

Customer Focus

Board – District – Unit Development *Highly Proven Record:

Customer focus parallels and complements Communication and Marketing. Again, strategy, accountability, and an understanding of internal (charter partners, units, local council) and external (business, education, and chamber) must be considered.

Customer Focus is one of my primary Strategic Obligations to a local council. These obligations have been adopted in my previous councils as driving concepts to build communication messages, strategic plans, and accountability. (Available on my Web Site under Operational Experience Tab)

I use an “APPLE TREE” approach to center the aforementioned strategies on the local council’s primary customer - the Chartered Partner. (Available on my website under Operational Experience Tab and then Membership Growth and Marketing sub-tab) to then build organizational strategies.

I have a proven record of unifying the local council and focusing its operations on meeting the needs of charter partners and being a servant leader to the adult volunteers that ultimately serve our young scouts. If Scouting and the local council are going to start new or retain existing units that ultimately impacts our member retention, it all starts with building Units of Excellence.

I have managed Council-owned Scout Shops as a Director of Field Service and as Scout Executive in West Tennessee and Coastal Georgia, as revenue sources for the local council.

Driving Execution - Operational Decision Making

Strategic Planning – Decision Maker – Execution - Accountability *Highly Proven Record

Strategic Planning: I led the design and implementation of three strategic plans for local councils. In Coastal Georgia, I learned how to integrate – permeate that plan into the culture of all council operations. The Strategic plan became the incubator for all working initiatives, goals, and even meeting agendas for staff, committee, and board meetings. Still today, it drives the financial decision-making of the council. The same was implemented in the Old North State Council in my second year of service.

Corporate Governance: I have consistently been rated high during performance reviews for my BSA business acumen and ability to operate my council properly. Specific to accounting, I am proficient in Peoplesoft and have three council experiences in the West Tennessee Area Council, Coastal Georgia Council, and Old North State Council, with no significant auditor adjustments or findings.

I have great familiarity and respect for council bylaws in the development of the nominating process, resolutions, and council leadership etc., including notifications, quorums, and charter agreements. Additionally, I have developed Request for Proposals (RFP’s) for insurance, banking, and other vendor purposes to provide the best business partners for the Council.

Multiple Camps / Properties–Bankruptcy–Capital Development *Highly Proven Experience:

I initially managed four camp facilities in the Old North State Council and led the council through the sale of one property to satisfy the stipulations surrounding the National bankruptcy. ONSC’s requirement was one of the nation’s highest payments at nearly $4.8 million. Navigating this sale, payment along with the related volunteer emotions, required significant managerial courage, leadership, communication, and business acumen. ONSC currently operates the Cherokee Scout Reservation (main camp), the Hagen Sea Base, and Hemric Scout Reservation.

Three years later, our operational revenue is above pre-COVID-19 and Bankruptcy values. We made over $1 million in improvements to our main camp facilities, including many needed deferred projects like roofs, water and electricity infrastructure, refurbishment of campsite Adirondacks, and the dining hall renovations. In addition, ONSC re-established its deferred maintenance fund and spending policy and dutifully added $250,000 to our Trust Fund. I am currently overseeing a $250,000 improvement project to our 20-year-old scout service center that will include roof, landscaping, updating, and the Scouting America Brand Change.

In Coastal Georgia, I managed two camp facilities: Black Creek Scout Reservation is the Council’s traditional camp, only 10 years old, and Tolochee, located on Blythe Island, provides a primitive environment with open access to deep water for sea kayaking, fishing, and boating. While in the Coastal Georgia Council, I secured a $2.5 million gift and constructed a new 7,500 sq. foot Dining Hall at Black Creek Scout Reservation in 2019. During my time in the Piedmont Council, I was engaged in the final projects to build out Camp Bud Schiele as well as the fundraising, program development, and staff management of their new Cub Scout Camp. My property management in Tennessee was limited to deferred maintenance due to the severe financial constraints.

I have very strong relationships with my Director of Support Service, Camp Director – Staff, and Rangers, and give supervisory leadership to the Camping, Program, and Property committees that in total include over 150 volunteers. I am networked (both professionally and volunteer) with other premier BSA camps that I confer with for program, facility, NCAP, and safety considerations.

Summer Camp at Cherokee will experience a 25% increase in camper attendance in 2025, and all camp-related programs/activities generate positive financial outcomes that fund the annual operations of the council.

Fundraising – Friends of Scouting – Special Events: *Proven record of growth.

Given my tenure with the Boy Scouts, beginning with Sustaining Membership Enrollment to today’s challenging environment of expanded community fundraising needs, I have maintained great success by utilizing the basic BSA fundraising principles mixed with creative methods.

My strategies include strong volunteer engagement, education, and representation from peers in various giving levels that can leverage the most for the Scouting program.

I utilize traditional tier (I-C-5) campaigns, large and small dinners, home/fireside chats, online/social media methods, “farm/shop” events, and family FOS. Paramount to giving is the use of divisional giving circles, appropriate recognition, and an abundance of staff training.

I have great experience in organizing and running successful golf tournaments, sporting clays, holiday auctions, and other special events throughout the year. (Examples may be found under the Operational Experience, then Fundraising and Fiscal Management sub-tab on my website) and at www.onsc.org

Fundraising – Endowment: *High degree of background and experience:

In my current past roles as Scout Executive, I candidly have been restricted in the ability to launch full-scale endowment promotions. Both the West Tennessee and Coastal Georgia Councils had severe financial concerns, especially in the areas of accounting, governance, and daily bookkeeping. COVID and Bankruptcy have hindered efforts in Old North State.

However, during my tenure in the Piedmont Council, I was a Finance Director with an emphasis on Endowment and Major Gifts. During my tenure, I conducted professional seminars with attorneys, insurance professionals, and planned giving professionals in the community. I was a member of the regional association of estate planning professionals, and Piedmont added nearly $10M in bequest, James West, and other deferred gifts. I have attended multiple BSA trainings for Endowment and Major Gifts and am most familiar with planned giving methodology and the relationship building that is required to accomplish this important council function. To address the restrictions aforementioned, I have volunteer chairpersons (and committees) to address the three functional elements of Endowment Trust Management, Technical, and Marketing. Lastly, with regards to Endowment, I have great experience and working knowledge of who should be on an Endowment / Trust Committee, how meetings, proceedings, and initiatives should be implemented, and the critical relationship/communication that is needed between the trust advisor, trust officer, volunteers, and the Scout Executive.

Tenured Scout Executive Challenges That Drive Operational Decisions * Highly Proven Record

At-Risk Charter: Moved the West Tennessee Council from an At-Risk Charter to Operational, which led the regional territory at that time in many JTE performance standards.

Service Area Underserved: Moved Coastal Georgia Council from underperforming membership (five of 23 counties had zero scouting units) to a council that is now consistently a top 10 national growth leader. Hiring proper Unit Service Executives and restructuring staff was paramount to this turnaround.

Malfeasance and theft by the bookkeeper. I identified this activity in Coastal Georgia six months into the job, employing basic accounting principles and practices. Theft was occurring over a multi-year period before my arrival, totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. She was dismissed, charged, and sentenced to federal prison because the acts involved ACH “wire” transactions. Leadership to the board, community, and council was premium during this unfortunate time.

Natural Disaster: While in Coastal Georgia, I dealt with Hurricanes that required management of insurance and FEMA claims to rebuild council properties. In Old North State, I was responsible for rebuilding our main camp dam after storm damage blew out the riser and emergency spillway, resulting in a 35% loss of lake water. Both situations required quick and decisive decision-making, long-term strategies, and immediate fundraising.

No School Access. I helped draft legislation and, by working with local lawmakers, have introduced HB 496 to the NC General Assembly. Specifically, I have been to the State Capitol and walked the halls, worked the phone, met legislative leaders, and lobbied before committees to help this bill move forward.

Daily Membership Infractions, Criminal Background Checks, Youth Protection, Life Loss, and Compliance situations are sadly familiar to my daily operations and managed with thoughtfulness, experiential wisdom, and most importantly, my quick resolve.