| BOARD OF DIRECTORS |
 CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
General Walter E. Boomer, USMC (Ret)
General Boomer joined the Marine Corps in 1960 after graduating from Duke University. His service included two tours in Vietnam, where he served as a combat commander in 1966 and 1967 and an advisor to a South Vietnamese Marine infantry battalion in 1971 and 1972. General Boomer was awarded the Silver Star Medal twice for his action in combat. In 1986, he was promoted to Brigadier General and named Director of Public Affairs at Marine headquarters in Washington, D.C. In 1988, he was given command of the 4th Marine Division (Rein.), FMF in New Orleans. During this assignment, he was promoted to Major General in 1988 and to Lieutenant General in 1990. Shortly after his promotion to Lieutenant General, General Boomer was deployed to Saudi Arabia where as the Commanding General, U.S. Marines Central Command and First Marine Expeditionary Force, he led all Marines during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In 1991, at the completion of his service in the Middle East, General Boomer became the Commanding General, First Marine Expeditionary Force/Commanding General, Marine Corps Base at Camp Pendleton, California; later that year, he was named Commanding General, Marine Combat Development Command at Quantico, Virginia. He was promoted to General and named Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps in 1992, holding that position until his retirement from the Corps in 1994.
Following his retirement from the Marine Corps, General Boomer became Executive Vice President of McDermott International and President of Babcock and Wilcox Power Generation Group. In 1997 he joined Rogers Corporation as President and CEO. General Boomer was appointed Chairman of the Board in 2002 and retired from the company in 2004, remaining a Director of the corporation. General Boomer is also the Lead Director of Baxter International and a Director of Taylor Energy Company. He currently resides in Sheldon, South Carolina with his family.
A native of Rich Square, North Carolina, General Boomer holds a B.A. from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and a M.S. in Technology of Management from American University in Washington, D.C. He graduated with distinction from the Naval War College.
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| PRESIDENT & CEO: Lieutenant General Robert R. Blackman Jr., USMC (Ret) |
President and CEO, Marine Corps Heritage Foundation
Lieutenant General Blackman was commissioned into the Marine Corps from Cornell University in 1970. Key assignments over 37 years of active service include command of 3d Battalion, 8th Marines; G-3 Operations Officer for MARCENT (Forward) during Desert Shield and Desert Storm; Executive Officer to the Commander, U.S. Central Command; Commander, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit; Military Assistant to the Secretary of the Navy; President of the Marine Corps University; Commanding General, 2d Marine Division; Director, Resources and Assessment, U.S. Central Command; Chief of Staff of the Coalition Forces Land Component Command during Operation Iraqi Freedom; Commanding General, III Marine Expeditionary Force: and Commander, Marine Corps Forces Command. LtGen Blackman and his wife, Judy, have three children.
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| PAST PRESIDENT & CEO: Lieutenant General G.R. (Ron) Christmas, USMC (Ret) |
Past President and CEO, Marine Corps Heritage Foundation
LtGen Christmas is the Past President and CEO of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. He was commissioned into the Marine Corps through the NROTC program at the University of Pennsylvania in 1962. He served in various infantry command and staff assignments as a company grade officer including command of Company H, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines in Vietnam. He was seriously wounded during the battle for Hue City during Tet ’68 and for his actions there was awarded the Navy Cross. Some of his key assignments include CO, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, MCRD Parris Island; CO, 3rd Marines; CG, 9th MEB; CG, 3rd FSSG; CG, I MEF; Director, J-3, USCINCPAC. He retired from the Corps in 1996 after 34 years active duty. His final assignment was Deputy Chief of Staff, Manpower and Reserve Affairs.
From September 1996 until December 2006, as well as being President of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, he served as a Senior Mentor, MAGTF Staff Training Program; and the Joint Forces Command. Other projects during that period included Adjunct Staff, RAND Corporation; Consultant, Harris Corporation; Member, Board of Advisors, Recruit Military, LLC; Ex-Officio Trustee, Marine Corps University Foundation; and Ex-Officio Governor, Marine Corps Association. With the growth of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation’s mission and enterprises, Gen Christmas devoted himself full time to these efforts until Fall of 2011.
LtGen Christmas is married to the former Sherry Lownds. They have 4 children and 12 grandchildren.
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