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The Honor Foundation Announces Jon Skinner as New Chairman of the Board of Directors

Jon Skinner, Chief Executive Officer of PSP Partners, Elected Chairman of the Board of the Foundation Starting in 2023

The Honor Foundation [THF], a unique nonprofit transition institute created for transitioning members of the U.S. Special Operations Forces community has announced that Jon Skinner will assume the role of the Chairman of THF’s Board of Directors, starting in 2023. For the last eight and a half years, THF has successfully developed and implemented a nationally recognized transition program for elite members of the Special Operations Forces [SOF] Enterprise, helping them to navigate the complex career transformation from military to civilian life. It accomplishes this by way of an executive education-style curriculum that combines world class one-on-one executive coaching and industry mentoring, three months of intensive classroom instruction, and access to an elite nationwide professional network. Skinner, who has served as a member of THF’s board for the last four years, has been a long-time supporter of The Honor Foundation and various causes.

Skinner brings an extensive finance and executive management background and a history of philanthropic contributions to his new role. He currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of PSP Partners and its affiliates, PSP Capital, PSP Growth and Pritzker Realty Group based in Chicago, Illinois, and is responsible for implementing and overseeing the company’s strategic direction and is a member of the investment committee. Previously, Skinner was a Partner at William Blair & Company from 2008 to 2021, having been named a Vice Chair of Investment Banking at William Blair in 2021 after serving as the Head of Technology Investment Banking from 2015 to 2020. Prior to joining William Blair in 2006, he worked as both an investment banker and an attorney.

In addition to serving as chairman of the Board of Directors of The Honor Foundation, Skinner is also a member of Bottom Line Chicago’s regional Board, a member of the Chicago History Museum’s Board of Trustees, and is a member of the Springboard Foundation. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University and his Juris Doctorate, magna cum laude, from Boston College Law School.

Skinner is also a frequent guest lecturer at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management (in addition to others) on the topic of values-based leadership.

“As incoming chairman, I am fortunate in this new role to continue working alongside fellow board members, advisors and the dedicated THF Staff in growth and expansion of the organization and in the success of its program. Thank you to Harry Leonhardt, former chairman, for his exceptional leadership and contributions over the past two years. His commitment to The Honor Foundation is unmatched.

The Honor Foundation and I are grateful for the opportunity to support the men and women of the Special Operations Forces community who have dedicated their lives to serving our country. These American heroes and their families deserve a seamless career transition after their years of sacrifice, and I believe that this organization will provide the experience they deserve — and will continue to provide — long after they remove their uniform.

When I was first introduced to The Honor Foundation, the organization had one campus in San Diego and had its eyes set on opening a Virginia Beach location to have a greater reach in the Special Operations community. Today, our transformational transition program has benefited over 1,800 Alumni with eight campuses, serving personnel from each of the Special Operations components. Each participant is given a comprehensive set of tools and access to world class coaching and networking, to help translate their skills, talents and expertise into fulfilling and impactful leadership positions in the civilian workforce.

As elite members of the Special Operations Forces, their elevated levels of professionalism, maturity and diverse experiences will serve to benefit our nation’s workforce tremendously.”

Skinner is assuming the role of Chairman of the Board at an exciting time for THF as the organization continues to steadily expand its scale and impact while maintaining a high-touch, high-value experience and curriculum. To date, about 2,800 individuals and families have utilized THF, either through the full transition program or through specially tailored workshops, to assist those in the SOF community who are looking to jumpstart their own transition journey.

Matt Stevens, CEO of The Honor Foundation, who also serves on the THF Board of Directors, is excited to welcome Skinner as Chairman.

“I have had the pleasure of working with Jon over the past several years on the THF Board and I can think of no one better to lead this organization into its next phase! Over the years, his generous support and expertise have enabled THF to thrive and achieve our vision of impacting more men and women in the SOF community. I am looking forward to working closely with Jon to positively impact the lives of every member of the Special Operations community throughout their transition.”

About The Honor Foundation
The Honor Foundation (THF) is a career transition program for U.S. Special Operations Forces that effectively translates their elite military service to the private sector and helps create the next generation of corporate and community leaders. It achieves this through a three-month program which provides tailored executive education, one-on-one coaching, and access to a nationwide professional network. This program was built by the desire to serve others with honor for life, so that their next mission is always clear and continues to impact the world. Every step is dedicated to preparing these outstanding men and women to continue to realize their maximum potential during and after their service career. The Honor Foundation has 1,800+ graduates to date and has campuses in San Diego, CA; Virginia Beach, VA; Camp Lejeune, NC; Fort Bragg, NC; Eglin, FL; Tampa, FL; and two virtual campuses (THFv). The Navy SEAL Foundation is a Founding Partner of The Honor Foundation.
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Harry J. Leonhardt, Esq. Elected Chairman of the Board of THF in 2021

For Immediate Release

Media Contact: Kathy Leming
kathy@honor.org
661.755.6984

THE HONOR FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Harry J. Leonhardt, Esq. Elected Chairman of the Board of the Foundation Starting in 2021

January 21, 2021 – (San Diego, CA) The Honor Foundation [THF], a unique nonprofit transition institute created for transitioning members of the U.S. Special Operations Forces community has just announced that Harry Leonhardt will assume the role of the Chairman of THF’s Board of Directors, effective immediately. For the last six and a half years, THF has successfully developed and implemented a nationally recognized transition program for elite members of the Special Operations Forces [SOF] Enterprise, helping them to navigate the complicated career transformation from military to civilian life. It accomplishes this via an executive education-style curriculum that combines world class one-on-one executive coaching and industry mentoring, three months of intensive class instruction, and access to an elite nationwide professional network. Leonhardt, who has served as Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee of THF’s Board for the last two years, has been a long-time supporter of The Honor Foundation and other military causes.

Leonhardt brings an extensive legal and executive management background as well as a history of philanthropic contributions to his new role. He currently serves as Chief Legal Officer, Chief Compliance Officer & Corporate Secretary at Poseida Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company specializing in the next wave of cellular and gene therapies, including CAR-T. He received his B. Sc. degree from The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and his Juris Doctorate from the USC School of Law.

Leonhardt is also a Patron and Sustaining Member of the Pacific Council on International Policy and is a member of the National Security Committee of that organization. He also serves as a member of the GTMO Task Force, whose mission is to monitor the GTMO proceedings to ensure compliance with the Military Commissions Act and to impact policy to assist in expediting and bringing greater visibility to the GTMO proceedings. He has served as a legal observer at Camp Justice in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba at the ongoing 9/11 terrorist trial of Khalid Shaikh Mohammad and five other high-value 9/11 detainees.

Mr. Leonhardt has been an avid supporter of The Honor Foundation for several years serving as a THF Ambassador, in fundraising activities and as an industry mentor to numerous THF Fellows.

“As incoming Chairman, I’m privileged to work with my fellow board members, advisors and the dedicated THF Staff to build on the tangible success, and expand the reach, of this compelling organization. I would like to thank J. Scott Adams, our outgoing Chairman, for his outstanding contributions and commitment over the past two years. I will continue to rely on Scott as he will remain an active member on the THF Board moving forward.

The transformational THF transition program, which has already benefited 900+ Alumni, provides Special Operations personnel from four branches of the armed services (Navy SEALs, Army Rangers/Green Berets, Marine Raiders/MARSOC and Air Force SOF) with a comprehensive set of tools, backed by world class coaching and networking, to translate their considerable skills, talents and expertise into fulfilling and impactful leadership positions in the civilian workforce. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve and support these American heroes who, along with their families, have sacrificed so much for our security and welfare. This is especially so during these unusually challenging times. We firmly believe that the very characteristics that distinguish them as elite members of the Special Operations Forces will serve to benefit our nation’s workforce immeasurably — from entry level to the board room — for generations to come.”

Leonhardt is assuming the role of Chairman of the Board at an exciting time for THF as the organization continues to steadily expand its scale and impact while maintaining a high-touch, high-value experience and curriculum. To date, over 1200 individuals and families have benefitted from THF, either through the full transition program or through specially tailored workshops, to assist those in the SOF community who are looking to jumpstart their own transition journey. 

Matt Stevens, CEO of The Honor Foundation, who also serves on the THF Board of Directors prior to his current position, is excited to welcome Leonhardt as Chairman.

“Having worked with Harry over the past several years on the THF Board, I can think of no one better to lead the organization into the next phase of growth.  He has a demonstrated history of passionate support for military and veterans causes and specifically for the Special Operations Community. He has been a complete professional in every regard, and persistent beyond measure to improve our position every single day.  I am looking forward to working closely with him to positively impact the lives of even more service members throughout their transition.”

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About The Honor Foundation

The Honor Foundation (THF) is a career transition program for the U.S. Special Operations Forces community that effectively translates their elite military service to the private sector and helps create the next generation of corporate and community leaders. It provides a clear process for professional development and a diverse ecosystem of world class support and technology, and a program built by the desire to serve others with honor for life so that their next mission is always clear and continues to impact the world. Every step is dedicated to preparing these outstanding men and women to continue to realize their maximum potential during and after their service career. The Honor Foundation has over 900 graduates to date and has three physical campuses in San Diego, CA, Virginia Beach, VA, Camp Lejeune, NC, and a virtual campus (THFv). The Navy SEAL Foundation is the Founding Partner of The Honor Foundation.

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Marc Brown Joins THF Board of Directors

We’re elated to welcome Marc Brown to our Board of Directors — a true champion of our Mission who has donated his time, talent and treasure to The Honor Foundation for the past four years and has been significant in helping our organization grow. Please read below for the full press release.

The THF Board is made up of an amazing group of Executives who truly understand our Mission and the nuances of the community we serve. We are so honored to have their support and guidance as we head into our next chapter.

The Honor Foundation Announces Scott Adams As Board Chairman

Board Member J. Scott Adams, President of Colliers | Virginia, Named Chairman of the Nonprofit

The Honor Foundation is pleased to announce that board member J. Scott Adams has assumed the role of the chairman of the board of directors. Adams, who has served on THF’s board for the last three years and has been a longtime supporter of military veteran causes, will help guide the nonprofit organization into its next five years of impact.

Adams brings an extensive business background and a history of philanthropical service in the veteran sector to his new role. He is currently President of Colliers | Virginia and has over 27 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry as a corporate executive and client advisor.  His firm, Colliers International Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CIGI), is a top tier global real estate services and investment management company operating in 68 countries with a workforce of more than 14,000 professionals.  He received both undergraduate and graduate business degrees from the University of Virginia at the McIntire School of Commerce and Darden School of Business, respectively.

Adams has a long association with the Navy SEAL Foundation, a founding partner of THF, beginning as a scholarship judge. His passion for serving the military community also includes board roles for other veteran causes in the social services and college academic areas. He has helped SEAL veterans across a number of other personal endeavors and community needs with caring attention. Adams also helped THF in its expansion to both Virginia and North Carolina and was involved in THF’s negotiations for its new headquarters in San Diego. He assisted in building the THF corporate partner network, hosted treks, served as an industry mentor, and participated in multiple classroom activities including networking, interviewing, and entrepreneurship nights.

“Serving as board chairman of The Honor Foundation is really a dream come true for me as well as a call to even greater action to help serve the most elite men and women of our U.S. military,” Adams stated.  “We have an incredible board of directors as well as a new CEO, so our future has never been brighter to work with our fellows, partners, and alumni to keep raising the bar.”

Adams is assuming the role of chairman of the board at an exciting and poignant time for THF. THF has just transitioned executive leadership, welcoming former SEAL Matt Stevens as its CEO. Stevens is positioning the non-profit organization to significantly increase its impact to reach all of the Special Operations Forces that have not yet been touched by THF’s mission.

“I’ve known Scott Adams for several years and witnessed firsthand his tireless dedication and unwavering support to The Honor Foundation,” said Stevens. “We are so grateful to have him as the chairman of our board. His experience has been invaluable to THF, and I know that his mentorship, insights, and leadership in serving transitioning veterans will help guide THF to a more impactful future.”

Adams will work closely with Stevens to optimize the experience and impact of his fellow board members for all of the current and future fellows that THF serves, so that their next mission is clear and continues to impact the world.