In 2015 President Obama presented the Medal of Honor to an American Soldier —Captain Florent Groberg which marked only the tenth time a living service member has received our Nation’s highest valor award for actions in Afghanistan or Iraq. Seven more were posthumously awarded the medal. During the ceremony, President Obama addressed the specifics of […]

The McDonald Conference for Leaders of Character (MCLC) is endowed by Diane and Bob McDonald and hosted with the Behavioral Science and Leadership Department at West Point.   It brings together a diverse group of the top undergraduate student leaders from across the globe with world class senior leaders who act as mentors in a team-based, […]

Recently, I had the opportunity to travel to The Holy Land with friends and family to enjoy a once in a lifetime experience. Our trip began with a flight to Atlanta during which I watched a show called The Fog of War, an interview with Robert McNamara.  McNamara listed his beliefs and then used historical […]

Diane and I recently hosted a mini-reunion of 21 of my West Point classmates (Class of 1975) and company mates (Company G-2) and their spouses in Orlando.  We arranged for lodging at the Rosen Centre (you may recall, Harris Rosen is a Veteran and friend), golf at Isleworth, and a dinner at Isleworth.  Other events […]

Oftentimes Charles Darwin is quoted as saying “survival of the fittest.”  I think a better description of his scientific work is “survival of the most adaptable.”  Adaptability is becoming even a more valuable skill in this world we describe as VUCA:  volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous.  This phrase was first used by the Army War […]

The case for improving access to care at Veterans Affairs (VA) was recently reviewed by students at Harvard Business School (HBS).  The second section of the case review may have been the best discussion of the case ever in the class because of the thought provoking topics.  Students in both sections were inspired by presentations […]

Cadets, staff and faculty gathered at Washington Hall to attend the annual Sylvanus Thayer Award Banquet to honor philanthropist Kenneth Fisher as this year’s awardee for his dedicated service to military service members and veterans on Oct. 6 at the U.S. Military Academy. Through his steadfast leadership of the Fisher House Foundation, Fisher provided, at […]

We had the honor of recently attending the Elizabeth Dole Foundation Heroes & History Makers Celebration, the ten-year anniversary of the foundation.  Diane and I sat at the head table with Senator Dole, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, USAA CEO Wayne and Ginney Peacock, Hilton EVP Danny and Sharon Hughes, […]

Cadets and graduates will always share an unwavering commitment to service—a desire to contribute to something larger than themselves. West Point Ready is an opportunity to do just that and to honor West Point’s legacy of service. Before us is one, bold vision for the Academy and the Corps of Cadets. The campaign’s first significant […]

Bob McDonald, Former Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Chairman of The Procter & Gamble Company,  has been nominated to the Break the Ceiling Touch the Sky 2022 List of Make Champions for Gender Equality by House of Rose Professional. In its selection process, House of Rose Professional evaluated over 6500 male executives from over 800 […]