Meet Devang Desai, Scouting America’s newest national commissioner

For 115 years, Scouting America has helped shape this country’s youth to be leaders in their communities, nation and world while learning valuable skills and exploring the outdoors.

Incoming national commissioner, Devang Desai, envisions opportunities to retell the organization’s incredible century-long history as well as showcase the many ways today’s youth can grow and have fun in Scouting.

“I hope they have an experience that provides them with endless opportunities to find better versions of themselves,” he says. “It should be an experience rooted in our Scout Oath and Scout Law. We are a character-based organization that can help develop young people into better people. How do we do that? It’s through the learning that takes place, whether that’s on your phone, in person or in the outdoors.”

Desai is the organization’s 13^th national commissioner and the second under the name Scouting America. It’s a position first held by Daniel Carter Beard, one of the founders of Scouting in the U.S.

Desai becomes one of three members of Scouting America’s National Key 3, along with National Chair Brad Tilden and President and CEO Roger Krone.

For the past year, Desai has served as commissioner-elect, working with outgoing commissioner, W. Scott Sorrels, who has served in that role since 2019.

“(Desai) is a high-energy leader with a gift for connecting with others, and we could not be better positioned as we get off the blocks and move forward with our plan to help more young people and grow our influence,” Tilden says.

An accomplished résumé

Desai enters the commissioner’s role with a wealth of knowledge, both professionally and within Scouting.

As a partner in the Miami office of Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP, Desai has two decades of experience as a civil trial attorney in defending both individuals and corporations in areas of commercial disputes, product liability and catastrophic claims. He’s also named as a Super Lawyer in Florida and has served as the president of the Florida Defense Lawyers Association. He is rated AV Preeminent by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, a facilitator of a peer review rating process for legal ability and general ethical standards.

Using his expertise, Desai helped Scouting America’s national executive board navigate Chapter 11 reorganization a few years ago.

His contributions to Scouting don’t end there. He has served in numerous roles on the South Florida Council executive board, the National Alumni Relations Committee and the Southern Region board. Elected to the National Executive Board in 2018, Desai has provided his leadership and expertise on multiple committees, including the People and Culture Committee, the Enterprise Risk Management and Audit Committee, the National Executive Committee and the Bankruptcy Task Force.

Within the Order of the Arrow, he has led as an advisor on the local level and the national level at events like the National Order of the Arrow Conference. In 2016, he was appointed to the National Order of the Arrow Committee and is currently a member of the OA’s Steering Committee.

Desai is a Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope and Silver Buffalo awards recipient as well as a National Eagle Scout Association Outstanding Eagle Scout Award honoree.

“It’s a great network,” he says. “I’m very blessed to be at this point in life where if I was to travel anywhere in this country, I am going to know people and have somebody to call if I need something.”

Outside of Scouting and work, he’s also been involved with the University of Miami’s board of trustees and alumni association. And he’s a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Foundation board of trustees.

His “extended family”

Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Desai experienced a culture shock when his family moved to the U.S. To help adjust to life in the states, he joined Cub Scouts with Pack 610 in Miami.

“Scouting provided a great playground, if you will, to make friends, go out and explore and learn a lot about the outdoors, and learn incredible life lessons and leadership skills, all based in a values-based education,” he says.

He crossed over into Troop 10 and then joined Troop 610 where he earned the Eagle Scout award at age 14. Prior to earning Eagle, he was elected to the Order of the Arrow and later served as lodge, chapter and section chiefs. Desai is a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow, Scouting’s honor society, and a recipient of the Founder’s Award, Centurion Award and Distinguished Service Award.

He went on treks to the iconic Philmont Scout Ranch, worked on Camp Lone Oak’s summer camp staff, and he attended the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea in 1991. He was also in Explorer Post 1429, a fire and rescue post.

“I was the guy who kept doing more and more,” Desai says. “I think Scouting provided me with great mentorship with my incredible Scout leaders when I was a kid. I learned from my mistakes and got better, whether it was simple things like learning how to tie knots to being comfortable speaking in front of people to leading a group of people.”

Future goals

The Scouting program adapts to the needs and interests of youth and families, aiming to be accessible while continuing to prepare young people to lead ethical and moral lives. The values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law do not change, Desai says.

“We can have an incredible story to share to the outside world and can continue to grow Scouting,” he says.

In addition to sharing Scouting’s story, Desai looks forward to supporting units, establishing partnerships, and making sure Scouts continue to stay safe and have fun. Part of that includes embracing technology and innovation and demonstrating how those tools can enhance one’s experience within Scouting’s programs. Social media can be a powerful marketing and recruiting tool, so a cellphone should probably be on your camping checklist.

“We need to figure out a way to be healthy and encourage that level of communication and storytelling but at the same time make programs relevant and fun such that folks will want to take that adventure that they’re playing on their phone into a real-life experience,” he says.

Sharing Scouting with America is a top goal for Desai, not only for the organization’s future but also for the country’s future.

“This country needs us to help produce in a massive way leaders of character. Scouting has got a 100-plus-year track record of doing just that,” he says.