Scouting America recognizes the 2025 recipients of the Silver Buffalo Award, presented for distinguished service to youth

The 2025 recipients of the Silver Buffalo Award include volunteers from all over the country who have shaped almost every aspect of Scouting. Each of them has provided truly noteworthy and extraordinary service to youth.

Established in 1925, the Silver Buffalo is Scouting’s highest commendation. It recognizes service to youth either nationally or internationally, whether connected to the Scouting or not.

The 2025 class was announced in March and officially recognized tonight at a banquet during the National Annual Meeting.

2025 Silver Buffalo honorees

The year’s Silver Buffalo recipients are (* denotes that the recipient is an Eagle Scout):

David Thomas Berry*

Keller, Texas

During his five decades as an adult Scouting America volunteer, David Berry says he’s most proud of two things: guiding multiple youth to the rank of Eagle Scout — including his two sons — and seeing Scouting become safer. A retired health care executive, Berry is the son of a professional Scouting America father and a 40-year Scouting volunteer mother. After earning the rank of Eagle in 1973, he became a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow and earned the Caddo Area Council’s Young American Award.

As an adult, he has served as den leader, Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, Venturing crew associate Advisor and assistant den leader. Taking advantage of his expertise in health care, he served on his district’s health and safety committee, as chair of the Quapaw Area Council’s health and safety committee, and on Scouting America’s National Health and Safety Committee, which he’s chaired since 2020. He also served as chair of the National Medical Subcommittee. For his dedication to Scouting, he has earned the Good Shepherd Award, the Silver Beaver Award, the Scoutmaster Award of Merit and the Philmont Master Trainer Award. He has served as the Quapaw Area Council president and the Circle Ten Council vice president of risk management, and he currently serves on the National Youth Safeguarding Committee.

Before retiring in 2023, Berry worked in executive roles at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the children’s hospital at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, and Children’s Health medical center in Dallas, Texas. He served as the chair of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council and is a lifetime fellow at the American College of Healthcare Executives. He is a member of Restoration Church in Southlake, Texas. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children — Jonathan, Jeffrey and Amy — and two grandchildren.

Hon. Gerard J. Boyle

Campton, N.H.

The Hon. Gerard Boyle has served as a distinguished leader of the veterans, religious, legal and Scouting communities for nearly 60 years. He served as president of the Daniel Webster Council from 2010 to 2012 and has been a member of its executive board since 2004. Boyle also has served as Scoutmaster, Cub Scout pack committee chair, Exploring post advisor and chartering organization representative. He has been area president and area commissioner and has volunteered at multiple national and international Jamborees. He is a recipient of the Silver Antelope and Silver Beaver awards and is a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow. As trustee of the George W.P. Magee Memorial Trust, he has overseen the distribution of more than $2 million to Scouting America camps. He also received the St. George Emblem for his contributions to the spiritual development of Catholic youth in Scouting and is a member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church.

Boyle previously served as a colonel in the United States Marine Corps. As a judge advocate, he served as a liaison officer for Navy and Marine Corps Reserve units across the Northeast. With two decades of service as a New Hampshire circuit court judge, Boyle was instrumental in founding the state’s Teen Court and Mental Health Courts. He speaks to thousands of students each year on critical social issues and played a key role in organizing New Hampshire’s first Safeguarding Youth Symposium, an initiative created to unify local youth-serving organizations to improve child welfare.

Boyle also serves on the boards of the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery and the New Hampshire Police, Fire, & EMS Foundation. He and his wife, Barbara, have three children — Bridgid, Brianna and Sean — and five grandchildren.

Edward Andrew “Andy” Chapman*

Lake Arthur, La.

For Andy Chapman, Scouting isn’t just a pastime — it’s a lifelong commitment. From earning his Eagle Scout rank as a youth to leading Scouting efforts around the world, Chapman has dedicated more than 25 years to shaping the future of young people. He has held roles at every level of the program, from assistant Scoutmaster to a member of the International Committee and even chair of the World Scout Committee. He has served on the National Order of the Arrow Committee and on the World Scout Foundation board. Along the way, he’s earned some of Scouting’s most distinguished honors, including the Silver Antelope Award, the Silver Beaver Award and the National Order of the Arrow Distinguished Service Award.

In 2021, Chapman was elected chair of the World Scout Committee, a position that put him at the helm of an organization that supports more than 57 million Scouts across 175 countries. His efforts in international Scouting extended to serving as the head of the Scouting America contingent for the World Scout Moot in Iceland and for the Republic of Georgia National Jamboree. Still, he says his favorite memories in Scouting are the summers he spent on staff at the Calcasieu Area Council’s camp, where he also served as program director. At the age of 29, he served as Scoutmaster for a Sam Houston Area Council Wood Badge course.

As a senior manager at Accenture, he’s a respected expert in tax consulting, frequently speaking at national conferences. He’s also a Kentucky Colonel, the highest honor bestowed by the state of Kentucky for outstanding service to the community. He serves on the board of the Lake Arthur Reclamation Company, an organization focused on agricultural development, waterfowl management and energy conservation.

Gary Christiansen*

Santa Clarita, Calif.

Gary Christiansen has dedicated nearly five decades to mentoring and guiding young leaders while holding key leadership positions at every level of Scouting America. Yet he says his favorite moment in Scouting was seeing his son earn the rank of Eagle Scout. An Eagle Scout himself, Christiansen has contributed extensively to the Order of the Arrow, for which he has served as a lodge adviser, section adviser and regional chair. He was a member of the National Order of the Arrow Committee and has been on the training staff for National Leadership Seminars and Developing Youth Leadership Conferences from 2008 to 2024. He has also worked on staff for nearly every national Order of the Arrow conference since 1979. He has held roles as an assistant Scoutmaster, Cubmaster and district chair.

At the regional level, he served on the Western Region executive board and held multiple program leadership positions. He has also participated in numerous National and World Scout Jamborees, serving as a World Jamboree Scoutmaster in 2007, 2011 and 2019. Christiansen’s service has been recognized with multiple honors, including the National Outstanding Eagle Scout Award, the Order of the Arrow Centurion Award, the Silver Antelope Award, the Silver Beaver Award and the Distinguished Service Award from the Order of the Arrow. Christiansen has worked for more than 25 years as product manager for the Smart & Final chain of food and supply stores.

Outside of Scouting, he has served on the Southern California Walk America March of Dimes Committee and taught classes in public speaking at an East Los Angeles community center for high school and college students. He and his wife, Sherry, have two children, Tyler and Meghan, and two grandchildren.

Donna Jean Copeland

Bartlesville, Okla.

When Donna Copeland agreed to serve as course director for the National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience (NAYLE) at Philmont, she knew she’d have to put together a team without ever meeting in person. Copeland and her staff chose to follow the Wood Badge leadership development model precisely, and the result was a high-performance team that left a lasting legacy for future participants. Her contributions to leadership training also include serving as a pilot instructor for NAYLE at Sea Base and faculty at the Philmont Training Center.

During her nearly 40 years of service to Scouting America, Copeland has held numerous leadership roles at the unit, district, council, regional and national levels. She has been a district commissioner, a district chair and a long-time member of the Cherokee Area Council executive board. She also served as council commissioner and chaired Wood Badge and National Youth Leadership Training programs. At the national level, she has been a faculty member at multiple Philmont Training Center conferences, a leader in the Duty to God program at several National Jamborees and a member of the Religious Relationships Committee since 2000. Her contributions have been recognized with awards such as the Silver Antelope Award, the Silver Beaver Award, the National Duty to God Award and the Order of the Arrow Vigil Honor.

Copeland has been active in the Association of Baptists for Scouting, for which she has served as president for three years, and other community service organizations. She has served as pianist at Trinity Baptist Church for more than 40 years. She and her husband, Dale, co-owned multiple businesses before retiring. They have two sons, Jon and Nathan, both Eagle Scouts. She also has three grandsons, two of whom are Eagle Scouts.

Julie A. Dalton

Wichita, Kan.

Over her three decades of experience with Scouting America, Julie Dalton says the most significant part of it all has been seeing how it has benefited her children and the other young people she has worked with along the way. As the National Venturing Officers’ Association Advisor and National Venturing Committee chair, she has worked closely with youth leaders from across the country, guiding them in their roles to help shape the future of the Venturing program. Dalton has played an active role as a volunteer at the unit, district, council, regional and national levels. She has served as Troop 733’s committee chair and Crew 497’s associate Advisor. She was the White Buffalo District chair from 2007 to 2010 and later served as the Quivira Council president from 2016 to 2017. She has also led leadership training programs, serving as course director for Wood Badge and Powder training programs.

At the regional level, she was the Central Region Venturing Advisor from 2017 to 2019. Nationally, she has taken on significant roles, including serving as the Charlie 1 Subcamp chief for the 2023 and 2026 National Jamborees. Her contributions to Scouting have been recognized with several awards, including the National Venturing Leadership Award, the Silver Antelope Award, the Region Venturing Leadership Award and the Silver Beaver Award. She is also a recipient of the Order of the Arrow Vigil Honor from Kansa Lodge, as well as the James E. West Award.

Dalton, a retired senior vice president and trust officer at Southwest National Bank, enjoys spending time with her granddaughters at soccer games, cross-country meets and track events. She and her husband, Greg, have three children — Matthew, Christopher and Katie — and four granddaughters.

David Michael Ehrlich*

Farmington Hills, Mich.

From facilitating troop leadership training to assisting in the development of the National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience, David Ehrlich’s efforts have shaped leadership programs at all levels and contributed greatly to the development of Scouting America’s youth leaders. He played a key role in the most recent update of National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) and oversees all advanced leadership training courses for Scouting U. Ehrlich, an Eagle Scout, has dedicated 27 years of service to Scouting America, contributing in various capacities at the unit, district, council, territory and national levels.

He currently serves as the National Eagle Scout Association (NESA) vice president of finance and scholarships and has previously held positions such as NESA vice president of membership and database and Scouting U national NYLT coordinator. He has also contributed to the National Camp Accreditation Program as an authorization reviewer since 2018. His service has been recognized with numerous honors, including the NESA National Outstanding Eagle Scout Award, the Scouting America Alumni Association Territorial Alumnus of the Year Award and the Silver Antelope Award. Ehrlich is also a recipient of the Silver Beaver Award, the Order of the Arrow Vigil Honor and the Council Venturing Leadership Award. Beyond Scouting, Ehrlich is a leader in professional and civic organizations. He is a founding board member of the Trooper Timothy O’Neill Memorial Fund and chairs career and technical education advisory committees in Michigan. He has volunteered with multiple career and technical student organizations, has served on professional association boards, and is recognized as an Executive Bourbon Steward with the Stave & Thief Society, a bourbon certification program recognized by the Kentucky Distillers Association.

Ehrlich is currently the director of association management at Barcami Lane Inc., a company that provides nonprofit groups with project management services.

William “Bill” Goebel*

Greensboro, N.C.

Bill Goebel Jr. has worked for many years at the national level to support and advance the mission of Scouting America. An Eagle Scout himself and a mentor for three young Eagle Scouts, Goebel has dedicated 21 years of service to Scouting, holding leadership roles at the unit, council, regional and national levels. He served as an assistant Scoutmaster and Scoutmaster in Connecticut before moving on to leadership positions in the Old North State Council, where he served on the executive board and board of directors from 2006 to 2019. He served as council president from 2015 to 2018. He currently serves on the advisory board of the Occoneechee Council in North Carolina.

Goebel was instrumental in the passage of North Carolina’s School Access Bill SB-400 in 2015, which granted Scouts easier access to schools. The legislation was later replicated in 15 states. In 2016, he was selected by Dr. Robert Gates to join the National Culture Team, helping implement the Polaris Method to improve Scouting America’s business culture. As the first national chair of the Polaris Method, he branded the initiative, raised $1 million in funding and led training efforts across councils. Since 2020, Goebel has served as vice chair of the National Alumni Committee, focusing on their communication efforts. He has helped raise more than $3.5 million in funds and gifts in kind for Scouting America.

Goebel is the CEO of MPACT Learning, a company that provides assessment and training solutions, and the area president of FocusCFO, a CFO services provider. He cohosts the “Common Ground Show” podcast and is an active member of Grace Community Church. He and his wife, Dori, have three children: Will, Jessa and Elisa Kay.

Linda Goff

Oak Ridge, Tenn.

Linda Goff says she enjoys sharing her Scouting knowledge with other Scout leaders. With more than four decades of service to Scouting America, her level of knowledge is certainly impressive. Goff has played a key role in training and mentoring leaders at the district, council and national levels. She has been actively involved in Scouting for 42 years, serving in various leadership positions. She started as a den leader and went on to hold multiple training roles, including district training chair and council training chair, along with serving on the faculty at the Philmont Training Center.

She has also been involved with Wood Badge and National Camping School, serving as a staff member and course director. Her national contributions include serving on the Day Camp Resource Book Committee, the Guide to Advancement Task Force and the Lone Scout Handbook Task Force. She contributed to the development of Cub Scout literature and training resources. Goff’s dedication has been recognized with several honors, including the Order of the Arrow Vigil Honor, the Silver Antelope Award, the Silver Beaver Award and the James E. West Fellowship Award. She has also received the District Award of Merit and the Distinguished Commissioner Award.

Outside of Scouting, Goff has been active in her church and community, volunteering in the children’s area of the Secret City Festival, participating in faith-based quilting projects and volunteering in other youth-focused programs. She is a member of Faith Lutheran Church. She retired as an internal audit manager from Enrichment Federal Credit Union. She and her husband, Curt, have four children — Christopher, Kevin, Jason and Jennifer — and five grandchildren.

James K. Hendren*

Little Rock, Ark.

James Hendren has dedicated more than 45 years of adult service to Scouting at every level of the organization. Hendren began his adult Scouting service as an Exploring post advisor and later became Scoutmaster, committee chair and Wood Badge course director. He served on his district committee for more than a decade. His council roles have been extensive: He served as council president for 12 years and has also served as council commissioner and vice president of finance. He remained active on the executive committee from 1990 through 2025.

At the territory level, Hendren played a key leadership role in the former Area 8, including spending time as president, vice president and Jamboree chair and in various training and COPE coordination positions. Nationally, he has served on the Philmont Ranch Committee since 2013 and has chaired its Business and Finance Committee since 2014. He has participated in 16 national Jamborees, including roles as region chair and sub-camp/base-camp chief. Hendren’s Scouting recognitions include the Silver Antelope Award, Order of the Arrow Vigil Honor, OA Founder’s Award, National Speakers Bureau and the Whitney M. Young Award. Beyond Scouting, Hendren has served on numerous civic and educational boards and was appointed to multiple state commissions by the governor of Arkansas.

Professionally, he was CEO of Arkansas Systems Inc., one of the state’s first tech companies, for 22 years. He is currently chair of The Venture Center, an entrepreneur support organization in Arkansas that helps startups become viable businesses. Outside of Scouting, he is active in his church, St. James United Methodist, and has supported local youth through school booster boards and advisory councils. He and his wife, Carol, have two children — Michael James Hendren and Jennifer Renee Grant — and three grandchildren.

Timothy I. Malaney*

Chula Vista, Calif.

Of all his Scouting accomplishments, Tim Malaney says he takes the most pride in achieving the rank of Eagle Scout, a milestone he considers foundational to his lifetime of service to the organization. With 46 years of adult involvement in Scouting America, Malaney has held positions at every organizational level. Malaney began as a Cubmaster before serving as Scoutmaster and eventually Sea Scout ship committee chair, a role he continues to hold.

At the district level, he served as camping committee chair, district commissioner and Scouts BSA roundtable commissioner. In council leadership, he was an Order of the Arrow lodge adviser twice, led Wood Badge courses and chaired the council training committee. Regionally, Malaney was a longtime contributor to Area 4 and Area 6, serving on training committees and as Area 4 Wood Badge chair and vice chair of the OA Western Region committee. At the national level, his work includes being a member of the New Merit Badge Task Force and contributing to multiple National Jamborees and the 2019 World Jamboree. He was the chair of the Merit Badge Activities Group at the 2017 National Jamboree and assistant chair of the Merit Badge Midway at multiple Jamborees.

His recognitions reflect his depth of service: OA Distinguished Service Award, OA Centurion Award, NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award, Silver Antelope Award, Venturing Leadership Award, Distinguished Commissioner Award and OA Founder’s Award. Outside of Scouting, Malaney is active at St. John’s Episcopal Church and serves on the church’s Parish Day School Board. He enjoys visiting national parks and collecting Scouting memorabilia. Professionally, he is the director of quality for Stratum Medical Corporation, a biotechnology company.

Brad Tilden*

Seattle, Wash.

Brad Tilden takes immense pride in the way the Scouting movement has come together in recent years to overcome challenges and renew its focus on serving youth. He says seeing the dedication of more than 460,000 adult volunteers who invest their time and resources in shaping the next generation has been both humbling and inspiring for him.

A Distinguished Eagle Scout, Tilden’s lifelong journey in Scouting included four summers as a camp counselor at Camp Brinkley (now Camp Edward). During his time as a youth in Scouting, he says he cherishes the memories of getting hooked on the outdoors while hiking, snowshoeing and cycling with his brothers through the Pacific Northwest. His leadership has extended across multiple levels of the organization, notably serving as board chair of the Chief Seattle Council, finance chair of the National Board and currently as chair of the National Board. In recognition of his service, he has been honored with the Silver Beaver Award. A graduate of Wood Badge, Tilden exemplifies the leadership and service Scouting instills.

Beyond Scouting, Tilden is a respected leader in the corporate and civic world. He recently retired as chair and CEO of Alaska Airlines — where he says he hired leaders based on a set of leadership principles that look strikingly similar to the Scout Oath and Scout Law. He currently chairs the board at Nordstrom while also serving on the board of Matson Shipping. His community involvement includes chairing both the Washington Roundtable and the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. An avid aviation enthusiast, Tilden loves flying airplanes of all kinds and, in his words, is a “struggling but aspiring golfer.” Tilden and his wife, Danielle, have three children — Lauren, Jacquie and Maria — and four grandchildren.

William “Bill” Topkis*

Park City, Utah

Bill Topkis has dedicated nearly five decades to Scouting, much of which was spent raising awareness of the strength and significance of Scouting history and art. A lifelong advocate for preserving the rich traditions of the movement, Topkis has played a pivotal role in historical initiatives and education within Scouting.

An Eagle Scout, Topkis has served in numerous leadership roles at the unit, regional and national levels. His contributions include serving as lead adviser for the National Scouting Historian Summit, the Goodman-Edson Observatory traveling museum at the National Order of the Arrow Conference and the OA exhibit at the National Jamboree. He was also instrumental in the creation of SURGE (Supporting Units through Really Great Elections), an outreach program that assists OA sections, lodges and chapters with conducting elections in units chartered by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and he co-edited Bound in Brotherhood — The Order of the Arrow Centennial Scrapbook. His dedication extends to the Order of the Arrow’s National Committee, the National Scouting Museum Task Force and various history and preservation subcommittees.

Beyond Scouting, Topkis is an active leader in historical preservation, serving on the board of directors of the “Green Bar Bill” Hillcourt Foundation and directing the Crescent Bay Council Historical Project. He also devotes time to fundraising efforts for Guiding Eyes for the Blind. His passions include collecting Order of the Arrow totem pins, hiking, and spending time with his family and Labrador retrievers. For his outstanding service, Topkis has received numerous recognitions, including the prestigious Silver Antelope Award. Topkis and his wife, Jody, have three children: Jake, Corey and Alec.

Daniel Walters*

San Leandro, Calif.

Dan Walters’ passion for Scouting is rooted in his lifelong commitment to ensuring that the program thrives for future generations. He has successfully advocated for legislative and regulatory support for Scouting in California, strengthening the movement’s ability to serve youth. With more than 40 years of dedicated adult service, Walters has shaped the Scouting experience at every level, from unit leadership to national governance.

An Eagle Scout and Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow, Walters has served as a Scoutmaster, district commissioner, unit commissioner and Order of the Arrow chapter adviser, mentoring countless Scouts along their journey. His leadership has extended to the council level, where he played a key role as membership chair and a member of the council board and executive committee. At the territory level, Walters’ impact continued as the Western Region legislation and regulation chair, Learning for Life chair, and area camp visitation chair. Nationally, he has helped guide the organization’s future as a member of the Local Council Chair Cabinet, the Learning for Life Board and the National Camp Accreditation Program team and as the chair of National Council Service Territory Leadership and Governance team.

Walters’ unwavering service to Scouting has been recognized with the Silver Antelope Award, the Silver Beaver Award, the Distinguished Commissioner Service Award, the Whitney M. Young Jr. Award and designation as an Outstanding Eagle Scout. His efforts have helped strengthen Scouting’s reach, ensuring that more youth have the opportunity to experience the program’s life-changing values. Walters has also served on his local chamber of commerce board. He and his wife, Denise, share a deep appreciation for the Scouting movement and the difference it makes in the lives of young people.