Scouting America names its 2025 National Alumnus of the Year

Scouting Alumni, the official alumni association of Scouting America, has named Michael Thompson of Greenville, South Carolina, its 2025 National Alumnus of the Year, as announced at the 2025 National Annual Meeting.

The award is presented to one worthy alumn who has performed exemplary service to the alumni movement on a national level.

“A humble servant who lives and breathes the spirit of bringing others back to the campfire, Michael has consistently, over many years and in various capacities, sought to recognize others and ensure they feel valued within the Scouting movement,” reads a news release from Scouting Alumni.

Thompson was the lead volunteer for the inaugural National Gathering of Alumni at Philmont Scout Ranch in 2022. He is currently gearing up for the second such event, hosted at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in 2027.

Thompson also served as the lead volunteer for the first-ever alumni reception held in conjunction with the National Annual Meeting. Thompson has served on several committees over a lengthy period of time, including the National Membership Standards Committee and the National Eagle Scout Association Committee. A dedicated servant leader of the National Order of the Arrow Committee, Thompson served as a vice chairman for over a decade.

Thompson is currently serving as the NESA vice president of membership and serves on the Scouting Alumni National Committee as the lead for national gatherings and receptions.

Territory winners also announced

Mike Boggs, from Okemos, Michigan, is a 2025 Territories Alumnus of the Year recipient representing Council Service Territory 9. Since 2018, Boggs has transformed Scouting Alumni through his service as the lead volunteer and developer of the SPARK alumni membership portal.

In addition to more than 25 years of service with the Golden Empire and Michigan Crossroads council executive boards and other board positions at all levels of Scouting, Boggs serves as technology lead on the Alumni national committee. Professionally, Boggs has made significant contributions to the field of IT architecture, particularly as an author of several books and through his tenure at Blue Cross Blue Shield and Wells Fargo.

Arthur F. “Mac” McLean III, from Greenville, South Carolina, is a 2025 Territories Alumnus of the Year recipient representing Council Service Territory 15. McLean, an Eagle Scout from the Pee Dee Area Council, first began his involvement in Scouting there in 1971 as a Cub Scout. He later moved to the Blue Ridge Council, where he served as council president, area president and on the Southern Region executive board.

McLean has served on the Scouting Alumni National Committee since 2020 and the NESA Membership Subcommittee since 2023. Notably, he was instrumental to the planning and execution of the inaugural National Gathering of Alumni in 2022 at Philmont, and locally, he has worked on numerous Scouting reunions and alumni efforts for several councils.

Professionally, McLean has worked as an attorney at Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A. since 1989 and has been a certified specialist in taxation law since 1994. He has been recognized by the Best Lawyers in America and by Greenville Business Magazine in its “Legal Elite of the Upstate” list.

Anthony B. Kenney, from Mount Sterling, Kentucky, is a 2025 Territories Alumnus of the Year recipient representing Council Service Territory 14. A proud Eagle Scout of the Blue Grass Council since first joining Scouting there as a Cub Scout in 1996, Kenney is currently the Council’s vice president of alumni relations. He also serves on the Scouting Alumni National Committee as the national coordinator for Camp Alumni Associations.

Kenney led CST 14 to become the first CST in the nation with an alumni and/or NESA committee in all of its councils. Notably, Anthony also was the logistics lead for the inaugural National Gathering of Alumni in 2022. Additionally, he was the deputy lead of the Alumni Relations Exhibit at the 2023 National Jamboree — a role he maintains for the 2026 National Jamboree.

Professionally, Anthony has more than ten years of experience with the Kentucky Division of Forestry, currently serving the agency as its environmental control manager for forest management.

Steve Silbiger, from Frisco, Texas, is a Territories Alumnus of the Year recipient representing Council Service Territory 8. An Eagle Scout with more than 40 years of giving back to all levels of Scouting, including his home in the Circle Ten Council, Silbiger has been a vital member of the Alumni Association’s national committee for four years.

Notably, Steve has supported and led NESA’s presence at events such as the National Scout Jamboree and National Order of the Arrow Conference (NOAC). At NOAC 2015, Silbiger organized one of the largest gatherings of Eagle Scouts in history, with more than 6,000 participants. Professionally, Steve has worked for Toyota North America in the fields of customer service, public relations, learning, and development.