WASHINGTON, DC (July 25, 2018) – National Capital Area Council (NCAC), Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is pleased to announce Craig Poland has been selected as their new CEO and Scout Executive. Poland currently serves as Scout Executive and CEO of Minsi Trails Council, Boy Scouts of America in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a position he has held for eight years. In that role he led the council to 26% growth of the Exploring career discovery program, growth of the endowment fund by $700,000, and collection of 163,000 pounds of food in 2017 alone. Previously he served as Associate Regional Director of Finance for BSA’s Northeast Region, and as Assistant Scout Executive for Minsi Trails Council.
“We extend a warm welcome to our new Scout Executive,” said John Graham, the chair of NCAC’s Executive Selection Committee and Vice President of Finance Impact. “This is a very exciting time for Scouting in our council, and we are fortunate to have a proven, experienced leader like Craig to help us blaze new trails.”
Under the guidance of the Executive Board, Poland will provide leadership to the Council, which serves more than 58,000 youth through the dedication of more than 20,000 registered adult volunteers across 17 counties in Maryland and Virginia, as well as Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Scouts living abroad in North and South America. Since January of 2018, the council has welcomed over 400 girls into the iconic Cub Scout program as part of the new Family Scouting expansion.
In 2018 the council’s theme is “Hooked on Scouting.” Last year in NCAC, 1,520 boys earned their Eagle Scout Award. Local Scouts also performed more than 530,000 service hours, an average of 11.2 hours per Scout. The value of this service to local communities is estimated at more than $17.7 million, based on rates published by Independent Sector. NCAC also increased its member retention rate to 82.04%, one of the best of any Scout council in the country. Additional highlights from 2017 can be viewed in the Annual Report, available at https://ncacannualreport.org.