President: Bill Pritchett ’01

Bill grew up in Dallas, Texas, followed his two brothers Les (Class of 1993) and Jack (Class of 1997) to Annapolis, and graduated with a BS in English with the Class of 2001. Bill defeated his two brothers in the game of maritime service as he was the lone pilot among the three. He earned his Wings of Gold and was designated a Naval Aviator in February of 2003. He then joined the Fighting Marlins of VP-40 out of NAS Whidbey Island and deployed to Southeast Asia for most of 2005 where he flew missions in the P-3C Orion in support of Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines. In November 2006, Bill returned to Texas as a primary flight instructor flying the T-34C Turbomentor as a member of the VT-28 Rangers out of NAS Corpus Christi. Bill left active duty in February of 2009, but continued to fly the T-34C in the selected reserves until 2013. He spent the first few years following active duty working for and with various defense industry contractors, including some time in San Diego, California where he was a part of the Navy’s UCAS program at Northrop Grumman that developed the first carrier-capable autonomous unmanned air vehicle—the X-47B. Bill graduated with a JD from South Texas College of Law Houston in December 2014. Bill is now assistant general counsel at Resource Environmental Solutions—a company based in Bellaire that provides comprehensive ecological restoration and water resource solutions across the country. He is married to the former Amanda Knight of Friendswood, Texas who is the senior sales director for sports and outdoor apparel and merchandise provider Augusta Sportswear Brands. Bill and Amanda have one son, Billy, who enjoys the finer things in life: such as dinosaurs, soccer, and construction sites.

Vice President:  Jordan Mack ’08

After growing up in Houston, Texas and Lexington, Kentucky, Jordan graduated with a B.S. in Economics in 2008.  After completing nuclear power training, his first tour of duty was aboard the ballistic missile submarine USS Rhode Island (SSBN-740), where he served as Reactor Controls Officer, Quality Assurance Officer and Communications Officer.  After earning his gold dolphins and completing several strategic nuclear deterrent patrols, Jordan served as an NROTC instructor at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.  Upon leaving the Navy, Jordan and his wife, Genie (an accomplished professional artist and native Houstonian), moved to Houston where he completed law school at the University of Houston Law Center.  Jordan now practices law with the corporate department in the Houston office of Latham & Watkins LLP, where he focuses on mergers and acquisitions and capital markets transactions.

Treasurer: Rich Bulger ’69

Rich was born and grew up Walworth, WI. He enlisted in the Air Force in the fall of ’63. After attending the Air Force Academy Prep School, he saw the light and traded AF blue for Navy blue. After graduation he headed for Pensacola and arrived 19 July 1969 the day before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. He received his Wings of Gold and was designated a Naval Aviator in Jan 1971. His first squadron was VP-50 flying brand new P3-C’s out of NAS Moffett Field, CA with deployments to Adak, Alaska and Guam. He then went back to VT-3 flying old T-28’s out of NAS Whiting Field, Milton, FL training new aviators how to fly formation.   Next was VQ-4 flying EC-130’s out of NAS Patuxent River, MD keeping an aircraft in the air 365 days a year 24 hours a day as the “survivable communication link” to our Ballistic Missile Subs. Then back to VP-40 again flying P3-C’s of NAS Moffett, CA with deployments to Misawa, Japan and Diego Garcia. His last tour was NAF Mildenhall, England flying C-12’s around Europe carrying VIP’s, staff and cargo.  He retired from the Navy in October 1987. He started his career at Continental Airlines as a S/O on the B-727 in Houston. He flew and instructed on the B727 was the Fleet Manager when he flew as the Captain of the last B-727 flight at Continental.   He was the Captain on his first last flight from BWI to IAH the day before he turned 60. He was able stay on with Continental as a Flight Instructor on the B-737 in the Training Department. When the law changed the retirement age for pilot to 65 he was able to fly again and had his second last flight from Calgary to IAH the day before he turned 65. He has been a member of the TX Gulf Coast Chapter since 1989. He served as Chapter President from 1996-1999, National Trustee 1999-2002 and has been Treasurer since 2005.

Secretary: John Augusto ’02

A native of San Antonio, Texas, John graduated with a BS in Economics, and was commissioned as a US Navy Ensign in 2002.  He attended Navy Supply Corps School in Athens, Georgia, then served as the Disbursing & Sales Officer in USS TRENTON LPD-14 homeport, Norfolk, Virginia.  In 2006, he returned to Annapolis as a Food Service & Contracting Officer for King Hall, then for Naval Academy Business Services Division (NABSD).  In 2009, he fulfilled his Navy duties, and joined ExxonMobil in Houston, where he now serves as a Logistician for ExxonMobil Chemicals Global Supply Chain.  He has MS degrees in General Administration from Central Michigan University, and Supply Chain Management from Michigan State University.  He’s married to the former Sandra Hendrix of Jackson, Mississippi, and has two daughters, Eleanor, born in 2016, and Hazel in 2017, and two sons, Oscar, born in 2018, and Felix in 2020.  He has served as Vice President of the TxGC Chapter in 2013 and 2015, and President 2014 and 2016, as well as represented the Chapter on the Alumni Association Board of Trustees from 2017 to 2020.

Representative for the USNA Alumni Assoc. Board of Trustees: Bret Leach ’08

As one of the 9 largest chapters, the TxGC, for the last several years, has had the privilege of being part of the 30, US Naval Academy Alumni Association’s Board of Trustees in Annapolis, responsible for the development and oversight of the Association’s policies and programs. 

Born and raised in Castine, Maine by a family of mariners, Bret graduated with a B.S. in Ocean Engineering and was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy in 2008. His first tour of duty was aboard the USS Mahan (DDG 72) as the Main Propulsion Division Officer and Strike Warfare Officer. Following his first tour, Bret served as a project manager for the Norfolk Ship Support Activity, where he led multiple destroyer and cruiser repair projects. Upon leaving the Navy, he moved to Houston and was hired as an analyst at Vega Energy, where he continues to work in business development. He has served on the board of both the chapter and the foundation since 2016.

Board of Directors:

Chris Black ’07

Although he hails from New Castle, Colorado, Chris arrived in Texas as soon as he could. He graduated with a BS in Systems Engineering and was commissioned as an Ensign in 2007. Chris’ first tour was onboard USS DECATUR (DDG 73) home-ported in San Diego where he served as the OI Division Officer. In 2009 he was assigned to Nuclear Power School in Charleston, SC where he also attended Naval Prototype School. In 2010 Chris checked onboard USS STENNIS (CVN 74) in Bremerton, Washington and eventually assumed the duties as the Reactor Propulsion Division Officer. He fulfilled his commitment in 2012 and moved to Houston where he completed his Master of Engineering Management through Old Dominion University. Chris is a licensed engineer and currently works for Lockton Companies as a Senior Risk Engineer. He has served on the board of the TXGC Chapter since 2016 and is a former Chapter President and current Foundation President.

Ian Knowles ’02

 

 

 

Jim Davis ’71

A native of Oklahoma, Jim graduated with a BS in History and a minor in Naval Science, and was commissioned as a US Navy Ensign in 1971.  When he graduated, Navy spelled Ocean (per the Sup), so he spent 10 months aboard a WWII DE in the Pacific as the Gunnery Officer.  Jim then went to flight school and became a Naval Aviator.  He was stationed in Barbers Point, Hawaii with VP-17, flying P-3A’s and P-3B’s.  After 2 deployments including rescuing the Myaquez from Cambodia, he relocated to NAS Corpus Christi as a multi-engine instructor.  After leaving active duty for the reserves, Jim flew for several airlines, the last being United.  He is currently an instructor and check airman for Crew Pilot Training.  He is married to De Medford and has 2 daughters, the youngest is a 2012 graduate and former P-3C pilot and now a P-8 pilot.

Bart Jealous ’65

Bart was appointed to USNA by President-Elect John F. Kennedy. Following Youngster Cruise he figured the USMC was the place for him. He played Sprint Football, and Varsity Baseball and, re the latter, may have the distinction of being the only pitcher to run up a 9-0 record over two seasons without earning a varsity letter. Another highlight at USNA was his 1/c cruise with the Greek Navy on a voyage that took him to ports from Athens to Lisbon to Oslo and Copenhagen. Upon graduation Bart spent the summer as a drill instructor for the incoming class of ’69 before getting married to the girl who had been his best friend throughout high school. Then it was off to TBS at Quantico, followed by flight school at Pensacola, and shortly thereafter by Vietnam. Bart spent ’67-’68 flying for the Ugly Angels of HMM 362, where he was fortunate to survive over 1100 combat missions. Then it was back to Pensacola flying the T-34, T-28, and DC3 as a flight instructor. In 1971 he received a Masters in International Economics from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, and one day after graduation flew to Bangkok to start flying again for the CIA with Air America. His wife, Deborah, and two children spent two years with him in Northern Thailand/Laos before returning to the U.S. where he joined Gulf Oil at their Pittsburgh headquarters. In 1980 the family moved to The Woodlands where Bart worked in business development in the energy industry before retiring in 2018. Highlights in Texas include being a Board member of The Woodlands YMCA, running an active BGO program, arranging programs for many years for the TXGC Chapter luncheons, and now furthering the Foundation’s efforts in promoting USNA’s STEM programs.

Michael Yeager ’76

Mike Yeager, ’76, played QB and slot back on the ’73,’74,’75 Navy football teams that won three Commander-In-Chief’s Trophies beating Army 3 times by a combined score of 100-6. Upon graduation, he served in USMC Artillery for 5 1/2 years. After leaving the service, he began a career as a petroleum engineer with ExxonMobil for 26 years and served as the CEO of BHP Petroleum for 8 years. He now serves as a Trustee on the Athletic and Scholarship Program committee at USNA providing needed funds for all 33 Navy Sports teams and is active with local Houston Marine Corps League Detachment #324 providing funeral honors for deceased Marines and assisting local Marines in need.

Ed Klein ’72

Ed served in the Marine Corps, earned Navy Flight Wings, and flew UH-1Ns in squadrons at MCAS New River, and aboard ship in the Mediterranean Sea.  Upon leaving active duty in 1977, Ed moved to Houston and worked as an Applications Engineer for Ingersoll-Rand, a compressor manufacturer.  He later worked in various sales & account management positions for a software/services company; and later as a Director of Business Development for Ernst & Young, and then later for BDO.  Ed served on the Board of Rice Business Partners, affiliated with Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business, and served on the HISD District V Trustee’s Advisory Council.  Ed is an active member in Business Executives for National Security (BENS).  He also supports the Combined Arms Transition Center. Ed has two daughters, graduates of SMU and Texas A&M University.

Bill Prom ’09

Bill grew up in New Berlin, WI.  The U.S. Naval Academy passed on Bill the first time he applied but offered a Naval Academy Foundation scholarship to attend the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, NM with a chance to apply again. After a year in NM, Bill went to USNA as part of the class of 2009.  He walked on to the Cross Country and Track teams and managed to be the Cross Country team captain 1/c year.  Bill commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps and became an artillery officer stationed at Camp Pendleton (although if he wasn’t deployed, it felt like most his time was in Twenty-Nine Palms). He deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan with a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) battery in 2012 and on the 13^th MEU as the Fire Support Coordinator for BLT 1/4. After leaving the Marine Corps in 2014, Bill coached High School Cross Country and Track and took a year to attempt a career as professional marathon runner.  Bill and his high school girlfriend Emily managed to be in the 2% club and have been married since a week after graduation in 2009.  Bill now spends his time raising their two kids, being a remote-learning kindergarten teacher, writing for CareerPro Global, and researching and writing naval history.

Nelson Jones ’72

Nelson was born in Houston, and grew up in Galena Park, where he graduated valedictorian from Fidelity Manor High School ‘68. Four years later, he became the first African American from the State of Texas to graduate from the United States Naval Academy ‘72.  Commissioned in the U. S. Marine Corps, he spent 10 years as a Marine Corps Officer, where he obtained both his Juris Doctor and Master of Law from Georgetown University Law Center.  He acted as both prosecutor and defense counsel for courts-martial in the Marine Corps’s Office of the Staff Judge Advocate from 1977 to 1980. He was admitted to practice law in Texas in 1977 and in Washington, D.C. in 1981.  He was honorably discharged as a Captain from the Marine Corps in 1982 and since then has been practicing law in Houston or in Washington D.C. Nelson is a widower. He was married to Attorney Judith L. Jones who passed in May of 2007 as a result of Sickle Cell Disease. They have seven children and fifteen grandchildren.

Stephanie Drake ’05

Steph (Parker) Drake was born in Sacramento, California and is part of a family with strong military service. Steph is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy (2005) where she majored in Oceanography and played Center midfielder for the Navy women’s soccer team. In 2005 Steph commissioned as a US Marine Officer, serving 8 years active duty as a logistics officer before transitioning to the reserves and moving to Houston in 2013. While on active duty Steph earned her MBA from Boston University.   In Houston, Steph started a successful career at Shell Oil Company where roles included Contracting & Procurement, Materials Management, and Logistics Operations. Most recently, Steph led the Shell Lubricants Supply Chain logistics operations team for the south & west of North America.  Steph is currently the Executive Director of NextOp, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in Houston, and was named to her current position in August, 2019.  Steph is still serving as a Marine Corps reservist currently billeted as the Central Region AROIC for Marine for Life, connecting Marines and family members to local resources for various needs. She is also a Blue and Gold Officer for the US Naval Academy and a youth soccer coach. Steph and her husband Taylor, also a US Marine and ‘05 Naval Academy graduate, reside in Houston with their three young children. Her younger sister, Lindsay (Parker) Beeson, is USNA ‘08 and brother-in-law, Tad Drake, is USNA ‘03.