The Chief Scout Executive is the president and chief executive officer of Scouting America. The office holder is a member of the organization’s professional staff and is responsible for its management and operations.

Roger Krone is the current chief scout executive, succeeding Roger Mosby after his retirement in November 2023. Krone is the first chief scout executive appointed after the organization emerged from bankruptcy.

History Edgar M. Robinson was the YMCA's first International Secretary for Boys' Work and had written an article in the national YMCA's magazine praising the Scouting program in use at many YMCA's in the country. He saw the need to help William D. Boyce with the organization of Scouting America, met with Boyce on May 3, 1910, and agreed to help Boyce organize Scouting America’s national leadership at its June meeting. He recommended John Alexander, another YMCA executive, be appointed the managing secretary, and Alexander served in that role from June until the end of the year, when the national executive board appointed James E. West to that position, effective January 1911. West took on the position initially for a sixth month period, settled into the role, and assumed the new position of chief scout executive by agreement with the board in November 1911.

As of 2025, there have been 15 men who have served in the position of chief scout executive during the history of Scouting America. All other professional Scouters and employees of the National Council work under the direction of the chief scout executive.

During the history of Scouting America, the sitting chief scout executive has during some periods appointed a deputy chief scout executive and/or one or more assistant chief scout executives. In most cases, these men reported directly to the CSE, but in some cases, an assistant CSE worked under the direction of the deputy CSE. Although the deputy CSE has normally been considered the chief scout executive’s right hand man, there is not an automatic succession to the top position, which has been filled by appointment by a committee of the national executive board on each occasion that a new chief scout executive was needed.

This position should not be confused with the position of Chief Scout. Many national Scout associations still use this position, however, it is always for a volunteer position, not a paid one. In Scouting America, only three people (Ernest Thompson Seton, James E. West and Elbert K. Fretwell) have held the position of Chief Scout, which is separate and distinct from the position of Chief Scout Executive.

List of chief scout executives

+ Chief Scout Executive Number Name Start End Eagle Scout DESA Silver Buffalo OA DSA Bronze Wolf 1 James E. West 1911 1943 1926 1940 2 Elbert K. Fretwell 1943 1948 1938 3 Arthur A. Schuck 1948 1960 1950 1942 1960 4 Joseph A. Brunton, Jr. 1960 1967 1918 1969 1973 1946 1967 5 Alden G. Barber 1967 1976 1933 1969 1975 1975 6 Harvey L. Price 1976 1979 1929 1977 1977 7 James L. Tarr 1979 1984 1935 1979 1979 1983 8 Ben H. Love 1985 1993 1986 1990 9 Jere B. Ratcliffe 1993 2000 1955 1991 1998 1997 10 Roy Williams 2000 2007 2000 11 Bob Mazzuca 2007 2012 1964 2009 2009 12 Wayne Brock 2012 2015 1965 2009 2009 13 Michael B. Surbaugh 2015 2019 1976 2017 2018 14 Roger MosbyPresident & CEO beginning in 2019 and designated as Chief Scout Executive in May 2021 ) 2019 2023 2021 15 Roger Krone 2023 - 1973 2015

Deputies + Deputy chief scout executives Start End Name 1919 1943 George J. Fisher 1943 1944 Perry A. Lint 1945 1960 Pliny Hunnicut Powers 1980s? ? M. Gene Cruse 1992 ? Ronald Moranville 1996 2000 C. Michael Hoover Jr. 2009 2012 Wayne Brock 2013 2015 Gary Butler

Assistants + Assistant chief scouts executive Start End Name 1931 1943 Arthur A. Schuck 1951 1952 James P. Fitch 1957 1962 Charles M. Heistand 1961 ? Robert L. Billington 1963 1968 Marsh M. Ammerman 1970 ? Marshall Monroe 1999 2006 David J. Ross II 2001 2006 Kenneth Connelly 2006 2007 Bob Mazzuca, was promoted to Chief Scout Executive 2006 2011 James Terry 2006 2009 Wayne Brock, was promoted to Deputy Chief Scout Executive 2010 2013 Gary Butler, was promoted to Deputy Chief Scout Executive 2010 2019 Brad Farmer 2011 2015 Alf Tuggle 2016 2017 Don McChesney (National Director of Field Service) 2017 2020 Mark Logemann (National Director of Support Services) 2017 2022 Patrick Sterrett (National Director of Field Service 2017. Executive Vice President - High Aventure Bases and General Manager of Summit Bechtel Reserve 2019-2022.) 2017 2020 Al Lambert (National Director of Outdoor Adventures) 2019 present John Mosby

See also National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America

Further reading

References

External links