Leaders

Bill Buff is managing partner of Stratacomm, a communications and marketing firm recognized by Washingtonian magazine as one of “50 Great Places to Work.”  Along with his business partners, Bill carefully nurtures Stratacomm’s corporate culture, which places high value on client service, innovation, entrepreneurship, inclusion, teamwork, learning, ethics and fun.

Bill serves clients by crafting the right messages and campaigns through the careful combination of research, strategic planning, media relations, grassroots activation, coalition building, digital outreach, high-profile events and personal contacts. Besides being a skilled communicator, Bill also knows the ins-and-outs of the complex system of government procurement and leads the firm’s growing federal government practice.

Before joining Stratacomm in 2001, Bill was a client at the American Highway Users Alliance (AHUA). There he oversaw media strategy, public opinion research and external communications as the director of communications and government affairs. He brings two decades of experience with transportation, environmental and energy issues to help clients achieve legislative, regulatory and reputational goals.

Bill graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude from Davidson College in North Carolina where he studied anthropology.

Congratulations to Bill and his fellow 2021 NOESA Honorees! Eagle alums, let’s stay connected. Join NESA DC today! www.ncacbsa.org/national-eagle-scout-association/

Rich has been the CEO of RHED Pixel, a visual communications company in Falls Church, VA, since 1999. He is an expert in motion graphic design and digital video who started his career in broadcast journalism in Iowa. His interest in visual communications can be seen throughout his career. He’s directed live television, published a regional music website, taught at two universities, and wrote for various magazines. He’s helped his clients effectively communicate their message. Some of RHED Pixel’s clients include the American Red Cross, American Diabetes Association, Canon, Children’s National Hospital, LinkedIn, Microsoft, the Obesity Action Coalition, and Skylum. His certification as a Project Management Professional helps him blend creative vision with real-world results.

Rich values sharing what he knows with others. This has been highlighted during the pandemic when he helped multinational companies, local small businesses, and our NCAC scouts communicate virtually as the country quickly moved to online platforms. He shares his enthusiasm and knowledge with more than four million people a year through books, magazines, websites, and conferences. He is a highly in-demand industry speaker and consultant. He has helped develop conferences since 2003 for the National Association of Broadcasters. He has been a featured speaker at conferences such as Adobe MAX, Photo Plus Expo, Macworld, Photoshop World, and other conferences internationally.

Rich has published more than 40 books on technology topics ranging from Photoshop and PowerPoint to Video Production and Podcasting. Many of them have been translated into other languages. Rich is an avid blogger. He has produced more than 1,000 podcasts to help others learn about creative software and manage their projects effectively. Rich owns and publishes the Photofocus website, which reaches 350,000 viewers each month. His tutorials can be found on LinkedIn Learning, Lynda.com, Creative Cow, and other locations. He enjoys sharing knowledge and helping others expand their creativity.

Rich strives to be friendly, positive, and inclusive in his professional life. He has built a diverse network of colleagues and clients that spans the globe. Rich recognizes that his industry needs more women and diverse voices and works to create opportunities at his company, on his website, and when selecting speakers for conferences. He openly engages others in respectful and friendly ways to create a better future for his industry.

Rich believes in giving back to the scouting community in a variety of ways. He is a former Cub Scout Den Leader (2010 – 2013), Assistant Cubmaster (2013 – 2015), Assistant Scoutmaster (2015 – 2017), and Scoutmaster (2017 – 2019). He is currently an ASM for the girls’ Troop 1533 and Advisor for the Venture Crew 2188.

Rich tries to do a good turn daily by being generous with his time. Rich cheerfully runs merit badges for youth in his troop and at the council level on topics of expertise – including Moviemaking, Photography, and Animation. He helps train adult Scouters to communicate more effectively and inclusively by running training sessions at the University of Scouting. Since the need for Scout-At-Home programs began, he has helped develop these opportunities by working with leadership and scouts alike. He lends his skills and service to his council, helping with messaging and website redesign as the Vice President of Marketing for NCAC.

Congratulations to Rich and his fellow 2021 NOESA Honorees! Eagle alums, let’s stay connected. Join NESA DC today! www.ncacbsa.org/national-eagle-scout-association/

Craig Burkhardt is an attorney and capital partner at Barnes & Thornburg LLP.   He has focused on the representation of clients before the Executive and Legislative agencies of the United States and Illinois State governments for 37 years.  His clients have spanned from individuals, statewide and national business and industrial associations, businesses from technology start-ups, Fortune 500 corporations, to ambassadors, legislative leaders and chief executives of foreign nations.  He also practices election law, and has twice served as president of the Republican National Lawyers Association, and as chief counsel for the Republican leader of the Illinois House of Representatives and general counsel of the Illinois Republican Party. He regularly provides legal and political advice to federal and state Republican candidates and organizations.

His legal career started in 1984 in Springfield, Illinois, where he practiced for 20 years.  Following terrorist attacks on the United States, Craig was appointed by the White House to serve as Chief Counsel for Technology at the U.S. Department of Commerce, leading the legal staff responsible for providing advice to federal technology-related agencies. In that role, he supervised the legal team investigating the New York World Trade Center building and fire safety disaster, for which he was presented a federal gold medal for distinguished scientific and engineering achievement. He also headed the department’s Office of the Chief Counsel for Industry and Security, leading the legal staff responsible for preventing export of dangerous commercial goods to unauthorized entities and providing export administration and enforcement advice to the Bureau of Industry and Security.  In 2006, Craig resumed private legal practice at his firm’s Washington, DC office.  He concentrates on representing companies and foreign countries in their interactions with the United States Government.

Craig has been a leader at the local and national levels of the Boy Scouts of America for 35 years.  His leadership activities have included service as District Chair, Council President, Area President, Region Vice President (Membership), National Venturing Vice-Chair, National BSA Foundation Trustee, National Second Century Society Co-Chair, and Member of the National Advisory Council.  A favorite service was as founding Council President of the Chicago-headquartered Pathway to Adventure Council, which combined four predecessor councils.  This included the council of his youth, where he earned Arrow of Light, Eagle Scout and Quartermaster Sea Scout and was a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow.  He is Scoutmaster of Scouts BSA Troop 248 for Girls in the District of Columbia, which he founded with Barbara, his wife of 35 years, and First Class Scout Gloria Burkhardt.

Congratulations to Craig and his fellow 2021 NOESA Honorees! Eagle alums, let’s stay connected. Join NESA DC today! www.ncacbsa.org/national-eagle-scout-association/

Michael W. Gates, Ph.D. is a Research Entomologist and Research Leader in the Systematic Entomology Laboratory (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service), Beltsville, MD.  He was born in Michigan but spent his formative years in Conway, Arkansas.  He received his B.A. in Biology from Hendrix College, Conway, AR, his M.S. in Entomology from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, OK and Ph.D. in Systematic Entomology from the University of California, Riverside.  Dr. Gates served as a postdoctoral researcher with began his career with the USDA in 2003 as a Support Scientist with the Systematic Entomology Laboratory in Beltsville, MD.

In 2004, he was hired as the USDA’s national parasitic Hymenoptera specialist where his assignment includes research, service identifications, and curation of the Smithsonian’s Chalcidoidea collection (>750,000 specimens). Dr. Gates internationally recognized in Chalcidoidea (superfamily of parasitic wasps) systematics and is a leading expert on the family Eurytomidae.  He has published over 90 manuscripts, including over 70 peer-reviewed papers and 3 book chapters.  His 25+ years of entomological research include investigations within 7 families of Hymenoptera, comprising over 20 genera (two new to science), and over 1,000 species (over 100 new to science).  Among his notable new genera is a Neotropical taxon that lives inside arboreal ant nests and parasitizes an obligate myrmecophilous fly species.  His publications are considered as authoritative and have served as the premise for related research.  His reputation has led to numerous requests where he has organized, moderated, or given invitational or submitted over 50 presentations at the national and international meetings.  He has made more than 5,000 determinations (representing over 25,000 insect specimens) as part of taxonomic services responsibilities at the Systematic Entomology Laboratory.  These determinations are used by federal government agencies for regulatory/trade issues and provide a critical role in protecting the U.S. agriculture.

His was a co-recipient of USDA Beltsville Area Technology Transfer Award, “for extraordinary assistance to APHIS/PPQ at ports in the U.S. and around the world,” 2006.  He has won over $350,000 in extramural grants as principal/co-principal investigator to work on parasitic wasps attacking invasive species (emerald ash borer) or to make web accessible collection holdings in the form of specimen images and label data. He has served as an instructor for the Fairfax County (Virginia) Master Naturalist program since 2014.  He was honored with four patronyms including a new genus, Gatesina colombiana, and three new species: Euplectrus mikegatesi, Mikeius gatesi, and Eurytoma gatesi.   Dr. Gates served as a key person (in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution) in implementing an intern program in the Systematic Entomology Laboratory where volunteers gain educational experiences with the entomology collections. Since 2014, the program hosted over 500 individuals (including underserved and minorities) for nearly 300,000 volunteer hours.

Dr. Gates has been involved in Scouting as a youth (Eagle Scout) and as an adult Scouter serving at the unit level.  He currently is serving as an Assistant Scoutmaster and has attended Philmont twice, once per son. He has served on staff of at 2 National Jamborees (2013 & 2017) teaching the Insect Study merit badge and most recently (2019) as a co-coordinator of the Food Program at the World Scout Jamboree (developing program teaching about food production/security and related topics).

Congratulations to Michael and his fellow 2021 NOESA Honorees! Eagle alums, let’s stay connected. Join NESA DC today! www.ncacbsa.org/national-eagle-scout-association/

Phil Reilly is a retired CIA senior Operations Officer with a decorated 29 year career.  He also served in the US Army Special Forces prior to CIA.  Among the many positions he held, Mr. Reilly served as the CIA’s senior paramilitary officer as Chief of Special Activities Division and was charged with conducting Presidentially directed activities. Mr. Reilly had numerous foreign and domestic assignments including Chief of Station positions in Afghanistan, Europe and in the Far East. He also served as Deputy Chief of Station in Iraq and operated in Latin America and Africa.  Mr. Reilly was the deputy commander of the first USG team to enter Afghanistan two weeks after the 9/11 attacks.

Mr. Reilly is now the Senior Vice President at Orbis Operations, a Senior Advisor at Boston Consulting Group, and an advisor or board member of several companies in the national security, cyber and financial space.

Mr. Reilly is a graduate of Georgetown University, was a Senior Executive Fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School and attended leadership training at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.  He holds numerous awards including the CIA Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal, the Intelligence Star, and the Director of National Intelligence Personal Medallion.

Congratulations to Philip and his fellow 2021 NOESA Honorees!