The National Eagle Scout Association (NESA) awarded 11 Eagle Scouts with the Outstanding Eagle Scout Award to recognize their professional accomplishments, four of whom have worked in government affairs and connect their achievements back to Scouting.
The NOESA was established in 2010 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Scouting America. The award recognizes Eagle Scouts who have demonstrated achievements beyond their Scouting experiences. On April 22, 2025, the NOESA will be presented to the Eagle Scouts at an awards dinner in Arlington, Virginia.
Andrew York, vice president for head of global government affairs at Tyson Foods, feels humbled to receive this distinguished award.
“It means a lot,” York said. “It’s an incredible honor to be recognized by fellow Scouts.”
York oversees all governmental affair activities by leading the federal, state, local, and international governmental affairs teams. He has been part of Tysons Food since 2022 where he started as the vice president for government affairs. Before Tysons Food, York worked at General Motors Company as the executive director for federal affairs from 2015 to 2022.
The U.S. Senate has also been a place of opportunity for York, including working for Senator Mark Pryor. He started as a legislative assistant, became a legislative director, then rose to become his chief of staff.
York started as a Cub Scout then became part of Troop 71 in Conway, Arkansas within the Quapaw Area Council. Because of the leadership opportunities in Scouting, York believes it helped him professionally.
“I was in Scouts to play an active role in the management of my Troop, which helped in my professional life as the leader of an organization,” York said.
Not only does York recognize the leadership skills he developed, but he also appreciates how Scouting teaches individuals to be present within their communities and to help others.
“Scouting and some of the other things I did reinforce the notion that everybody has an obligation to be part of a community.”
To continue showing support for his community, York has been a volunteer head coach for Capitol Hill Little League since 2016.
Thomas Cochran is a retired physicist who worked for the National Resources Defense Council. He started as a senior scientist for the NRDC in 1973 and held the Wade Greene Chair for Nuclear Policy. In 1990, he became director of the nuclear program until 2007. He officially retired in 2011 but remained a consultant and volunteer for the organization.
Cochran published numerous books based on his specialties for environmental and nuclear issues. For example, he is the author of The Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor: An Environmental and Economic Critique, which was published in 1974.
As a Scout, Cochran was part of Troop 87 in the Middle Tennessee Council. He acknowledged the impact Scouting had on his life.
“[Scouting] developed a camaraderie with other people your age that I would not have otherwise.”
Cochran also believes in the importance of the merit badge process for youth.
“Going through the merit badge process puts you in a position to engage in a task and complete it, and that had an impact.”
Richard Meyers is another retired awardee who worked in the government as a forensic chemist for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, which is a law enforcement agency within the Department of Justice. Meyers participated in 1,400 explosive investigations and testified as an expert witness for over 100 cases. He also developed a training course for advanced explosives investigative techniques and a curriculum for teaching the systematic analysis of low explosives.
Meyers was part of Troop T162 for NCAC in Arlington, Virginia. He believes earning his Eagle and Silver Explorer allowed him to accomplish his goals.
“By having both, I was able to get things done with my government, what I did with the military, and it really helped.”
Reflecting on his experience testifying in court, he often would refer back to the Scout law.
“I went through the 12 points of Scout law, and that helped me get throughout a lot of cases that I worked on.”
Chris Marston, principal of Election CFO, has dedicated years of service to electoral campaign finance and election law. Marston founded Election CFO, which is a political consulting firm that provides services to Republican campaigns and party committees. Because of his work in protecting the honesty and accuracy of campaigns, the Republican National Lawyers Association awarded Marston with its Robert J. Horn Chairman’s Award.
Marston was a member of Troop 96 in the Detroit Area Council. He believes the accomplishments he has achieved are because of the experiences and leadership skills he developed in Scouting.
“Those values and the leadership skills have paid off in all the roles I’ve had since then. I’ve worked in Congress; I’ve worked in the executive branch,” Marston said. “I’m now in the private sector and applying those skills and values that were among the reasons for my success in all those roles and in getting those roles.”
These four nominees are incredibly honored by the opportunity to receive this award and recognize the life-long commitment of Scouting, which has helped them achieve many of their accomplishments.
“I’ve always been really proud to be an Eagle Scout,” Marston said. “To have this recognition of my accomplishments outside Scouting is really a great honor.”
