Senator Dave McCormick (R-Pennsylvania) has announced the appointment of 34 veterans, public servants, and community leaders to two advisory boards that will assist in nominating candidates to U.S. Service Academies.
The boards, divided between eastern and western Pennsylvania, will evaluate applications, conduct interviews, and recommend nominees for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. The U.S. Coast Guard Academy does not require a congressional nomination.
Applicants to the academies must meet admission requirements and secure a congressional nomination to be eligible. McCormick’s nomination portal is open at mccormick.senate.gov/services/academy-nominations.
Eastern Region Advisory Board Members
- Hon. Ryan Aument – U.S. Army veteran, former State Senate Majority Whip, State Director for Sen. McCormick
- Judge Leonard Brown – U.S. Military Academy graduate, U.S. Army veteran, President Judge, Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas
- Ed Buffman – U.S. Navy veteran, co-founder of the Pennsylvania Veterans Museum
- Col. (Ret.) Carmine Cicalese – U.S. Military Academy graduate, retired U.S. Army Colonel, founder of CYBER CIC
- Blaise Conwell – Pennsylvania Air National Guard veteran, retired business leader
- Thomas Coreau – U.S. Navy veteran, Director of Veterans Affairs for Dauphin County
- Col. (Ret.) Bill Dellicker – U.S. Navy and Air National Guard veteran, Air National Guard Hall of Fame inductee
- Bill Doyle – U.S. Military Academy graduate, U.S. Army veteran, business leader
- James Fitzpatrick – U.S. Army veteran, Judge Advocate in the U.S. Army Reserve
- David Galluch – U.S. Naval Academy graduate, U.S. Navy veteran, Managing Director at a defense-focused private equity firm
- Hon. Stacy Garrity – Retired U.S. Army Reserve Colonel, Pennsylvania State Treasurer
- Dave Henderson – U.S. Military Academy graduate, U.S. Army veteran, founder of Stronghold Group
- Col. (Ret.) Tom Manion – U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Naval Academy Foundation Trustee
- Bill McSwain – U.S. Marine Corps veteran, former U.S. Attorney, partner at Duane Morris law firm
- David Miller – Retired U.S. Army officer, corrections lieutenant, Montgomery County Correctional Facility
- Dr. Larry Sherbondy – Citadel graduate, U.S. Air Force veteran
- Earl Stagg – Veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Army National Guard, and Air National Guard
Western Region Advisory Board Members
- Rocky Bleier – U.S. Army veteran, former professional football player, Managing Member of Rocky Bleier Construction Group
- Sam DeMarco – U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Southwest Pennsylvania Regional Director for Sen. McCormick
- Tony Keiser – U.S. Army veteran, Managing Director at RBC Wealth Management
- Lt. Col. (Ret.) Dave Kraft – U.S. Air Force veteran, airline pilot
- Brian Linville – U.S. Naval Academy graduate, U.S. Navy veteran, banker at J.P. Morgan
- Jim Litrun – U.S. Merchant Marine Academy graduate, U.S. Navy veteran, retired sales and marketing professional
- Rich Lockwood – U.S. Merchant Marine Academy graduate, veteran of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army
- Hon. J.D. Longo – U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Mayor of Slippery Rock, Executive Director of Citywide Development Corporation of New Castle
- Hon. Doug Mastriano – Retired U.S. Army Colonel, Pennsylvania State Senator
- Hon. Rob Mercuri – U.S. Military Academy graduate, U.S. Army veteran, former State Representative
- Hon. Natalie Mihalek – U.S. Navy veteran, Pennsylvania State Representative
- Carmella Mullen – Gold Star wife, veterans’ advocate
- John Oliver – U.S. Navy veteran, Purple Heart recipient
- Hon. Devlin Robinson – U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Pennsylvania State Senator
- Ken Staresinic – U.S. Military Academy graduate, U.S. Army veteran, Vice President at Providence Consulting Group
- John Starr – Retired Senior Vice President at SAP, parent of a 2025 U.S. Naval Academy graduate
- Rob Woodings – Parent of a 2019 U.S. Military Academy graduate and U.S. Marine Corps Infantry Captain
