Lieutenant Colonel Jeff W. Bolander, USMC, Retired ('80) is Chairman of the Samuel B. Griffith Foundation's advisory board. He served in command and staff billets worldwide during his military career. Notable assignments include Marine Detachment Commanding Officer, Battleship Iowa in Operation Earnest Will; S-2, Battalion Landing Team 3/5 in Operation Desert Storm; Foreign Area Officer, US Embassy Singapore; military attaché, US Embassy Manila; and Assistant Chief of Staff (G-2), 3d Marine Division. His military education includes the Infantry Officer Course, Amphibious Warfare School, Defense Language Institute, and the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies. Key military awards and decorations include the Navy-Marine Corps Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, and the Republic of the Philippines Legion of Honor. His civilian education includes a B.S. in Political Science from James Madison University, an M.A. in East Asian Studies from the University of Virginia, a certificate in Mandarin Chinese from National Taiwan University, and a certificate in Business Intelligence from Villanova University. He received the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club’s Hawksbill Award for exceptional volunteer service in 2022.

Committee Service