Board of Directors

JROTC Leadership Advantage

The Board of Directors for JLA is comprised of individuals who have made a lasting and significant impact on JROTC and the Cadets who are involved. While all have been associated with Marine Corps JROTC, JLA seeks to improve the scholarship and educational opportunities for all service JROTC programs.

CEO and Chairman of the Board, Richard Schafer

After retiring from active duty in 2000 in the United States Marine Corps, Major Schafer (USMC, Ret.) became the Senior Marine Instructor at Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In 2005, he earned a Masters’ in Education focusing on Teaching from the University of Sioux Falls.  In 2007, he was appointed as Region Director, Region One MCJROTC where he had oversight responsibility for fifty JROTC units across the Northeast United States. In 2015, after retiring from government service, he founded the nonprofit JROTC Leadership Advantage, a 501 (c)(3) with a mission to provide academic scholarships and educational opportunities for High School JROTC cadets. In subsequent years, JLA has led initiatives in STEM education through summer camps and financial scholarships.

Charles Delair

Upon retirement from active duty in 2003, Col Delair (USMC, Ret) was hired as the MCJROTC Senior Marine Instructor (SMI) at Ruskin High School in Kansas City, Missouri where he remained until 2007. During his tenure, he coached the MCJROTC drill team, attending multiple meets with competitive success. Additionally, he planned and led two leadership camps: one at Fort McCoy Wisconsin, and one at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. In July 2007 Col Delair was hired as the MCJROTC Director, Region Two, where he served for nearly 12 years. In that capacity he was directly responsible for the oversight and operational success of multiple MCJROTC programs throughout the Southeast. He is credited with establishing several Regional Competitions, Conferences, and Leadership Camps. He is especially proud of his development and successful integration of the Region Two Leadership Camp with the National Flight Academy, Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida. An annual summer event, this camp was available to 100+ MCJROTC cadets, focusing on small unit leadership, physical training, and developmental STEM skills. Whether training active-duty Marines, or educating MCJROTC cadets, Col Delair has spent his entire military and post military career applying his knowledge, wisdom, and experience developing the youth of our country. It is this passion and dedication that he brings to the Board of Directors, MCJROTC Leadership Advantage.

Mark Newbold

LtCol Mark Newbold (USMC, Ret) has been involved with the USMC JROTC since the Summer of 2000. He was the Senior Marine Instructor (SMI) at Desert Pines High School, Las Vegas, Nevada, from August 2000 until June, 2007. In July of 2007 he was named as the Region Director, Region 3, MCJROTC. The following summer he was named as the Region Director, Region 4. Upon reorganization of the MCJROTC Program, he assumed duties as the Program Compliance and Curriculum Officer. He has been deeply involved in Cadet Leadership and Development. for more than 25 years.

Samyra Rogers

Gunnery Sergeant Samyra Rogers (USMC, Ret) began her JROTC teaching career at McLean Middle School in Fort Worth, Texas in 2007 after retiring from active service. She focused on helping her cadets grasp the importance of citizenship and leadership, while also encouraging them to value community service.  In 2009 she accepted a high school JROTC position as Marine Instructor at Milford Mill Academy in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2015 GySgt Rogers transferred to a new start up Marine Corps JROTC unit at St. Charles High School in Waldorf, Maryland, a position she held until her retirement in 2021. Throughout her JROTC career, Samyra Rogers has been committed to building the unit while perfecting the cadet’s academic skills. She actively volunteered at Camp Outdoor Odyssey in Pennsylvania and various Cyber-STEM summer leadership camps.  Although now retired from teaching MCJROTC, GySgt Rogers continues to focus on providing scholarship and educational opportunities for cadets through her participation with JROTC Leadership Advantage. Her desire to make a difference in the JROTC community reaches every branch of the military JROTC programs.

Ms. Sheila Warren

Ms. Sheila Warren is a native of upstate New York and attended undergraduate school at the College of Charleston, SC earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education. She was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in December 1988.  In December 1990, she deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of Desert Shield/Desert Storm.  Ms. Warren left the Marine Corps as a Captain in 1993 to pursue a career in Sports Medicine.  After teaching and coaching for nearly ten years, Ms. Warren was recruited by the Marine Corps JROTC Program Director and asked to combine her background in Education and her service in the Marine Corps to serve as the Program Support Branch Manager, Supply Officer, Fiscal Officer, and Transportation Officer for the Marine Corps JROTC program. She was responsible for managing a $33M annual budget and ensured the accountability of $53M in US Government property.  She served the MCJROTC Program for 18 years providing deep continual support to cadets and instructors. She lives in Northern VA with her son, Jeramiah, who is currently a high school freshman.  She loves kayaking and gardening and is the Old Guard die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan.

Jeff Richardson

Colonel Jeff Richardson (USMC, Ret.) served twenty-seven years in the U.S. Marine Corps and Marine Reserves. His billets included serving as a Judge Advocate, Motor Transport Company Commander, Naval Justice School Instructor, Adjutant to the 25th Marine Infantry Regiment and finally as a Marine Liaison Officer to the U.S. Navy. After retiring from the USMCR in 2008, he taught Marine Corps JROTC in Boston, Massachusetts and in 2015, he became the Senior Marine Instructor at Tolman High School, Pawtucket, RI. While leading this unit in Rhode Island, he planned, organized, and conducted several annual 5-day cadet leadership camps on Naval Station Newport, RI for approximately 225 Marine JROTC Cadets from 12 different schools. The Tolman H.S. program was named a USMC JROTC Honor School in 2018. He retired from teaching in 2024.