Our Staff

Dan Rooney Founder and President

Major Dan Rooney is the founder of the Folds of Honor Foundation and Patriot Golf Day, a former F-16 pilot in the Oklahoma Air National Guard, a golf course owner, a residential developer and a PGA Professional.

For his work with Folds of Honor Foundation, Rooney has received the White House's Presidential Volunteer Service Award, the Air National Guard's Distinguished Service Medal, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and The PGA of America's Inaugural Patriot Award. He has also been recognized as one of People Magazine's 2008 Heroes of the Year and one of ABC World News Tonight's Persons of the Year for 2008. A Major in the Air National Guard and a decorated military aviator, Rooney served three combat tours in Iraq. He is a two-time recipient of the coveted "Top Gun" award and was honored with the "Spirit of Attack" award as a top graduate of F-16 training. He has received many decorations to include the Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Medal, Anti-terrorism Medal, Combat Readiness Medal, and Air Expeditionary Medal.

Rooney has continued his golf career as a majority owner of the historic Grand Haven (MI) Golf Club, ranked in the "Top 50 Public Courses in the Nation" by Golf Digest. Rooney is a majority owner of The Patriot, a Robert Trent Jones, Jr-designed course currently under construction near Tulsa, OK. The Patriot will soon be the home to the Folds of Honor Foundation headquarters. A percentage of all profits, guest play, as well as member contributions from The Patriot directly benefit the Folds of Honor Foundation.

Rooney travels the nation on a regular basis as a speaker with the Washington Speakers Bureau, which he deems a great honor. To learn more about booking Major Rooney for your event, visit www.http://www.washingtonspeakers.com/speakers/speaker.cfm?SpeakerID=7278

Dan and his wife, Jacqy, live in Broken Arrow, OK with their four daughters, Victoria, Tatum, Mia and Reese.

Susan Erler Executive Assistant to Major Rooney

Susan Erler is no stranger to the Owasso area having lived here for over 37 years. She is a graduate of Owasso High School and is married to her high school sweetheart Eric, whom she met in the 4th grade! Susan’s military ties run deep. Her father, who recently passed away on July 4th, 2010, was a Navy veteran. Her husband Eric is a Senior Master Sergeant in the Oklahoma Air National Guard and has been in the Air Force for over 24 years. While serving, he has completed 9 overseas tours of duty, including time spent in Iraq, and Kuwait. Together they have 2 sons. Brandon, age 21, is in the Air Force and recently graduated with honors from Air Force Basic and technical school. He is now serving with the OK Air National Guard, located in Tulsa, OK. Jordan, age 19, is in the Army and, after completing basic training, will serve as an Airborne Ranger based out of Fort Benning, Georgia. Susan is a former Mrs. Oklahoma and has extensive experience working in the field of not-for-profits. She is thrilled to be a part of the Folds of Honor team and is proud to work for the families of our fallen soldiers.

Bruce Butters Senior Vice President, Director of Operations

Bruce Butters is a retired colonel with the United States Air Force, a decorated F-16 pilot, and an amateur golf enthusiast. He is a 10th Generation Patriot dating back to April 19th, 1775 where seven ancestors participate in the battles of Concord and Lexington, the start of the Revolutionary War. His duties as Director of Operations for the Folds of Honor Foundation include overseeing the scholarship program, the Folds of Honor Foundation budget, and donor services. As a retired colonel, Bruce Butters commanded at multiple levels in the Air Force to include most recently, Air Commander of the 138th Fighter Wing, Tulsa, Oklahoma where he was responsible for an annual budget in excess of $40 million and supervised over 350 full time and 1200 part time personnel. For his work in this capacity, Butters received the Air Force Legion of Merit for outstanding service to his country. Butters piloted over 4300 hours in the F-16 fighter aircraft and served five combat tours in the Middle East. He was awarded two Air Medals and one Aerial Achievement Medal for combat operations along with 10 combat readiness medals. Butters is a distinguished graduate and former instructor of the United States Air Force Fighter Weapons School and received numerous “Top Gun” awards for his flying ability. Butters graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of New Hampshire and a Masters from Embry-Riddle University. He currently resides in the City of Coweta, Oklahoma with lifelong companion, Rita Miller.

Ed Pulido Vice President, Director of Public Relations

Major Ed Pulido, U.S. Army (Ret.) is the Vice President of the Folds of Honor Foundation a Veteran’s charity which provides the spouses and children of the fallen and wounded educational scholarships. Additionally, he is the Founder of Warriors for Freedom a leadership institute focused on the mental, physical and holistic recovery of our wounded warriors and their families. Finally, Major Ed is the Founder of Patriots for Warriors and Warrior Nation, a company focused on the rights of liberty, freedom and patriotism. Major Pulido has a degree in Military Science, Marketing, and Criminal Justice and a Masters Degree in Logistics Management/ Human Relations. He attained the Rank of Major in his 19-year military career and on May 16, 2005, he was medically retired from the United States Army.

On the 17th of August, 2004, Major Pulido hit an Improvised Explosive Device (I.E.D) or roadside bomb while serving with the Coalition Military Assistance Training Team under the command of General David Petraeus. Due to the extensive injuries to his left knee, doctors had to amputate his left leg on October 1, 2004. For his heroism and valor on that August day, the President of the United States along with General David Petraeus awarded him the Bronze Star with valor, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, and Joint Service Commendation and Achievement Medals.

Major Pulido’s story of courage and sacrifice has been featured in Time Magazine, PGA Magazine, Fox News, CNN and many national and local Oklahoma City television stations and print media. Since, his amputation, Major Pulido has been a staunch advocate for veterans with disabilities, specifically focusing on advocacy efforts to promote prosthetic technologies with Ortho Care Innovations, peer visiting with fellow amputees at Brooke and Walter Reed Medical Centers, and raising awareness on the needs of veterans with PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injuries (T.B.I) on behalf of the DOD and VA Real Warriors National Campaign.

He has received countless awards including the prestigious Disabled American Veteran of the Year Award, the Hero’s award from the American Red Cross, the Reaching our City Award, OKC Thunder/Devon Energy Community Hero Award, and the Daughters of the American Revolution Veteran Patient Award. Additionally, he has received the Valley Forge Freedom Foundation Award for national and state level service and the Tuskahoma Brown Miller Award for outstanding leadership.

On a personal note, Major Pulido during his time in the hospital experienced the inner darkness of depression, PTSD, and suicidal ideation that would cripple his positive spirit. This inner darkness he describes as a "deep wounding of a soldiers spirit”. It was at that time that he understood that as a Warrior he could not walk alone in this journey. In that moment, he asked for help from his God, Country, his family and the American people. The result of this intervention would put his life on the road to recovery. It would also be the building block for his understanding the inner wounds of war and making sure that mental health is a focus of the Department of Defense and the VA.

Major Pulido currently serves on the boards of the Mental Health Association, Pros 4 Vets, Oklahoma 211 and Operation Homefront. He is a national and global spokesperson for the DOD and VA Real Warriors National Campaign and he chairs the Oklahoma Veterans Policy Academy a partnership with the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services with a mission to address the mental health needs of returning service members, Veterans and their families. Ed Pulido has been married to Karen Pulido for 20 years. He has a daughter Kaitlin and a daughter Kinsley. He and his family reside in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Ben Leslie Director of Corporate Partnerships

Reporting directly to the President, Major Dan Rooney, Ben is responsible for establishing and maintaining partner relationships as well as securing new relationships for Folds of Honor Foundation. He manages all partnership programs and other cause-related events by involving major corporate partner relationships, with a primary emphasis on golf industry clients and similar associations that strongly believe in supporting our military and their families. Ben manages all business relationships, including engagement of corporations and private foundations. He also manages communications, website, and marketing presence with an outside agency. Ben coordinates the cause marketing and partnership program efforts. Ben is from Tulsa, OK and resides with his wife and their son in Owasso, OK. He graduated from Oklahoma State University and assists OSU Alumni Association Tulsa Chapter, Tulsa Young Professionals (TYPros), and Leadership Tulsa. Ben may be reached via email at bleslie@foldsofhonor.org or (918) 704-4475.

Chad Wooten Controller/Accountant

Chad Wooten is a retired Chief Petty Officer with the United States Navy, and an avid fan of the game of golf. His tours of duty took him from a small town in Ohio, to far-flung locales around the globe, such as Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Brazil, among others. His duties as Controller for the Folds of Honor Foundation include overseeing the accounting functions, financial reporting, budgeting, cash management, payroll, audit facilitation, and variance analyses, as well as human resources and benefits administration. Prior to retiring as a Chief Electronics Technician, Chad served in several roles in the Norfolk and Virginia Beach area, such as three tours as an advanced electronics instructor, and as the electronics maintenance supervisor aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69). His expert leadership guided a division of 66 technicians to an unprecedented three consecutive awards of Outstanding during comprehensive command-level inspections. As an instructor, he managed $500k quarterly training budgets, and streamlined courses of instruction to achieve a reduction of $551k in annual training costs. For his work in this capacity, he earned his second Navy Commendation Medal for outstanding service to his country. After retiring from the Navy, Chad spent several years in public accounting, with a focus on taxation, in Richmond, VA, and Tulsa, OK. Chad graduated Magna Cum Laude from Saint Leo University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and Accounting.

Marsha Maxwell Director of Scholarships

An Oklahoma native, Marsha Maxwell earned a B.S. in Education from Oklahoma State University, followed by a M.Ed. in Secondary Education and a Juris Doctor from The University of Tulsa College of Law. She was admitted to the Oklahoma Bar Association in 2000. From 1999 to 2008, Maxwell practiced in personal injury, medical malpractice, bankruptcy and social security law. During a 27-year adventure as a military spouse, Maxwell taught for 15 years in secondary education in Oklahoma and Texas as well as Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DoDDS) in Germany. Her education experience further extended to the post-secondary classroom as an adjunct professor for the University of Maryland where she taught public speaking courses to active duty military at Hessisch Oldendorf Air Station, Germany. Most recently she taught undergraduate courses for Tulsa Community College. Maxwell gained informal yet extensive experience in counseling military wives and families through chaplain services. Through her service as Welfare Treasurer for Eglin Air Force Base Officers Wives Club, Maxwell garnered experience with organization and community relations. In 2008, her strong background in writing and editing led to the position as Grant Writer and Title X Director for a local non-profit. Maxwell was responsible for directing and coordinating the overall operation of a Title X federal grant, supported by a budget of over $1.5 million. She comes to the Folds of Honor Foundation committed to the mission and eager to serve the families of our country’s heroes.

Tony Biata, PGA Director of Patriot Golf Day

A member of the Professional Golfers’ Association of America since 1992, Biata volunteered his time to the Central New York section of the PGA in every official capacity since 1996 as a Board Member, Secretary/Treasurer, Vice President, President and most recently Honorary President. His duties as the Director of Patriot Golf Day include acting as a liaison between the PGA of America and the Folds of Honor Foundation to assist the 28,000 PGA/LPGA members in growing public awareness of Patriot Golf Day. His main objective is to inform golfers nationwide that Patriot Golf Day, although initially developed as a Labor Day initiative, it is quickly becoming a year round event where courses can individually design their own model of how best to support the foundation’s mission. Biata is a two-time CNYPGA Golf Professional of the Year (2005 & 2010) and has also been the recipient of seven other special recognition awards. He was named one of Golf Digest’s Top 400 Instructors in the U.S as well as one of GOLF Magazine’s Top Ten Teachers in New York. In 1999, Biata co-founded the CNY Junior Golf Foundation for the greater Syracuse area benefiting inner-city youth, coordinated one of the most successful Clubs-4-Kids programs in upstate New York and served as the Director of Instruction for the 2004 Syracuse Tiger Woods Festival. Originally from upstate New York, Biata relocated to Owasso in August, 2011 with his wife, Laurel and son, Michael.

David Butts Manager of Scholarship Services

David joined Folds of Honor staff in August 2010. In his current role, David assists the Director of Scholarships with Immediate and Future Use Scholarship applications by importing applicant data into the database and expediting the application process for each individual who applies for a Folds of Honor Scholarship. He is also responsible for the Named Scholarship program. Having had a brother that served in the Iraq war, David is particularly committed to the Folds of Honor Mission. Prior to joining the Folds of Honor, David worked at The Patriot Golf Club in Owasso, OK and at the Royal Poinciana Golf Club in Naples, Florida. David is continuing his education at Oklahoma State University. He is a member of Tulsa Young Professionals, and resides in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Ginny Creveling Chief Development Officer

Ginny Creveling is the Chief Development Officer of the Folds of Honor Foundation, Inc. where she is responsible for strategic planning and alliances, program initiatives, board development, donor relations, and diversifying and expanding the Foundation's donor base and revenue streams. From 2000 to 2009, Creveling was Executive Director of the ONEOK Foundation, Inc., the charitable arm of ONEOK, Inc., a Fortune 500 diversified energy company headquartered in Tulsa, OK. From 1993 to 2009 she served as Manager of ONEOK's corporate responsibility program. As Executive Director of the ONEOK Foundation, she managed a charitable budget that awarded more than $10 million in grants annually through various programs throughout the company's business locations in the U.S., primarily in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Her responsibilities also included establishing strategic business plans that aligned charitable contributions with corporate goals and participating in nonprofit-corporate networks and partnerships to advance goals for community improvement. From 1992 to 1993, Creveling served as Director of Staff for the 1993 National Governors Association Annual Meeting, one of the largest and most high-profile events Tulsa had ever hosted. Before that, she served for eight years as Director of Public Relations at The Westin Hotel, a job she was offered after her success chairing the inaugural "Taste of Tulsa" benefit for Big Brothers and Sisters in 1985. Creveling was born in Manila to Filipino parents who were American citizens. (During World War II, her father, a member of the Filipino Army, was commissioned on the battlefield into the U.S. Army, an act that granted him citizenship. He went on to serve in the Korean War and survived three tours of duty in Vietnam.) She learned English as a second language alongside her native Tagalog and moved to the U.S. with her family when she was seven years old, growing up on five different U.S. Army bases. Creveling earned an MBA from Oklahoma City University (magna cum laude, 2000) as well as a B.S. in Nursing, R.N. from The University of Tulsa (cum laude, 1984). She has served on numerous boards, including the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice, The Child Abuse Network, and the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa. She is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma and also a member of Leadership Tulsa and the Junior League of Tulsa. She was TulsaPeople Magazine's 2005 Tulsan of the Year and received the Newsmaker Award from the Association of Women I n Communications in 2006. In 2007, she was awarded the Outstanding Business Alumna Award by the University of Tulsa College of Business. Creveling was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame in 2007.