Notable Alumni

Roberto MillerRoberto Miller – Roberto was a member of troop 26 in the 1970s. While a member of the troop, he was known as Bobby. He received his Eagle Rank in 1973. After completing a far too sensible study of computer science in college, Roberto left the country to become a journalist abroad. He wrote articles about sailing, music, and off-beat stories for The Wall Street Journal and other publications. As luck would have it, editors complained about his visual style of writing. They urged him to pick up a camera. He did and a new path soon revealed itself. He returned to the States and took a day-job at Stanford University to produce multimedia while studying film making and screenwriting. Roberto left Stanford to make the first all-digital film, the award-winning Mail Bonding, as reported in American Cinematographer in April 1995. Since then, Roberto has written, produced, and directed stories for the screen, large and small. He owes the “o” in his nickname to family roots in New Orleans and Central America, and is currently completing Mandorla, a feature film about a man with a mysterious calling.

Today, Roberto is the Creative Director at Pure Grain Digital Productions where he makes award-winning digital films that have been broadcast in Europe and the U.S. and screened at film festivals such as Sundance. Roberto also creates award-winning videos and commercials for clients such as HP and Apple.

(Bio predominantly taken from mandorlamovement.com)

Click here to see a trailer for Roberto’ latest movie, Mandorla.


Bill ShafferBill Shaffer – Bill is a legend in the Boys Scouts of America world, having led Tulsa’s Troop 26 as Scoutmaster for the last 45 years. After having been a Scout himself in Troop 26, he became the Scoutmaster in 1969, and in that time he has seen more than 650 of his young men go on to earn Scouting’s highest rank of Eagle Scout. The biggest difference between a boy in the 1970s and today, Shaffer said, is the many factors vying for his time and attention. “There’s more for them to do, it seems, more opportunities that have an impact on their time, from school and church activities to sports trips, band trips, mission trips, you name it,” said Shaffer, 68, who still works full-time hours at Shadow Mountain Behavioral Health System.

(Biography extracted from the Tulsa World.)


gailardGailard Sartain – Sartain attended Cascia Hall Preparatory School, is a 1963 graduate of Will Rogers High School in Tulsa and was a member of the Epsilon Mu chapter of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity at the University of Tulsa, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. In 1968, Gailard moved to New York City, where he worked as an assistant to illustrator Paul Davis. Sartain’s entry into entertainment was launched in Tulsa. Working originally as a cameraman at a local television station, he gained notoriety through the creation of a late night off-the-wall comedy program entitled The Uncanny Film Festival and Camp Meeting. Dressed as a wizard, wearing a dark blue robe and pointed wizard’s cap, Sartain hosted the program as “Dr. Mazeppa Pompazoidi”. Other cast members included fellow Tulsans Gary Busey and Jim Millaway. The program was broadcast on the Tulsa CBS affiliate KOTV and later the ABC affiliate KTUL. It featured B-movies, with skits written and performed by Sartain, Busey and company between the movie segments.

Discovered by a talent scout during his stint as Mazeppa, Sartain was hired in 1972 as a regular on the television program Hee Haw. Sartain remained as a regular cast member of the popular show for nearly 20 seasons. He also served as a regular on other series including Cher (1975–76) and Shields and Yarnell (1978). Sartain played C.D. Parker for one episode during the pilot season of Walker, Texas Ranger. He supplied the voice of a social worker in the pilot episode of the animated series King of the Hill. Sartain also portrayed an advisor to Louisiana Governor Earl Long (played by Paul Newman) in the movie Blaze.

He has appeared in more than forty motion pictures, most notably as The Big Bopper in The Buddy Holly Story, Sheriff Ray Stuckey in Mississippi Burning, The Outsiders, The Hollywood Knights, Fried Green Tomatoes, “The Replacements” as Offensive Assistant Coach Leo Pilachowski,The Big Easy, The Grifters, The Patriot, and an uncredited role in the 1994 comedy Wagons East starring John Candy and Richard Lewis.

One of his most recent roles was in Cameron Crowe’s Elizabethtown. He is also known for his role as Chuck in three of the Ernest P. Worrell movies starring Jim Varney (as well as the Hey Vern, It’s Ernest! television series). With fellow Hey Vern co-star Bill Byrge of Nashville, the duo performed as brothers Chuck and Bobby in a series of “Me and my brother, Bobby…” pitches for local TV stations and product ads.

A successful illustrator, Sartain’s artistic credits range from record cover designs for such artists as Leon Russell (Will O’ the Wisp) to illustrations for nationally published magazines. (Biography extracted from Wikipedia.org.)


Col Bibb2Brigadier General Kenneth Thad Bibb, Jr. Brigadier General Kenneth T. Bibb, Jr., is the commander of the 100th Air Refueling Wing, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, supporting four USAF MAJCOM flying programs and more than 16,800 military, civilian, dependent, and retiree personnel. With 15 KC-135 aircraft, the wing is the only permanently assigned air refueling operation in the European theater.

Brigadier General Bibb received his commission from the United States Air Force Academy in 1991. Since then, he has flown as a flight examiner aircraft commander in the C-12 and C-5, worked as a Presidential Advance Agent on Air Force One, and served as Chief, CSAF Briefing Team at Headquarters Air Force. As a lieutenant colonel, he commanded the 9th Airlift Squadron, Dover Air Force Base, Del. As a colonel on the joint staff, his division led global force posture and Unified Command Plan initiatives. He most recently served as vice commander, 86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein AB, Germany. (Biography primarily adapted from the US Military website.)


Michael GroganMichael Grogan – A graduate of Union High School, Grogan went on to study meteorology at Valparaiso University in northwest Indiana. He graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in meteorology along with a handful of minors. During his college career, he was a member of the Valparaiso University Storm Intercept Team (VUSIT) which allowed him to storm chase in over 15 states across the Midwest and throughout the Plains. Some of his favorite memories are of the weeks he spent chasing severe weather. Grogan also held the position of president of the Northwest Indiana Chapter of the National Weather Association where he served as director for the 6th Annual Great Lakes Meteorology Conference. In 2013 Grogan was awarded the AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist designation.

Following graduation, Grogan traveled to the East Coast to begin his meteorology career. He worked at WHAG-TV in Hagerstown, Maryland through March of 2011. During that time, he covered everything from tropical storms to the infamous “Snowmaggedon” where his viewing area received upwards of 40 inches of snow in less than a week! He was also a feature reporter and began a series called “Grogan on the Go.”  Michael is currently a weatherman in Tulsa’s News On 6. (Biography extracted from the News On 6 website.)


Dr. Robert SmithDr. Robert Smith – Dr. Smith specializes in interventional cardiology including cardiac catheterization, coronary angioplasty, and related interventional procedures such as coronary stents, atherectomy, intravascular ultrasound, and peripheral vascular interventional procedures. Dr. Smith also sees patients in Oklahoma Heart Institute’s Resistant Hypertension Clinic. In addition, he serves as Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine – Tulsa. He completed an Interventional Cardiology Fellowship at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Jacksonville, FL. Dr. Smith performed his Clinical Cardiology Fellowship at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, TN and Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. He received his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in Oklahoma City and then completed his Internal Medicine Internship and Residency at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA. Dr. Smith received his Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK. (Biography extracted from the Oklahoma Heart Institute website.)


Jeff StavaJeff Stava – Jeff is a graduate of Leadership Tulsa (Class 28), Trustee and Vice Chair for the Tulsa Airport Improvement Trust, founding member of the Visit Tulsa Capital Campaign Oversight Committee, Vice Chair of the VisiTulsa Board of Directors, member of the Tulsa Metro Chamber Board and Executive Board of Directors, Trustee and Immediate Past Chairman of the Tulsa Industrial Authority, member of the Board of Governors for Catholic Charities and is a member and officer of Young Presidents Organization. In 2013, Jeff helped recruit the BASSMasters Classic to Tulsa and then served as the Local Organizing Committee Chairman for the event. Jeff currently serves as the project manager for A Gathering Place, a world-class park and recreation area imagined and funded primarily by the George Kaiser Family Foundation.  Jeff and his wife Susie have 2 sons, Will and Luke. (Biography primarily extracted from the Tulsa Community Foundation website.)

 


Joel StinnettJoel Stinnett – Joel is a Principal for Stinnett & Associates, LLC and has been with the firm since its founding in 2001 and is based in Tulsa. With more than 27 years of experience, he has a comprehensive management and operations background. Joel served 13 years active duty in the United States Air Force and continues to serve as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force Reserve instructing pilots for the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. Joel Stinnett is married to Melinda Stinnett.  (Biography Extracted from the Stinnett & Associates website.)

 

 

 


Michael LaskerMichael Lasker – Michael is a talent agent in southern California and was listed by The Hollywood Reporter as one of 2012’s Fastest Rising Stars. After launching his own management company as an undergraduate at USC (Foursight Entertainment), the Tulsa, Okla.-born Lasker, 33, joined Mosaic in 2008 and counts Portlandia’s Jonathan Krisel, The Office’s Ellie Kemper, Modern Family’s Jason Winer and Bad Teacher’s Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky as clients.

BIG BREAK: Before my junior year in college, I had an internship at production company Beacon Communications, which had just gotten the greenlight to do Universal’s Bring It On. Being 20 years old and going down to San Diego to work on a cheerleading movie was not a bad way to spend the summer.  (Biography primarily extracted from The Hollywood Reporter website.)

 


Brian PaschalBrian Paschal – A Memorial High School alumnus, Paschal left Tulsa in fall 1995 to attend the University of Southern California, where he studied filmmaking and business. After graduating, Paschal worked in the L.A. film industry with companies such as DreamWorks, where he was a story developer; Mostow-Lieberman with Universal Pictures, where he was a creative executive; and Hal-Lieberman with Sony Pictures, where he was the head of development and production and, later, executive producer. Brian returned to Tulsa with his family (wife Alex and a son and daughter and a baby on the way at the time of their return to Tulsa). Upon returning to Tulsa, Brian became the Executive Director for Tulsa’s Young Professionals (TYPros). Brian currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Education & Workforce for the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce.  (Biography primarily extracted from TulsaPeople.com.)


Kyle KleineckeKyle Kleinecke – Kyle was born and raised in Tulsa, OK and graduated from Jenks High School in 2000. He was a member of the Vikings patrol and completed his Eagle on 6/9/1999. Afterwards he moved to Dallas, TX and went to college at The Art Institute of Dallas for Video Production. In 2006, he landed his first job in television making local commercials for businesses in Wichita Falls, TX at KFDX an NBC affiliate. After a couple of years, he was promoted to Promotions Director and began advertising the news, weather, sports and special station events. Soon he met his future wife Sara DiMura a reporter at the station. They moved to Shreveport, LA for new job opportunities and got married on 6/8/2012. During this time, Louisiana became known as “Hollywood South” due to the many films being produced in the state. The Louisiana Film Prize, a Shreveport based film festival popped up the year Kyle and Sara moved to town. The Louisiana Film Prize offers $50,000 to the winner of the festival. It’s the largest cash prize of any short film festival in the country. Kyle, being an avid movie buff, immediately got plugged in and was the editor for “Scotch on the Rocks” a short film finalist. The next year his dream of directing a short film was realized with “The Pickle” a small-town country comedy based on a true story that he co-wrote and edited. “The Pickle” did not win the grand prize but received the Founder’s Circle Award. The short film has since gone on to play at many festivals across the nation and has received other awards most notably winning the Best Comedy Short Film at Milledgeville Film Festival in Georgia. His sophomore short film, “The Root Cellar” a suspenseful drama also made the TOP 20 of the Louisiana Film Prize and has gone on to many other festivals winning Best Thriller at Red Dirt Film Festival in Stillwater, OK, Best Short Film at Bare Bones Film Festival in Muskogee, OK and a Platinum Remi Award for Best Dramatic Short at WorldFest Houston. He is currently working on his next short film and has hopes of directing a feature film in a few years.


Tom DittusTom Dittus – Tom Dittus was one of Bill Shaffer’s first Troop 26 recruits back in 1969. Tom, then Tommy, was in bill’s Sunday School class at Good shepherd Lutheran Church. Tom’s older brother Mitch Dittus was a previous member of Troop 26 but was gone by the time Bill arrived in January of 1969. Tom earned his Eagle Scout Award in 1972. He attended Nathan Hale High School and then graduated from Oklahoma State university in 1981 with a degree in public relations. Tom went into the restaurant business, honing his skills as General Manager at Eskimo Joes in Stillwater OK for 13 years. Tom went on to open his own restaurant, the Blue Rose on Peoria in 1991. He also opened the Steam Roller Blues and BBQ in several Tulsa locations. Tom made an agreement with the Tulsa River Parks Authority to open a restaurant on the East Bank of the Arkansas River, the Blue Rose and Elwood’s Cabana Restaurant, opening in 1981 with decor provided by the Cains Ballroom. Tom had a great dad, the late Jim Dittus, and “is” a great dad to daughter Kennadee. Tom continues to be a major player in the continued economic growth of the City of Tulsa.


Rick HayesRick Hayes – To say that Rick Hayes is a “Notable Troop 26 Alumni” is an understatement. Rick joined Troop 26 back in the 60’s, and with the exception of a stint in college, never really left Troop 26. He met Bill Shaffer at the door in January of 1969 for Bill’s first Monday night meeting as Scoutmaster. He is still there as the Troop 26 Advancement Chairman and has mentored hundreds of scouts in their journey towards Eagle. Rick earned his own Eagle Scout Award in 1969, one of Bill’s very first Eagle Scouts. He was Troop 26’s 13th Eagle Scout and Bill’s 3rd Eagle Scout. Since then Rick has seen two sons, Jason and Josh, earn the Eagle Rank, has seen Josh become a valued member of the adult staff, and has seen two grandsons, Caleb and Camryn, join the Troop. Rick is totally trained, a Woodbadge graduate, a Pine Tree Scoutmaster, a Silver Beaver recipient, a National Jamboree participant and a Philmont veteran. He is a Vigil member of the Order of the Arrow. He gives his heart and soul to Troop 26 year in and year out. And he still has time to be a major player in his church. Rick will be attending a mission trip with his church members in the summer of 2017.


Ben PascoeBen Pascoe – Ben and his older brother were members of Troop 26 in the early 2000’s. He earned his Eagle Scout award in 2005. In addition to Scouting, Ben was very active in youth activities at the Boston Avenue Methodist Church in downtown Tulsa and as a young adult entered Seminary. He became the Senior Pastor at Otterbein United Methodist Church in Langley Oklahoma, was then reappointed to Elk City United Methodist Church. Ben was recently commissioned as an Elder in the UMC. The next step in his journey will be Ordination. In his Troop 26 days, Ben was well known for his fun loving approach to life, his humor, and his ability to make friends with anyone.


Ed WrightEd Wright – Ed, “Eddie”, was a scout in Troop 26 back in the 70’s. He earned his Eagle Scout Award in 1975. A star basketball player in Jr. High and at Nathan Hale H.S., Ed went on to graduate from the University of Texas Medical School in San Antonio, Texas, in 1988. Dr. Wright currently lives in Pflugerville Texas with his wife. They have three grown children. Dr. Wright has been in medical practice for 29 years. He is a practicing pediatrician specializing in physical medicine & rehabilitation and psychiatry. Ed is currently the Medical Director of the Mobility Program for children with disabilities at the Dell Children’s Medical Center in Texas.


Is there a notable Troop 26 Alum that you would like to nominate to be included in the Hall of Fame? Click here to submit your nomination.