Our council is led by volunteers and supported by staff. The top position is our council president, who leads our 60 member board of directors and is selected through a nominating committee process and elected to serve a two-year term. The president and board hire the Scout Executive, who guides and manages our council employees. Rounding out our top leadership team is the council commissioner, appointed by the board, who directs the volunteers that work directly with leaders of Scouting groups to help them succeed.
Meet our top council leadership team, known as our Council Key Three:
Daniel J. Zedan
PRESIDENT
Starting as a Cub Scout in the Detroit Area Council, Dan has been a registered Scouter for 61 years having served in seven different councils. The first Eagle Scout of Troop 572, Detroit Area Council, Dan has gone on to serve as a Webelos Den Leader, Cubmaster, Unit Committee Chairman, Scoutmaster, Crew Advisor, Chanonee District Training Chairman, Chanonee District Chairman, Three Fires Council Outdoor Program Chairman and Council Capital Campaign Chairman. He has been a member of the Three Fires Council Executive Board since 2004 and accepted the position of Council Commissioner in January 2015. In 2012 he served as the Three Fires Council Wood Badge Course Director, earning his fourth Wood Badge bead. In 2020 he accepted the position of President, Three Fires Council.
Dan has hiked Philmont Scout ranch five times in four different decades, canoed the Boundary Waters High Adventure Base three times, the Florida Sea Base once, served on the Centennial National Jamboree staff in 2010 at Fort AP Hill as well as the 2017 Jamboree at The Summit serving on the Bravo Base Camp Commissioner Staff.
In addition to being an Eagle Scout, Dan has received the Distinguished Commissioner Award (Three Fires Council), the District Award of Merit (Chanonee District), the Silver Beaver Award (Three Fires Council), the ‘On My Honor’ religious award (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), the ‘St. George’ religious award (Episcopal Church) and the Vigil Honor (Order of the Arrow).
A 1973 graduate of the US Merchant Marine Academy, Dan retired with the rank of Captain from the US Coast Guard in July 2001. He is a Vietnam Era, Desert Shield/Desert Storm and Operation Uphold Democracy Veteran and ended his career at the Pentagon serving as the Coast Guard’s liaison to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is the owner and President of Nature’s Finest Foods, Ltd., Batavia, IL and the Vice President of Navarro Pecan Company in Corsicana, TX. In his ‘spare’ time he enjoys scale and model railroading, riding his Harley Davidson Ultra and traveling with his wife of twenty-three years, Judith. He has five children, twenty-one grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
David George
COUNCIL COMMISSIONER
David George is a third-generation scouter and an Eagle Scout. In his youth, he hiked Philmont, attended the 1977 National Jamboree and worked 4 summers as a camp counselor at his local Hawkeye Area Council (Iowa) Boy Scout camp. As an adult, he has served as a volunteer in all facets of the unit, district, and council program including as Cubmaster, Scoutmaster and Roundtable Commissioner. He teaches at Merit Badge University and Training Academy and serves on the Three Fires Council (TFC) Executive Board.
Dave attended Philmont, Sea Base and Boundary Waters with his son, earning the Triple Crown. His proudest moment in scouting was when his son earned Eagle. Dave attended Wood Badge in 2009 and has served on five council Wood Badge staffs, leading it as Course Director in 2018. He is currently the Wood Badge Advisor, serves as a Camp Master at Camp Big Timber, is on the Eagle Dinner Committee and will be a Scoutmaster for a TFC contingent troop to the 2023 National Jamboree. He has been awarded the District Award of Merit and the Silver Beaver.
Professionally, Dave is the owner of Dogtopia, a dog daycare, boarding and grooming facility in South Elgin. Prior to Dogtopia, he had a 30-year corporate career with Honeywell, Primedia and Ideal Industries serving in various Marketing, Communications and Sales leadership roles.
Dave graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Marketing. He is married to Sue George, and they have two children.
Clint Scharff
SCOUT EXECUTIVE/CEO
Clint graduated from the University of Florida with a major in US History and a minor in Secondary Education. Clint has been actively involved with community organizations as a lifelong Rotarian, Paul Harris fellow, and member of the Masonic lodge. Clint's volunteer involvement with Scouting includes serving as a den Leader (5 years), Troop Committee Chair (8 years) and Crew Advisor (4 years). He is also very active in his Church, where he has served as SPRC Chair, Trustees Chair and Missions Chair for the UMC.
Clint began his Scouting career as District Executive at the Southwest Florida Council in Ft. Myers, FL. He became Field Director, Director of Support Services, Director of Field Services, and then Deputy Scout Executive with the Lincoln Heritage Council, Louisville, KY.
Clint is an Eagle Scout, Vigil Honor Member of the Order of the Arrow, and enjoys hiking & camping.
Clint and his wife, Susan, have 2 children: James and Hannah, both graduated from the University of Kentucky.