Southern Region Leadership
Tom McMullen
Regional Commodore
Rodney Carpenter
Regional Director
Ronald Cain
Regional Boatswain
If you are interested in joining or starting a Sea Scout ship in Southern Region (which consists of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Tennessee, and parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia) please contact us using the “Southern Region Contact” form below and to the left. We’ll do everything we can to help you! Meanwhile there are some good resources for new ships on this site – check out the New Leader section under Resources above.
The Southern Region Quarterdeck for 2018-2019
Ronald is from from Ship 106 “Loggerheads” of Greater Tampa Area Bay Council. Ron previously served as the Area 4 boatswain and has helped charter multiple new ships in creative ways. For example, Ron helped charter four new ships in his home council and one in the North Florida Council. Additionally, Ron completed Sea Scout Adult Leader Basic Training and Seabadge in 2018. He is heavily involved in the Order of the Arrow, serving as the Lodge Chief of Uh-To-Yeh-Hut-Tee lodge 89 from 2017 to 2019 and is a Vigil Honor member. He is an Eagle Scout and an Ordinary Sea Scout.
Zachary is a member of Ship 626, SSS Nahar of Longhorn Council. He currently holds the rank of Apprentice but is close to earning the rank of Ordinary. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout on September 12, 2016 with Troop 1097 of Arlington, Texas. After earning the rank of Eagle Scout he has held many leadership position in his scouting career including: Ship 626 Boatswain, Longhorn Council VOA Vice President of Administration, and Yapahi Chapter Chief of Netopalis Sipo Schipinachk, Order of the Arrow Lodge.
Zachary currently attends Angelo State University where he studies Intelligence, Security Studies, and Analysis. On campus, he is a current member of the Residence Hall Association Executive Board and is a member of the Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity. When Zachary is not busy studying or at a scouting event he enjoys listening to music, hammocking or sailing.
Nick is from Sam Houston Area Council and is a member of the Crew of Ship 24, the Jolly Roger. He has previously served as the Yeoman, Storekeeper and Boatswain of Ship 24, and the Boatswain of the SHAC Fleet. Outside of scouts he is involved on his schools debate team, a variety of clubs and is a member of its Army JROTC unit, serving as the Battalion Commander. He is also an active member of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary. He also hopes to attend a Service Academy and pursue a career in the Armed Forces.
Tiana has served as Sea Scout Ship 1’s Boatswain of Coastal Carolina Council sponsored by America’s Boating Club of Charleston, South Carolina (formally known as Charleston Sailing and Power Squadron) and as Area 5 Yeoman for the Southern Region.
A 2016 Chesapeake Bay SEAL graduate, Able Sea Scout John Whitlow currently serves as Area 7 Boatswain and Boatswain’s Mate for Mawat District’s Sea Scout Ship 1590 in Durham, NC after 2 years as Boatswain. John was awarded Occoneechee Council Level Sea Scout Leadership Award in 2017 and he has earned multiple district level awards including 2014 Boy Scout of the Year as well as 2016 Mawat District Womack Award for Outstanding Leadership to Youth. Along with the Long Cruise Award, he also holds the Small Boat Handler Award and the Qualified Seaman Award. John earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 2014. He has the National Outdoor Award in Aquatics, Hiking, Camping, Riding, Conservation, and Adventure. John previously served as Member-at-large for the Durham Sail and Power Squadron and Junior Assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 451 in Durham. A 2018 home school high school graduate, John will be attending Durham Technical Community College in the fall in the Emergency Management program.
Anna has been involved in Sea Scouting in SSS100 “Southwinds,” since she was 14, but was involved in scouting by volunteering for Cub Scouts long before that. Anna has served as ship, council, and area boatswain in the past. She graduated from the Chesapeake SEAL course in July of 2015. Also, she has recently been awarded the Sea Scout Leadership Award. She has a passion for sailing, navigating, and imparting her knowledge and experience to younger scouts.
Anna is involved in several activities outside of scouting. She attends Woodstock High in Georgia. At Woodstock, she is a member of the varsity swim team, and has received a varsity letter twice. She is also very involved in Naval JROTC, and has completed NJROTC Sail Academy and has been awarded Cadet of the Year. She intends to pursue a career in the United States Navy or Air Force.
Southern Region Sea Scout Committee
Tom was a Sea Explorer as a youth, and has been Ship Committee Chair, Council Commodore and Area Commodore in addition to numerous other BSA roles. He is a Silver Beaver and Sea Scout Leadership Award recipient. He is an Eagle Scout and a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow.
John Green began his service in Scouting in 1983. He has been a part of Boy Scouts and Exploring as a youth. As an adult John has served Boy Scouts, Venturing, Sea Scouts, Commissioner Service as well as serving on a verity of courses in Occoneechee Council, NYLT and two Seabadge courses.
Johns service to scouting extends over six different councils during his 24 years of service to the Army as well as to Scouts of Iraq and Afghanistan. In January 2013 upon returning to FT Bragg, NC he picked up where he left off with Occoneechee council and formed Sea Scout Ship 71, organize a Seabadge course for the area and volunteer to serve on the Southern Region committee.
John is a trained Skipper, Unit Commissioner, Advisor, and ASM. He is active in the Ruritan Club and US Power Squadron. His scouting awards are numerous and many of note Silver Beaver, District Award of Merit, Community Organization Award, Advisor Award of Merit, Unit Leader Award of Merit, Religious Award, Eagle Scout Award, Seabadge Knot, Wood Badge SR-894. John will retire from the active Army in December 2016 with over 24 and a half years of service.
VC Stevens was prior Committee Chair of SSS Response, Ship 911, took Sea Badge with Commodore Cook and prior VC of Membership for Capitol Area. He had many different jobs in Scouting including Troop Chairman, District FOS, District Chairman, co-taught Venturing Leaders, VOA Advisor, Powder Horn Course Director and Mentor, taught at National Camp School & PTC. One of his passions is promoting and mentoring US Congressional Awards.
When not Scouting, VC Stevens, is retired from IBM after 36 years in systems hardware design in various management roles. To keep busy, he is an avid cyclist, still plays soccer and volunteers for United Way doing free Income Tax Returns for low income families. He has 2 sons who are Eagle Scouts, now working and a daughter who was very active in Venturing who is completing her PhD in Counseling. All three are still quite active in the outdoors.
Michael is an Eagle Scout and a Quartermaster who is currently enrolled at Texas A&M in Galveston. Michael has been instrumental in the operations of Texas Sea Scout Academy and Minto Rendezvous and works on special projects for Southern Region as needed.
Over 30 years ago, Randy Potts became an Able Scout in a ship that drew its membership from youth in Wyoming and Utah; some say an interesting place to begin your Sea Scout voyage. Although, Randy’s scouting journey began years previous where he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 1985. Most recently, Randy has been working on the taskforce that established the National Organization of Sea Scout Alumni. This organization is helping reconnect with our Sea Scouts thru the ages and offers those Scouts and Scouters the opportunity to bring the joy of Sea Scouting to the next generation. Randy also serves on the Scouting Alumni Association and National Eagle Scout Association’s national social media committees.
After finishing school, Randy enlisted in the United States Navy and while stationed at Naval Air Station Pensacola was fortunate to greet visiting Scouting units to the base as a liaison between Scouting and the Navy. Randy performed as a rescue swimmer as well as was an intelligence specialist during his enlistment. The experience in intel lead Randy to become very involved in his vocation focusing on cybercrime and cyber terrorism prevention. He was a founding member of the Federal Bureau of Investigations’ program known as InfraGard – National Member’s Alliance.
Randy holds an M.B.A. and Bachelor of Science in Information Security from Western Governors University; is a graduate of both Wood Badge & Sea Badge; received the Silver Beaver; and, is a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow.
During 58 years of scouting Doran has been connected with many of the councils in the Southern Region. He entered Cub Scouts in South Florida Council and crossed over into Boy Scouts in Alamo Area Council TX where his unit earned the 50th Anniversary Award resented by President Eisenhower. He continued in scouting in Tuckabatchee Council AL, then moved to what is now Golden Spread Council TX where he completed his Eagle and moved into Exploring. He aged out in the National Area Council VA.
As an adult Doran served youth in Chickasaw Council TN, Southeast Louisiana Council, and East Texas Area Council. His scouting positions include roles in packs, troops, crews, and ships, district commissioner and district chair, council Venturing chair, council commodore, and SR Area 2 and 3 Venturing Advisor. In that last position Doran advocated for greater recognition and organizational support for Sea Scouting in the Southern Region. He is honored to be part of the team that will make that a reality.
Doran is a graduate of Loyola University School of Law and has been an advocate for children’s issues both as his vocation and avocation. He is in his 14th year as judge of a general jurisdiction trial court focusing on cases involving children in a variety of contexts, and additionally serves as juvenile judge. For his work with youth he has been recognized by the Texas Supreme Court’s Commission on Children, named Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year, and received the Dochterman Award from the International Fellowship of Scouting Rotarians.
Southern Region Area Commodores
Area 1 consists of most of Louisiana and Mississippi along with Southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.
Area 2 consists of the northern half of Texas along with a bit of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. Includes Longhorn Council, Circle 10 Council and East Texas Area Council.
Area 3 consists of the Southern half of Texas, including Sam Houston Area Council, Bay Area Council and Capitol Area Council.
Area 4 contains all of Florida except for the panhandle.
Area 5 includes South Carolina, the southwestern part of North Carolina, and a bit of northeast Georgia.
Area 6 includes Kentucky, Tennessee and northern Mississippi.
Area 7 includes most of North Carolina (except for the southwest portion) and most of Virginia.
Area 9 includes most of Georgia and the northern half of Alabama.
Is your ship, council, or area hosting an event that should be listed here but you are not seeing it? Send your event details using the contact form below left; and we will get it posted as soon as possible.
View our Regional Calendar here.