George S. Leone

George S. Leone is the President and Chair of the Board of Homecoming 250 Navy Marine Corps, and Chair of its Advisory Committees. George previously served as a judge in the New Jersey Superior Court in Camden and in the New Jersey Appellate Division. Earlier, he was an Assistant United States Attorney in Camden, and Chief of the Appeals Division for the United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey. The Attorney General of the United States presented George the Director's Award for helping to defend New Jersey's Megan's Law, and the John Marshall Award for helping to lower crack cocaine sentences.

George previously served as a Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney, an associate at the Dechert law firm in Philadelphia, and as a law clerk for Judge James Hunter III, a Marine veteran of World War II, on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Camden. George is the son of a Navy veteran from World War II, was raised in South Jersey, and graduated from Harvard College and the University of Chicago Law School.

Clyde M. Woltman

Clyde M. Woltman is the Vice President of Homecoming 250 and a member of its Board. He was the Chief Executive Officer of AgustaWestland Philadelphia Corporation and Leonardo Helicopters USA, Inc. Based in Philadelphia, Clyde was responsible for sales, engineering, development, production, and supporting functions in the Americas and for US government and foreign military sales globally. Clyde is a graduate of the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering, and the University of Paris Sorbonne with a Master of Arts degree in Geopolitical Studies. Prior to entering the private sector, Clyde served in the United States Marine Corps, retiring as a Colonel. A career Marine and Naval Aviator, he served and commanded in multiple operational units and staff assignments. He flew more than 200 missions during Operations Desert Storm, Southern Watch, and Iraqi Freedom. And in addition to seven operational and combat deployments, he served in the Pentagon with Headquarters Marine Corps; and as a Spanish Navy Exchange Pilot; a student at the French Joint War College and University of Paris; a NATO Staff Officer in Naples, Italy; and a Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellow. Clyde is married and has two sons.

Philip P. Rowan

Philip P. Rowan is the Treasurer of Homecoming 250 and a member of its Board. Phil long served CEO of the Battleship New Jersey Museum & Memorial in Camden, NJ. He had a 44-year career in the fields of economic development, urban redevelopment, public administration, historic preservation, and executive leadership. He served as Executive Director and CEO of the New Jersey Urban Development Corporation, and Executive Director of the Camden County Improvement Authority. Earlier, he served as Project Manager and Director of Community Development for Cape May, and Director of Community and Economic Development in Bridgeton, New Jersey. Phil later established Economic Development Associates, LLC.

Phil is a native of Camden and was an Airman 1st Class in the US Air Force during the Vietnam War. He graduated from Stockton University with a BS in Environmental Science with a concentration in Land Use Management and Planning.

Jay Jones

Jay Jones is a member of the Homecoming 250 Board, and its Secretary. Jay joined the staff of the Battleship NJ Museum and Memorial in 2019 as the Director of Operations, overseeing Information and Communication Systems, Maintenance, Security, and Safety. Previously, he held several senior management positions with the South Jersey Port Corporation (SJPC), until retiring as the Port Corporation’s Acting Executive Director. During his 29 years with SJPC, he has also served as the Deputy Executive Director, the Assistant Executive Director, Public Information Officer, Chief Information Officer, Ethics Liaison Officer, OPRA Custodian, Facility Security Officer, and served as the agency’s Board Secretary.

Jay is a graduate of Wesley College and the Rutgers Camden South Jersey Regional Leadership Institute program. He is a certified Facility Security Officer through Hudson Trident.

Gerry Byrne

Gerry Byrne is a member of the Homecoming 250 Board. Gerry is the Vice Chairman of Penske Media Corp, which controls leading media brands including Rolling Stone, Variety, WWD, Deadline Hollywood, The Robb Report, Art in America, South by Southwest, Dick Clark Productions and Vox Media. As publisher, he transformed Variety into a powerful global media brand. He was start-up publisher of Electronic Media and Crain’s New York Business, founded The Quill Awards for NBC, and led a Nielsen division that included The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, Adweek and Backstage.

Gerry is on the boards of The USO, Fisher House Foundation, Intrepid Museum, Veterans Advantage, City Meals on Wheels, The Gotham Film & Media Institute, Bob Woodruff Foundation, Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research, Friends of the Vietnam Veterans Plaza, The Creative Coalition, Hamptons International Film Festival, Fordham University Gabelli School, and John Jay College of Criminal Justice. As Founder/Chairman, Gerry launched Veterans Week NYC, dedicated to honoring and supporting veterans and their families, Veterans on Campus NYC, a veterans support consortium of all NYC colleges and universities where veterans attend on the GI Bill, and the Mediflix-Vetiflix veterans’ channel.

A 1966 graduate of Fordham College, Gerry served as a Marine Captain in Vietnam in 1968/69 and was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal with Combat V. He received the NYC Mayor’s “Made In NY” Award and the Navy’s Meritorious Public Service Award, and was inducted into the Fordham University Military Hall of Fame.

Patrick F. Dailey

Patrick F. Dailey is a member of the Homecoming 250 Board. Pat is also the founder of the The Tun Legacy Foundation. A Philadelphia native, he holds Bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Business Management from Spring Garden College in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. Following college, he became a Marine 1st Lieutenant, serving with both the 3rd Marine Division and the 1st Marine Air Wing from 1981 to 1985 in Okinawa, where he learned Japanese and coordinated with the Japan Self Defense Force. After leaving active duty, he worked as a cost accountant in the construction industry for 10 years, and the pharmaceutical industry for 22 years.

Pat and his wife built, own, and operate a successful 50-seat restaurant and adjoining retail store in the Philadelphia suburbs for the past 18 years that has been consistently rated one of the best places to eat on the Main Line according to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Zagat, and The Mainline Times.

Patrick J. Hermesmann

Patrick J. Hermesmann is a member of the Homecoming 250 Board. Patrick is a retired U.S. Marine Corps Major General, retiring in 2020 after 35 years of active and reserve service. As a General Officer he commanded Marine Forces Europe, Marine Forces Africa, Marine Forces Korea, and 4th Marine Logistics Group. He also served as the Deputy Commander (mobilization) Marine Forces Command, and as the Director of Reserve Affairs. He has served worldwide, to include commanding 6th Motor Transport Battalion during the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003.

In his civilian capacity Patrick currently serves as an AVP at Hanover Insurance Group, overseeing catastrophic litigation nationwide. He previously worked as a trial attorney, primarily defending high exposure lawsuits on behalf of individuals, partnerships, and corporate entities in New Jersey and Philadelphia.

Patrick is a Southern New Jersey native and continues to reside in South Jersey. He is a graduate of Rutgers University, Camden. He previously served on the Toys for Tots Board of Directors for 9 years, and also serves on the Advisory Board of other charitable organizations.

Leo A. Holt

Leo A. Holt is a member of the Homecoming 250 Board. Leo is a native of Philadelphia with a forty-year career in the Port of Philadelphia and international transport community. He is President of Holt Logistics Corp., part of a family company founded in 1926 and now in its fourth generation, that owns, leases, and develops marine terminals and distribution centers, and provides logistics management and related services to materials handling and transportation companies. His family’s efforts have helped make the Delaware River the premier transport destination for millions of tons of industrial and consumer products.

Leo and Holt Logistics have helped coordinate transport and logistics support for the US Defense Department, including US Military Sealift Command and the recent Operation Allies Welcome, during which a Holt facility was temporarily repurposed to provide instant support to 20,000 refugees from Afghanistan. Holt Logistics and its affiliates aid the recruitment, employment, and professional development of current and former members of the US military. In addition, Leo and the Holt family are active in a wide variety of military family support organizations, including the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation, Navy Seal Foundation, Marine Raider Foundation, Marine Recon Foundation, US Army Special Forces Foundation, and Foundation for Exceptional Warriors.

Kat Kirkman

Captain (Retired) Kathryn Kirkman is a member of the Homecoming 250 Board and its Veterans Coordinator. Kat is a fourth-generation military veteran, proudly following her Navy veteran parents into service. She is a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, an astronautical engineer, and a former combat pilot, having completed over 40 missions in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

After her military service, Kat earned a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pennsylvania to continue her commitment to service. As Congressman Dwight Evans's Director of Military and Veterans Affairs, she secured nearly $1 million in VA benefits for veterans and their families. Today, Kat leads the Employment and Training Program at the Veterans Multi-Service Center, empowering veterans across southeastern Pennsylvania with employment and career development opportunities. She also serves on a VA Veterans Community Advisory Board and the Philadelphia Suicide Prevention Task Force for Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families. Kat and her husband live in Philadelphia.

Frederick J. Roegge

Vice Admiral (Retired) Frederick J. Roegge is a member of the Homecoming 250 Board. Fritz is President of Holtec Government Services; he also serves as the Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of the parent, Holtec International, providing high technology goods and services to energy industry and US government customers. Fritz joined Holtec after a Navy career as a submarine officer and nuclear propulsion engineer. In his 30+ years of service he led organizations of progressively increasing size, budget, and complexity ranging from command of a single US nuclear-powered submarine to command of the entire US Pacific Submarine Force. His other experiences include manpower and personnel policy for Navy servicemembers, a Congressional liaison for the Secretary of the Navy, and senior responsibilities in joint and coalition organizations culminating as President of the National Defense University.

Fritz is an honors graduate of the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, and he earned a Master of Science in Engineering Management from the Catholic University of America and a Master of Arts with highest distinction in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. He was a fellow of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI program for national security leaders and of the Harvard University Kennedy School National Security Executive Program.