Meet our New Board Members Elected in June
We are proud to announce that Richard Benton, Mark Ordan and Duncan Pitcairn recently joined our board, bringing the total number of active trustees and directors to 80. The board is led by Chairman Thomas A. Allegretti.
The Coast Guard Foundation is governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees and Directors whose members give their time and energy to the organization. The Board also helps share the Foundation’s mission supporting the Coast Guard with the public.
“Our Board plays a vital role in advancing the Foundation’s work, and we are thrilled to welcome these accomplished new members,” said Susan Ludwig, president of the Coast Guard Foundation. “Their leadership, insight and dedication to the Coast Guard community will help ensure we continue providing meaningful support to the service members and families who depend on us.”
Richard Benton is Vice President and General Manager of Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, where he leads 10,000 employees responsible for the strategic growth and execution of the company's government and commercial rotorcraft programs. With more than 29 years of experience in the aerospace and defense industry, he has held leadership roles in program management, global supply chain, international capture, and mergers and acquisitions. A University of Florida alumnus, Benton enjoys cycling, running, fishing and boating. He brings extensive leadership experience and a commitment to operational excellence, innovation, and strong customer partnerships.
Mark S. Ordan is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pediatrix Medical Group and Lead Director of The Carlyle Group. Throughout his career, he has served as chief executive officer of several public and private companies, including Quality Care Properties, Washington Prime Group, Sunrise Senior Living, The Mills Corporation, and Balducci's. He founded Fresh Fields Markets, which later merged with Whole Foods Markets. Ordan serves on the executive committee and is immediate past chair of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He earned a bachelor's degree from Vassar College and an MBA from Harvard Business School. An avid boater, he enjoys spending time on the water.
Duncan Pitcairn is a retired business leader and philanthropist from the Philadelphia area who spent his career with the Pitcairn family's multi-generational wealth management firm. He continues a family legacy of entrepreneurship and innovation that traces back to the Pitcairn Aircraft Company and its contributions to early rotary-wing aviation. For more than 30 years, Pitcairn served as a trustee and officer of Thomas Jefferson University and Abington Hospital, chairing numerous investment and finance committees. A lifelong sailor, he has a strong connection to the Coast Guard through his son, Graham, a Coast Guard Academy graduate and former Coast Guard helicopter pilot.
