Jim Turley, the 37th national chair of the BSA, has been a Scouting volunteer at the local and national levels since 1994.

Turley joined the BSA’s National Executive Board in 2002. Seven years later, in 2009, he received the Silver Buffalo Award — the highest commendation given by the BSA for extraordinary service to youth.

He also served as president of the Greater St. Louis Area Council from 2016 to 2018 and, previously, on local council boards in Minnesota and New York.

In 2013, Turley retired from a 37-year career at the accounting firm Ernst & Young. He started with the company in Houston and eventually became global chairman and CEO, serving in that role for 12 years.

Since retiring, he has devoted himself to serving on corporate and charitable boards, including Citigroup, Emerson Electric, Intrexon, Northrup Grumman Corporation, Kohler, and Theatre Forward. He finished his term as a member of the board of trustees of his alma mater, Rice University, in 2015.