Our People

Mr. Andrew Ammerman is a seasoned nonprofit executive with over twenty-five years of experience leading high-profile organizations. His upbringing in a multi-generational military family and childhood at West Point Military Academy has profoundly influenced his commitment to supporting those who have served our nation.

As the Founder and CEO of CAA Consulting, LLC, a boutique firm specializing in working with high profile nonprofit organizations, Mr. Ammerman gained notoriety for capacity building, strategic planning, and sustainability programs for nonprofit organizations. His expertise in raising national awareness and funds has made him a valuable asset to the organizations with which Mr. Ammerman has worked. He has demonstrated a solid commitment to military and veteran organizations, provided strategic planning and fundraising support for New York University’s Veterans Future Lab, a business incubator for military veterans.

Mr. Ammerman has made significant contributions to the 9/11 community as the Executive Director of the Pentagon Memorial Fund, and Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial, two of the three national 9/11 foundations. His work has ranged from launching the first national 9/11 Heroes Award to creating and leading the 9/11 Pentagon Education Center project from concept through design. He founded the U.S. Secretaries of Defense Council and an Executive Advisory Board of former Secretaries of Defense, ambassadors to the U.S., military associations, and private sector leaders to help raise awareness and funds for the project. Furthermore, Mr. Ammerman worked with the highest levels of federal and state officials to negotiate the transfer of property from the State of Virginia to the Department of Defense for the 9/11 Pentagon Education Center project.

Mr. Ammerman has been influential in establishing working partnerships with the Department of Defense, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Transportation Security Administration.  He is also proud to have collaborated with the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and elected officials to draft and pass the historic H.R.6287 – 9/11 Memorial Act and appropriation authorization.

Mr. Ammerman’s academic achievements include a Master of Business Administration from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola University Maryland. He and his family reside in the Washington, DC area.

Darrel Choat serves as the Chief Operating Officer of the Marine Corps University Foundation, bringing over three decades of distinguished leadership across military, governmental, diplomatic, and academic arenas. A retired U.S. Marine Corps officer, Mr. Choat has held senior positions in high-impact operational, advisory, and policy roles in Washington, D.C. and across the globe.

Mr. Choat most recently served as Executive Officer at Marine Barracks Washington, D.C., overseeing over 1,000 personnel and directing more than 2,200 high-visibility ceremonial events annually. Prior to this, he served as Assistant Chief of Staff for Manpower and Human Resources at Marine Corps Base Quantico, where he managed civilian and Marine Corps personnel services for over 3,600 active duty Marines and civilians. He also served as a Foreign Advisor Team Leader in Kabul, Afghanistan, where he advised Afghan Ministry of Defense and Interior General Officers on public affairs, budgeting, and financial execution in support of NATO’s Resolute Support Mission.

His international experience includes serving as a Future Operations Planner in Bahrain, leading contingency planning for the Levant region, and U.S. non-combatant evacuation operations. Earlier in his career, Mr. Choat was a Congressional Liaison at U.S. European Command at the Pentagon, a ceremonial host and Human Resources Officer at Marine Barracks Washington, and a White House Social Aide.

Mr. Choat began his public service career in the U.S. Congress, where he spent nearly a decade as a legislative assistant and professional committee staff member in both the House and Senate, focusing on agriculture, trade, and environmental policy.

He is a proven strategist and relationship builder with extensive experience coordinating with the White House, U.S. Departments of Defense, State, and Interior, as well as international partners from NATO and the Middle East. His writing has been featured in The Washington Post, Marine Corps Gazette, Small Wars Journal, and publications by Marine Corps University Press and Oklahoma State University Press.

Mr. Choat holds three master’s degrees—two in Military and Operational Studies from Marine Corps University and one in Agricultural Economics from Oklahoma State University. He earned his undergraduate degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Nebraska and was awarded a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to the University of New England in Australia.

Mr. Choat’s breadth of experience, cross-cultural fluency, and commitment to education and public service uniquely position him to help advance the mission and strategic goals of the Marine Corps University Foundation.

Kimberly Niero is the Director of Program Support for Marine Corps University Foundation. When it comes time to get the funding from the Foundation to Marines at the University and around the world, it is Kimberly who handles this. She has been at the Foundation since 2008, starting in the role of Administrative Assistant and moving her way up to the Director of Program Support.

She has three grown children and lives with her husband Michael and their two cats.

Angela has been the Executive Administrative Assistant for MCUF since 2018. She’s a problem solver, team player and not afraid of a challenge. Her co-workers all agree that Ang is the ultimate meme queen, always trying to make you laugh! Originally from North Plainfield, NJ she enjoys a good slice of pizza, mozzarella sticks and tiramisu. She moved to VA to attend George Mason University and graduated with a degree in Interpersonal Communication. Her husband, Earen, was enlisted in the Marine Corps for 8 years as a Combat Engineer. They have settled in Aquia Harbour and have 2 very active sons, Christopher and Nicholas.

Scott Mann joined MCU Foundation as the President of Scott Mann & Associates in 2009. He prepares all the accounting work for MCUF and plays a lead role in the preparation of audited financial statements, tax returns and investment and schedules to support financial reports to the board. Scott Mann & Associates caters to the unique needs of not-for-profit organizations like MCUF and has a deep understanding of the requirements of our industry.

When he became a member of MCUF, Mann brought 10 years experience in the field, including five spent at Exxon Mobil, with responsibilities spanning cash flow forecasts, profit/pricing plans, price-volume elasticity relationship and various economic analyses. He served as department liaison to facilitate the development of $1 million LAN based geographic information system for domestic fuels pricing of 2+ billion gallons annually.

Mann holds an M.B.A. in Accounting/Finance from Texas A&M and resides in Texas where and enjoys being around family and a new grandson.

Leona Sachrison is the Director of Development for The Marine Corps University Foundation. Her mission is to build relationships with corporations and individuals who want to help build a stronger future through education enrichment for active-duty Marines both officer and enlisted attending the Marine Corps University.

Leona brings nearly 20 years of experience to the Foundation from her career at Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith Inc. As the daughter of a Marine “Mustang” and the wife of a career Marine, she is devoted and grateful to the Marine Corps for the opportunities and experiences of a lifetime. “To serve and sacrifice alongside her Marine has been a humbling and rewarding journey.” Leona is the proud mother of David and his wife Lauren, both JMU graduates; and Matthew, a GIS major attending James Madison University.

Leona’s portfolio of experience includes wealth management client service, business development, strategic planning and initiatives, special projects, FINRA compliance, and team coaching. She holds a Financial Planning Certificate from Georgetown University SCS and a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. In her spare time, Leona enjoys reading, traveling, volunteering, entertaining friends and family, and spending time with her mother and father.