Brad Tilden, the 39th national chair of the BSA, is one of the organization’s top two volunteers (along with the national commissioner). The national board is responsible for providing oversight of the BSA’s strategic direction.
A Distinguished Eagle Scout, Tilden has been involved with the BSA for more than 50 years.
As a youth, he earned his Eagle from Troop 392 in the Chief Seattle Council in 1976 and worked on summer camp staff for four years. As an adult, he served on the board — and later as chair — of the Chief Seattle Council before joining the BSA National Board as finance chair in 2014.
As chair of the Chief Seattle Council, he oversaw the operations of one of the largest councils in the country, serving more than 17,000 young people across the Pacific Northwest. During his tenure, Tilden expanded the reach of the organization, particularly in underserved communities, and strengthened partnerships with local businesses and community organizations.
As a member of the BSA’s National Board, he helped shape the strategic direction of the organization and promoted its mission of building character and leadership skills in young people. In this role, he worked closely with other board members and leaders to address the evolving needs of the organization and to ensure that it remained relevant and impactful in the lives of young people.
Tilden retired as Chair of Alaska Air Group in May 2022 and as CEO of Alaska Air Group in March 2021 after spending 31 years with the company. In these roles, he drove Alaska Air Group to focus on safety, low fares, profitable network growth, industry-leading operations, and outstanding customer service. The company earned 12-consecutive J.D. Power awards for highest customer satisfaction while Tilden was President and then CEO.
Tilden follows recent BSA national chairs Dan Ownby, senior director of business development and joint ventures at Buckeye Partners; Jim Turley, former global chairman and CEO of Ernst & Young; Randall Stephenson, chairman and CEO of AT&T; former U.S. Secretary of Defense Dr. Robert M. Gates; Wayne M. Perry, former CEO and vice chairman of Edge Wireless (AT&T Wireless); and former U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.