Michele Willard

Accountant

As a lifelong resident of Carlisle, Michele has fond memories of the many families she met from the U.S. Army War College through the years. While working full-time, Michele attended Wilson College during evenings and weekends to obtain a B.S. in Business & Economics with a concentration in Accounting. Her work history includes various accounting and human resource positions at a local manufacturing company and later at a software development company. However, it is Michele’s ten year tenure as the Business Manager of a local non-profit that enabled her to easily assimilate into her role at the Foundation in early 2018.  

Donna Gellert

Executive Admin Assistant

Before joining the Foundation in 2013, Donna had over 20 years of experience as database manager and in various administrative professional roles.  She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science.  Donna’s past corporate and non-profit employers include The PGA of America, General Electric, West Point’s Association of Graduates, and Marymount College.  Her current role utilizes all the skills she has developed while working with donors, members, and the public for those organizations.  

Harry Leach

Leader Development Director
COLONEL USAF, RETIRED

Harry is the Leader Development Director of the Army War College Foundation, Inc. He holds a B.S. degree from the United States Air Force Academy and an M.S. degree in Applied Math from Johns Hopkins University. He is a graduate of the College of Naval Command and Staff and U.S. Army War College resident programs, as well as the Air Command and Staff and Air War College correspondence programs.

Harry completed a 28-year career as a Colonel in 2011. As a helicopter pilot, he had 2300 flight hours in combat rescue, ICBM security and VIP support. His staff assignments included arms control treaty compliance, airlift force structure planning and as a program manager in the classified AF Tactical Exploitation of National Capabilities Program. He also served as the Director of Staff of the Space Warfare Center. He commanded the 459th Airlift Squadron in Japan and his final operational tour was as the Deputy Commander of the 89th Operations Group at Andrews AFB, MD, providing worldwide airlift support for the Vice President, the Cabinet, and Members of Congress.

An educator at heart, Harry served on the faculty of the U.S. Army War College in the Department of National Security and Strategy for the final six years of his Air Force career. In addition to his core teaching duties, he also served as the Director of the National Security Seminar for four years, bringing a diverse group of 160 citizens annually to the War College for an immersive week alongside the student body. Continuing in education after his retirement, Harry taught courses in Politics and in Math at Messiah College and also taught PreCalculus through Calculus II online for Veritas Press Scholars Academy, based in Lancaster, PA.

While still a work in progress, Harry has been vastly improved by his marriage to his best friend, Dawn. They enjoy living in Boiling Springs, PA and keeping track of their two adult sons.

Mark O’Donnell

Chief Operating Officer 
BG U.S. ARMY, RETIRED

BG (Ret) Mark O’Donnell was commissioned in the Infantry upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1990.  Over the course of 32 years he served in operational assignments with the 2^nd Cavalry Regiment, 82^nd Airborne Division, 1^st Ranger Battalion, 172^nd Separate Infantry Brigade (Alaska), 75^th Ranger Regiment, 10^th Mountain Division, and 3^rd Ranger Battalion.  Most recently, Mark served on the joint staff (J3) as the Deputy Director for Operations. 

Mark has commanded at the battalion level twice (1-32 Infantry, 1^st BCT, 10^th Mtn Division and 3^rd Ranger Battalion), commanded an Army Brigade Combat Team (1^st BCT, 10^th Mountain Division), served as the Deputy Commander of the 75^th Ranger Regiment, and later as the Deputy Commanding General of the 82^nd Airborne Division.  His operational experience includes six deployments to Afghanistan, one to Iraq, and one to Kuwait. 

In November 2016, BG (Ret) O’Donnell served as the first Director, Army Strategic Education Program – the CSA’s General Officer education program – at the US Army War College.  This program provided executive educational opportunities for the 326 active-duty General Officers, and unique engagements with leaders of corporate America.

BG (Ret) O’Donnell holds a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy, a master’s degree in military arts and Science from the Command and General Staff College, and a master’s degree in Security Studies from the United States Army War College.

BG (Ret) O’Donnell grew up in an Army family and is the son of a career Infantry and Special Forces officer and veteran of the Vietnam War.  Mark is married to the former Lauren Cook of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, his high school classmate. They have been married for 32 years and completed every day of their Army journey together. Mark and Lauren have two children — Nicholas (22) and Abby (19).  Lauren is an employee at the Army War College, where she works as an Assistant Professor for Military Spouse and Family Studies.  Since his retirement from the Army on 1 October, Mark has been serving as a Varsity Soccer Coach at his high school alma mater and joined the Foundation later that same month.

Ruth B. Collins

President and CEO
COLONEL U.S. ARMY, RETIRED

Ruth Collins is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Army War College Foundation, Inc. She holds a B.S. degree from the University of Kentucky and a M.A. degree in Human Resources Management from Pepperdine University. She is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, the Armed Forces Staff College, and the U.S. Army War College. She is a 2003 graduate of the Pennsylvania Education Policy Fellowship Program.

Ruth completed a 30-year career in the U.S. Army as a Colonel, Adjutant General Corps, in 2004. She had served in a variety of command and staff assignments and was a fully-qualified Joint Specialty Officer. She served overseas in Thailand, Germany, and Bosnia. For four years prior to retirement, she taught on the faculty of the U.S. Army War College with the Department of Command, Leadership, and Management. At the time of her retirement, she was the holder of the George C. Marshall Chair of Military Studies. For the first four years following her retirement, she was a contract Faculty Instructor in the Department of Distance Education, U.S. Army War College. She became the Alumni Director of the Army War College in 2008, and the CEO of the Army War College Foundation in 2009.

Ruth won an Army War College Foundation writing award in 1998 for her paper “When Teams Break Down: A Study of the Active Army/National Guard Feud of 1997.” Her article, “Personnel Transformation: The Dynamics of Change” was published in the Army AL&T Magazine in July-August 2002. With three department colleagues, she published “The Road to Mentoring: Paved with Good Intentions” in Parameters, Autumn 2002, “Mapping the Route of Leadership Education: Caution Ahead” in Parameters, Autumn 2004, and Chapter 27, “Leadership Development: Beyond Traits and Competencies” in the book The Future of the Army Profession, 2d Ed. 2005. She was frequently a presenter and facilitator on leadership topics for a variety of U.S. Army War College seminars and events.