Our Board of Directors is comprised of coaches, friends, wrestlers, military personnel, and family who have all had a connection with Tyrone in some way.
Cheryl Croft Bennett President
University of Oregon, BA English, 1968
Portland State University, Master's TESOL, 2010
Cheryl was born in Portland, Oregon, and graduated from Franklin HIgh School in 1964. She taught high school English and business in Oregon (Portland and Long Creek) as well as Anacortes, Washington. She was also a paralegal for several Portland area law firms and a wireless industry consultant on area projects for Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint. In 1998-99, she moved to Santiago, Chile, where she taught English and traveled the country. Upon earning her Master's in TESOL at the age of 64, she joined the ESL Department at Clackamas Community College where she loved teaching international students from around the world. She has been a resident of Oregon City since 1986 except for her year in Chile. She is the mother of Tyrone and Tiffany and the grandmother of Tyrone, Jr., Hunter, and Kai Woods.
Coach Roger Rolen Director
Director, Tyrone S. Woods Wrestling Foundation
Secretary, Restore College Wrestling Oregon
Vice President, Oregon City Optimists Club
Portland State University, BS
Lewis & Clark College, Masters in Teaching
Born in Klamath Falls in 1956 and raised in The Dalles, Oregon. Attended and wrestled for Oregon College of Education, 1974 - 1978. As a former OCHS social studies teacher and wrestling coach for 28 years, he knew Tyrone well during his time on the OCHS team, 1986-1989. He is currently retired but continues to be an active and valuable asset to the OC community where he and his wife have resided for over 35 years. In April, 2017, Roger was honored with induction into the Oregon Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Debbie Wilson Secretary
Debbie has been a treasured family friend of Cheryl's and knew Tyrone as a child. She and her dear husband Bart, who passed away in 2015, were part of the Oregon City community for almost 30 years and have two adult children who attended Oregon City High School. In May, 2017, Debbie volunteered to be the roving photographer for the Tyrone S. Woods Golf Classic and afterwards, she generously committed to becoming a permanent member of TSWWF. Currently she is a board director and foundation secretary, bringing an abundance of energy, dedication, and pragmatic thinking to the organization. In addition to her business and technical writing background, Debbie is also an accomplished glass artist, creating unique jewelry and home decor pieces, and has donated a number of these beautiful works to TSWWF fundraisers.
Jeff Erickson Director
Born and raised in Cody, Wyoming, Jeff's family moved to Colorado when he was ten. In 1999, he moved to Oregon where he has resided with his wife and daughter. As a middle schooler in Colorado, he wrestled under a head coach who had been stricken with polio as a child but later became a state champion. Jeff recalls how impressed he was with this coach's grit, determination, and "champion spirit" that he demonstrated to the team and which inspired them to want to always do their best. Recognizing that these qualities were also part of Tyrone's moral compass and wanting to support Tyrone's memory and heroism, Jeff found a way to do this by spending time as the volunteer caretaker of the memorial sign that had been installed on Highway 213 in 2014. He only learned of Tyrone's love of wrestling after a chance meeting with Cheryl, Tyrone's mom, who shared her son's story. The Oregon City community is richer for Jeff's many, many hours that he spends maintaining the memorial so it always looks beautiful and cared for. His dedication is greatly appreciated by local citizens and out-of-state visitors as well.
When Jeff isn't hosting tournaments at Stone Creek Golf Club or keeping the sign looking its best, he loves to spend time with his wife, Beth, and their 7-year-old daughter, Ella. The rest of his free time is spent playing golf, doing yardwork, and traveling the scenic Pacific NW. As a TSWWF director, he wants to use his voice to promote the character building qualities of youth wrestling and to help improve the sports experience for these athletes.
Kirk Klebaum Vice President
Devoted friend and wrestling teammate of Tyrone at OCHS, they enlisted in the Navy together in 1990 and remained good friends for 23 years. After serving 4 years as a Navy Fire Controlman, he completed an Engineering degree and entered the semiconductor industry. Kirk has volunteered for many years in the OC community as a basketball coach for elementary and middle school kids. He is an avid bow hunter and fisherman and when Tyrone made visits home, a fishing trip with Kirk was always part of the visit. Kirk and his wife, Corri, reside in Beavercreek, Oregon, and are the parents of four children.
Coach Doug Samarron Director
Born in Eugene, Oregon, 1961, and raised in Ashland, Oregon. Attended and wrestled at Southern Oregon University 1980-1985. Was a member of the 1983 undefeated national championship team and was a 2X All-American for SOU, graduating in 1985 with BS in Education. "I had the honor of coaching Tyrone in my first years as a wrestling coach at Oregon City High School, 1985-1990." Retired in 2016, having taught at West Linn High School for over 25 years. Currently head wrestling coach for WLHS.
RADM William McDaniel Director
Rear Admiral William J McDaniel, MD, U.S. Navy, retired. Oklahoma State graduate and member of three-time national championship team in wrestling while attending. Five times Navy Wrestling Champion and World CISM games runner-up in freestyle. Currently active in Disaster Response around the world and an author of several published books on disaster relief.
Kevin Poppen Director
Kevin graduated from Oregon City High School in 1975, was on the wrestling team, and wrestled for Coaches Sparks, Bragg, and Conley. In 1981, he graduated from Southern Oregon State College, now SOU. He then was employed as a deputy sheriff by the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, retiring with the rank of Captain after 38 successful and safe years. His wife, Cathy, is a retired OCHS elementary school teacher and currently donates her time as a volunteer supporting youth and youth causes. Their son, Charlie, graduated from Oregon City High School in 2010 and from Linfield University in 2014 where he proudly played for the Wildcat football program. Son Devin graduated from OCHS in 2015 and Southern Oregon University where he was an All-American wrestler. The entire Poppen family supports TSWWF and all it encompasses and represents. Kevin believes there is no greater way to honor fallen heroes than to give back to their home communities and to support the youth who share those traits and values.
Chris Stratman Director
Born in Oregon City in 1984, Christopher was a member of the last class to graduate from OCHS' Jackson Campus in 2003, the same campus Tyrone attended with the Class of '89. Although Christopher has a great respect for wrestling and its benefits, his choice of sport was soccer, and to that end, he was a four-year letterman for the Pioneers soccer team. He is currently employed as a Production Director for a local home exteriors company and lives in Milwaukie, Oregon, with his wife of three years, Kelsey, who is also an OCHS graduate. Chris's connection to the Oregon City community, together with his business experience and strong commitment to working for the greater good by helping youth wrestlers achieve their athletic dreams, makes him a valuable and appreciated member of our team.
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