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
Born in Klamath Falls in 1956 and raised in The Dalles, Oregon, Roger 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 40 years. In April, 2017, Roger was honored with induction into the Oregon Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Recently, he became a board member with Restore College Wrestling Oregon and Oregon City Optimist Club.
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. Debbie was kept busy in 2023 with September wedding preparations for her son and daughter-in-law. In December, she became a grandmother for the first time. Her daughter and son-in-law welcomed a beautiful baby girl who is being showered with lots of love and attention.
Jeff Erickson Director
Born 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 until two years when they relocated to Nampa, Idaho. 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" which inspired the team to always do their best. Recognizing that these qualities were also part of Tyrone's moral compass, Jeff honored him by becoming the volunteer caretaker of the memorial sign that had been installed on Highway 213. The Oregon City community is so much richer for Jeff's many, many hours that he spent caring for and maintaining the memorial sign and surrounding area. As a TSWWF director, Jeff is focused on using his voice to promote the character building qualities of youth wrestling and help improve the sports experience for these athletes. Jeff loves to spend time with his wife, Beth, and their 11-year-old daughter, Ella. He is also dad to two German Shepherds that keep him busy. The rest of his free time is spent playing golf, doing yardwork, and with his family, traveling the scenic Pacific NW.
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, Kirk 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 enjoys the outdoors and is an avid bow hunter and fisherman. 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 and several grandchildren. Recently they moved to La Grande to be closer to their daughters’ families.
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. Bill is a graduate of Oklahoma State and was a member of the three-time national championship team in wrestling while attending. He was five times Navy Wrestling Champion and World CISM games runner-up in freestyle. Bill sits on the boards of several national organizations and has been active in Disaster Response around the world. He is also an author of several published books on disaster relief. In October, 2021, Bill was honored with an induction into the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a "Famous American."
Melissa Papp Program Outreach Coordinator
Melissa is a native Oregonian who comes to us with a valuable background in marketing, regional/national sales, and operations management and is fearless with using computer programs and social media. Currently, she manages a team of 20 for a national home cleaning company and is in charge of hiring, training, local marketing, and customer relations. She has also worked for companies such as Aerosoles, Starbucks, and Fantastic Sams, a hair salon franchise.
The mother of two "amazing" adult children who graduated from Oregon City High School, she has lived in the Oregon City/Molalla area for 25 years. With a passion for volunteering, she has worked with senior citizens and with the Children's Miracle Network.
Melissa and her son, Tyler, came to the attention of TSWWF through their voluntary maintenance of Tyrone's memorial sign on Highway 213 by weeding, planting flowers, adding new ground cover, and keeping it clear of litter. Melissa's boundless energy, broad experience, and creative ideas are a great contribution to our team.
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, Kelsey, who is also an OCHS graduate. Their family became three with the recent December birth of their daughter, Madalyn Bloom Stratman. Chris's connection to the Oregon City community, together with his business experience and strong commitment to working on behalf of youth wrestling for the greater good, makes him a valuable and appreciated member of our team.
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