FPTower Inc. Board of Directors
Colonel Eric Boland, CMA, PhD
Camden Military Academy
Col. Boland is a South Carolina native and a graduate of The University of South Carolina where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy as well as 2 Masters Degrees and an Educational Specialist Degree in 2009. Eric also completed The Executive Leadership and Management Program from the Mendoza Business College at The University of Notre Dame. He also holds a PHD in Christian Counseling.
Col. Boland has served as a teacher, coach, athletic director, principal and now headmaster at Camden Military Academy. He has been at Camden Military Academy 34 years and has served as Headmaster since 2003. He has received numerous awards and accolades that include: State Coach of the Year, The Sons of the American Revolution COL Lemuel Benton Award for Patriotic Endeavors and the Camden Junior Welfare League Community Service Award. Col. Boland is also proud to be a lead organizer and sponsor of The Kershaw County Special Olympics.
Bruce Chappell, CFII, CFO
Thomas Construction Group, LLC
Bruce A Chappell, Jr is currently a Senior Vice President of Investments at Stifel Financial and the Chief Financial Officer of Thomas Construction Group. Regardless of which office he’s working in, Bruce’s financial wisdom and industry experience is relied upon to steer clients and partners in the best direction.
After graduating from Duke University in 1985 and Auburn University in 1987, Bruce entered the construction industry as a Project Manager, specializing in Commercial and Industrial projects. In that role, Bruce was responsible for managing projects through completion. Always an avid follower of finance and markets, Bruce gained his Series 7 licensure in 1994 and joined Merrill Lynch to work as a financial advisor while still maintaining construction and development ties by staying active in real estate as an owner, developer and property manager. In 2005, Bruce and a business partner saw opportunity in the Wilmington market and founded Thomas Construction Group, which continues to build local and national projects today.
Jessica Ward, CFII, Owner and Chief Pilot
High Tide Aviation
Jessica Ward, CEO of High Tide Aviation, is a North Carolina native with 12 years of aviation industry experience. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree from UNC-Wilmington and her MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. She holds a commercial pilot certificate in multi-engine airplanes, single-engine airplanes (land and sea), and helicopters, with instrument and flight instructor ratings in land airplanes, seaplanes, and helicopters. Jessica has a true passion for aviation and flies nearly every day.
Executive Director
Richard Neal, Executive Director
FPTower Inc.
Richard Neal is an entrepreneur who splits his time between fund raising to restore the Frying Pan Tower and bringing Volunteers to experience helping restore the tower for themselves.
As the Executive Director for FPTower Inc, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, his focus is the tower’s restoration, protection of mariners and the sea-life below, and preserving the tower for the next generation. Through FPTower Inc.’s growing social outreach and appearances on various media, his goal is to educate people on the vital role our oceans play in humanities survival.