Lieutenant Paul Stouffer

Leaving Fort Worth for Duke University’s Navy ROTC program expanded Lieutenant Paul Stouffer’s horizons overnight. Deciding to enter the military culminated a long process that began at the earliest stages of Paul’s life, a process that started from hearing the stories of his father and both grandfathers. Particularly influential was the story of Paul’s maternal grandfather George McAfee who voluntarily joined the Navy in 1942 at the peak of his NFL career after leading the league in rushing and winning two consecutive league championships. Hearing of this as a young man in a society overly focused on celebrities and material riches,Paul gravitated towards that patriotic spirit of service and devotion to causes greater than self.

And so after four years of naval officer training and armed with a degree in history, Paul embarked on a very different journey. His seven-year active duty experience of instructing the new Iraqi Navy, operating high-powered nuclear reactors, advising senior Navy officials in Washington, and leading the finest men & women he has ever encountered, ignited Paul’s interests in global energy security. Newly married to the love of his life and his steadfast rock of support throughout his years of service, Paul returned to the classroom at Harvard Business School to further define the private sector’s role in our energy future.

Remaining committed to the promise of this generation of military veterans shaping the spheres of both private and public leadership, Paul also dreams of returning to Fort Worth one day to serve his hometown in a different capacity.