GREENVILLE — The Light Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 2001 by three-time Super Bowl champion and former New England Patriot Matt Light and his wife Susie, announced the newest member of their Ohio-based leadership team.

Troy Eden has been named the Chief Operations Officer. He will join the team at their Chenoweth Trails location in Greenville, where he will oversee the day-to-day operations and lead the team to greater success.

“I’m very excited to have the opportunity to continue to serve and impact our nation’s youth,” states Troy Eden, Chief Operations Offer. “Being in the Air Force taught me the core values of integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do, and it is my goal to lead my life and those around me by those values,” he continues.

Troy Eden grew up in Fairfield County and eventually joined the Air Force where he deployed in support of operations in Bosnia, throughout the middle east, Afghanistan, Japan, Korea, and a whole host of other countries. He retired from Active Duty in 2017 and worked for a defense contractor at Wright Patterson Air Force Base before assuming this position.

“I have volunteered with many non-profit organizations, but I felt compelled to be a part of the Light Foundation at Chenoweth Trails. After serving the country against foreign adversaries, I now have the opportunity and responsibility to give back, lead, develop and mentor the next generation of good citizens and leaders,” says Eden.

The mission of the Light Foundation is to help young people develop the skills, values, and mindset they need to create a meaningful and productive future. They impact 8,000 young people each year through outdoor, hands-on leadership programs.

“This expanded leadership will enable us to focus on more strategic oversight for the foundation. We know Troy will be a great fit for this position since we witnessed him help us impact 16 young men over the summer through our flag-ship leadership program, Camp Vohokase. He was a leader through that 7-day program and the young people really enjoyed being around him, too!” says Matt Light, Co-Founder of the Light Foundation.

The community will be able to meet Troy Eden at the next Chenoweth Trails event, which is Winter Wonderland happening Dec. 9, 10, and 11 at their location on Greenville-Nashville Road outside of Greenville. Visit their website (mattlight72.com) and their social pages (@lightfoundation) to learn more about the impact taking place.

About the Light Foundation:

The Light Foundation (www.mattlight72.com) was established in 2001 by three-time Super Bowl Champion and three-time Pro-Bowler Matt Light, and his wife, Susie. The Light Foundation strives to instill and augment the values of responsibility, accountability, and hard work by providing youth with unique outdoor learning experiences that assist them in reaching their highest potential. Its goal is to lead young people down a path to becoming responsible members of their communities who can pass on the torch of leadership and achievement to their friends and families. Light was drafted in 2001 out of Purdue University, and was the anchor for the Patriots offensive line for more than a decade, before retiring in 2012. He received the third New England Patriots Ron Burton Community Service Award in 2005, and in 2008, was presented the President’s Volunteer Service Award for his outstanding work in the community by the Bush administration. In 2012, Light was named Pop Warner’s Humanitarian of the Year, in 2014, was honored with All Sports United’s Humanitarian Award, and in 2015 received the Man of the Year award from the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s New England chapter. In 2018, Light was named to the Boston Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” list, and in 2019, was also named to the publication’s “Power 50” lineup. Matt Light was also inducted into to the New England Patriots Hall of Fame in 2018. Since its inception in 2001, the Light Foundation has raised more than $7 million for various programs and initiatives.