(Keith Sherrill | Photo courtesy of COCC)
Central Oregon Community College’s (COCC) Keith Sherrill, who oversees the Small Business Development Center’s small business management program, has been named a 2026 Pat Tillman Scholar. The national honor, which recognizes leadership impact and service to others, awards academic aid to approximately 60 U.S. military service members, veterans or spouses each year. Fewer than 3% of applicants are selected.
Pat Tillman famously left an NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals to enlist in the U.S. Army in 2002, and served with 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. He was killed in Afghanistan two years later while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sherrill, a former U.S. Army Ranger and member of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, has been the SBDC small business management program coordinator since 2023. He is currently in his second year of Ph.D. studies at Mississippi State University’s community college leadership program.
Among other initiatives at COCC, Sherrill helped launch a program in Central Oregon called Startup Training Resources to Inspire Veteran Entrepreneurship, developed by Syracuse University, one of just eight in the nation. The program helps veterans successfully launch their own business and connect with mentorship.
“This honor reflects not only academic promise, but the kind of leadership values recipients bring back into their institution and community,” said J.C. Nore, director of COCC’s SBDC. “Keith’s selection is a major recognition of his service, doctoral work and ongoing impact through the SBDC and COCC.”
The Tillman Scholars Program, founded in 2008, covers study-related expenses, including tuition and fees, books and living stipend, for scholars who are pursuing undergraduate, graduate or professional degrees.
The college’s SBDC offers free, confidential professional business advising and a variety of low-cost courses to help entrepreneurs through the business lifecycle. Visit cocc.edu/sbdc to learn more.
