Sidney T. Ellington, Executive Director

Sid Ellington is a retired Navy SEAL Officer who brings his many years of diverse leadership and operational planning experience to the Courage Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit started by SEALFIT and Unbeatable Mind founder Mark Divine. Sid serves as Courage Foundation’s Executive Director. 

Prior to joining the staff of the Courage Foundation, Sid served in leadership roles with the American Red Cross of Oklahoma, the Warrior-Scholar Project, Teach For America, and the Louisiana State Department of Education, where he was able to gain valuable experience in community engagement, fundraising, and volunteer management—skills that he now brings to the Courage Foundation. He has also served under contract as a special operations planning Subject Matter Expert (SME) for SAIC, working at Joint Special Operations University.  

In recognition of his contributions to the field of education as a part of Teach For America, Sid was awarded the 2016 American Legion National Education Award. Previous awardees include Tom Brokaw, Fred Rogers, and Former First Lady Barbara Bush.  

Sid spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy, retiring in 2005 at the rank of Commander. Sid holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Oklahoma, an MA in National Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School, an MA in International Relations, and a PhD in Public Policy from the University of Oklahoma. He is also a certified member of the Society of Human Resources Managers (SHRM).  

Sid is married to Toni J. Ellington, Esq. Toni is the Director of Legal and Product Compliance at Paycom.