Election Central

The 2026 Board of Directors election is coming soon.

Online voting will open on January 8, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. ET and close on February 9, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. ET.

Current and former members of the Sea Services who have a confirmed email address on file with Navy Mutual will receive voting links via email from noreply@directvote.net and be able to cast their ballots online via Survey&Ballot Systems’ secured election portal. Members without a confirmed email address on file will receive a letter with instructions in the mail and can vote online using the Member Number and Election Passcode provided.

If you have questions on voting, please contact us at boardelection@navymutual.org.

Candidates for Election

Inspired by the history and character of our own Members, Navy Mutual naturally promotes a strong, hardworking culture. Our board evaluates director candidates on an ongoing basis to ensure that a proper balance and diversity of experience, tenure and perspectives are represented. Our staff, leadership, and board members continuously strive to provide exceptional service and expert guidance to Navy Mutual Members, servicemembers and their families. Navy Mutual is committed to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity and inclusion, and embraces the characteristics that make our board members and employees unique. We understand the collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, unique capabilities and talent that our board members and employees invest in their work represents a significant part of not only our culture, but Navy Mutual’s reputation and success as well. It is imperative that candidates for the board of directors share in this commitment.

If elected by the Membership, directors serve a three year term and are generally eligible for re-election for two (2) additional three year terms. For more information about Navy Mutual’s current board of directors, click here.

Current Board Members

2026 Slate of Candidates

Candidates for Reelection

VADM John T. Blake, USN (Ret.)

Board Chair Nominee 2nd Term

Career Assignments Include: Conrad Chair (Financial Management) Naval Postgraduate School and a Senior Fellow at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. Military assignments: Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Integration of Capabilities and Resources (OPNAV N8); Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management & Comptroller); Deputy Director of Resources and Acquisition on the Joint Chiefs of Staff (J8); Director, Operations Division, Fiscal Management Division in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations; Director, Operations Division, Office of Budget in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management/ Comptroller), Director, Programming Division (N80); Joint Staff (J8) division chief and head of the Combat Identification Joint Warfare Capability Assessment Team; Seventh Fleet Staff in the western Pacific as Current Operations and Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations. Sea commands include: USS O’Brien (DD 975); USS Normandy (CG 60); Carrier Strike Group 11; Navy staff (N80) head, Sea Control Section; and program manager for the Navy Shipbuilding account.

Education: BS in Political Science, United States Naval Academy; MS in National Security, National War College; MS in Finance, Naval Postgraduate School; Seminar XXI International Relations Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

VADM Michael Vitale, USN (Ret.)

Board Vice Chair Nominee 1st Term

Career Assignments Include: Vice Admiral Michael Vitale is currently the owner of Vitale Consulting LLC, providing consulting services to various organizations in the Department of Defense. Prior to that, he was a Managing Director in KPMG’s Federal advisory practice for eight years, providing consulting services to the U.S. Department of Defense in financial improvement for audit readiness, emerging technologies such 5G applications and digital business transformation, infrastructure and real property management, program management, defense strategy, data and analytics, and cybersecurity. Prior to his position at KPMG, Vitale was the Executive Director of the University of Hawaii’s Applied Research Laboratory for two and a half years, successfully growing the university’s research and development portfolio across six core competencies with the Department of Defense. Previously, he served in the U.S. Navy for 35 years, serving as Commander, Navy Installations Command in his final assignment, where he was responsible for the readiness of the Navy’s 70 bases worldwide, $12B in annual funding, and 60,000 personnel.

Awards: Distinguished Alumni Graduate Award, Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit (3) , Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (3), Navy Commendation Medal (3), Navy Achievement Medal (2).

Education: B.S., University of Louisville (1977), M.A., Naval Postgraduate School (1989), and M.S., National War College (1995).

VADM Allen G. Myers, USN (Ret.)

Nominee 2nd Term

Career Assignments Include: Vice President, Navy & Marine Corps, Lockheed Martin Government Affairs from 2014-2022, responsible for liaison with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard on all matters concerning Platforms and Systems. Prior to joining Lockheed Martin, he completed over 35 years of service in the U.S. Navy. During that time, he was extensively involved in Tactical Aerospace & Naval Ship Operations and Training. He has commanded an F-14 Fighter Squadron, the Fast Combat Support Ship USS SACRAMENTO (AOE-1), the Aircraft Carrier USS KITTY HAWK (CV-63), the EISENHOWER Carrier Strike Group during combat operations in Iraq & Afghanistan and was the Commander of Naval Air Forces. His Washington experience ranges from evaluation and integration of aerospace & ship requirements and capabilities to the overall balancing all programs within the Department of the Navy budget through assignments as the Navy’s lead for the Joint Capabilities Integration Development System (N81D), Director of Air Warfare (N88), Director of Warfare Integration (N8F), and Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Integration of Capabilities and Resources (N8).

Education: Vice Admiral Myers is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and earned a master’s degree from Salve Regina University. He also graduated from the Navy’s Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun) and was awarded a master’s degree in National Security Policy from the Naval War College.

CAPT Gary A. Rogeness, USN (Ret.)

Nominee 2nd Term

Career Assignments Include: Gary is a Senior Director in Huntington Ingalls Industries Unmanned Systems specializing in multi-domain maritime autonomous platforms. Previously a Senior Consultant at Ventus Solutions, a Veteran-owned company based in Washington, DC supporting DARPA’s development of revolutionary maritime technology. He retired in 2021 after 41 years of Naval Service, eleven as an enlisted Machinist Mate; attaining the rank of Chief Petty Officer. Active duty sea tours on USS MAHAN (DDG-42), USS FLORIDA (SSBN-728B), USS HYMAN G. RICKOVER (SSN 709), USS RHODE ISLAND (SSBN-740G), USS OKLAHOMA CITY (SSN 723), and Commanding Officer, USS CHEYENNE (SSN 773). Assignments ashore included instructor, S5G Prototype, Nuclear Field ‘A’ School, and Naval Reserve Officer Training Unit, Iowa State University. Fleet support as Assistant Nuclear Power Officer and Radiological Controls Officer. Major staff tours included Executive Assistant to the Submarine Force Commander, Deputy Director for Intelligence for the Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. Senior Defense Official, Defense & Naval Attaché, U.S. Embassy Oslo, Norway and Senior Military Assistant to the 77th Secretary of the Navy.

Education: B.S., Prairie View A&M University, Armed Forces Staff College, and M.S., Iowa State University.

Lt. Gen. Robert S. Walsh, USMC (Ret.)

Nominee 3rd Term

Career Assignments Include: Principal, The Walsh Group, LLC Defense and Technology Consulting. Retired from the Marine Corps after 39 years of diverse and challenging leadership responsibilities focused on Marine Corps and Navy investment strategies, culminating his career as Commanding General, Combat Development Command and Deputy Commandant Combat Development & Integration. A career naval aviator and former flight instructor at TOPGUN, Lieutenant General Walsh served as Director of Expeditionary Warfare for the Chief of Naval Operations, and as the Director of Operations at U.S. Northern Command. He deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2009 as Commanding General of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.

Education: Lieutenant General Walsh is a graduate of the US Naval Academy, and received an MA in National Security Studies from the National War College.

CAPT Robert W. Warren, USCG (Ret.)

Nominee 2nd Term

Career Assignments Include: Mr. Robert Warren serves as Director of the U.S. Global Maritime Operational Threat Response (MOTR) Coordination Center (GMCC), responsible for the GMCC’s facilitation of the U.S. Government’s interagency response to maritime threats involving U.S. interests worldwide. GMCC seeks to ensure decisive action and provides the forum to establish desired national outcome, align multi-agency efforts, and facilitate national coordination for the resolution of threats to U.S. interests in the global maritime domain. Mr. Warren served as an active-duty Coast Guard officer for over 30 years. His military assignments included numerous Coast Guard operational and staff tours, including Chief of Response Operations and Chief of Staff for the First Coast Guard District in Boston, MA, charged with overseeing all Coast Guard operations from New Jersey to the Canadian border, as well as Command of Coast Guard Sector San Juan, responsible for all Coast Guard operations in the eastern Caribbean. He served in the Pentagon on the Joint Staff (J-5) for Strategic Plans and Policy, as well as aboard several Coast Guard cutters, including as Commanding Officer of USCGC TYBEE in San Diego, CA. His final Coast Guard tour he served as Chief of Congressional and Governmental Affairs, coordinating all Coast Guard engagements with Capitol Hill and other governmental agencies. After retiring from the Coast Guard, he transitioned to the Department of Justice as Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs for ATF, continuing his Congressional liaison work on Capitol Hill. In August of 2023 he returned to the Coast Guard and DHS to join the GMCC as Director.

Education: Captain Warren is a 1992 Coast Guard Academy graduate. He earned an MBA in finance from the University of Maryland and a master’s in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.

Open Seat

Vice Admiral Ross A. Myers, USN (Ret.)

Nominee 1st Term – If elected, to begin April 2026

Career Assignments Include: Founder of Ad Astra Cyber/Space Strategies LLC Consulting. Former Vice President of Navy/Marine Corps Programs for Northrop Grumman Corporation, directing all corporate and sector engagements with the government on all Navy and Marine Corps programs.

A career carrier naval aviator, Ross commanded at all levels of naval aviation, including squadron, fleet replacement squadron, air wing, and carrier strike group, and was stationed twice with Forward Deployed Naval Forces in Atsugi, Japan, including as Commander, Carrier Air Wing FIVE.

Ross held numerous joint assignments, including assistant deputy director for Global Operations, Joint Staff (J39), vice deputy director for Nuclear, Homeland Defense and Current Operations, Joint Staff (J33), director of Plans and Policy (J5), chief of staff, and deputy commander at Headquarters, U.S. Cyber Command.

Ross was the sixth Commander of U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. 10th Fleet/U.S. Navy Space.

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Mike D. Stevens, USN (Ret.)

Nominee 1st Term – If elected, to begin April 2026

Career Assignments Include: Mike Stevens currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Navy League of the United States. He retired from the U.S. Navy in September 2016 after serving as the 13th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy.

During his 33-year Navy career, Mike held a wide range of technical and leadership assignments across all levels of aircraft maintenance. His duties included service as a Helicopter Crew Chief, Navy Recruiter, Officer Candidate School (OCS) Instructor, and Class Chief Petty Officer. He also served as Command Master Chief in several operational commands, as well as at Helicopter Sea Combat Wing Atlantic, U.S. 2nd Fleet, and U.S. Fleet Forces Command.

Following his retirement, Mike served as Chief Operations Officer and later Chief Executive Officer of Viqtory, a military marketing company focused on veterans’ employment.

He previously served with the National Academy of Sciences as Vice Chair of the Naval Studies Board; on the Board of Directors for the Association of the United States Navy (AUSN); and as Chairman of AUSN’s Anchor Society. He has also served as a board adviser for the National Museum of the American Sailor and the Global War on Terror Memorial Foundation, and as a guest lecturer at the Naval Postgraduate School.

Mike’s academic achievements include a Bachelor of Science degree from Excelsior University; Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government’s Leadership in Crisis program; Six Sigma Black Belt certification; University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business’s Artificial Intelligence Empowerment for Small Business & Career Empowerment programs; Senior Enlisted Professional Military Education; Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education; and the National Defense University Keystone course. He is an honor graduate and recipient of the prestigious Peter Tomich Award for exceptional military excellence from the Navy Senior Enlisted Academy.

His personal decorations include the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal (three awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (four awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (six awards), and Coast Guard Achievement Medal (Operational “O”).

Philosophy on Election Slates for Volunteer Boards

Navy Mutual’s Board is all-volunteer. Our Board members receive no compensation for their work, financial or otherwise, apart from the satisfaction of serving the Association’s membership. Board service is a significant undertaking, requiring Board members to devote many hours to preparing for and participating in multiple meetings each year. Navy Mutual Board members must be generous with their time and talent for the Association to thrive.

Although Navy Mutual is a nonprofit membership association, its mission to provide the military community with high quality life insurance, compassionate beneficiary services, financial education, and veterans services, is at least as complex as the operations of any commercial insurer. Board members must be financially savvy and committed to meeting the needs of military families. They must bring a range of business, marketing, investment, leadership, management, technological, and legal knowledge to the Board. They must together represent the range of our membership by service affiliation and experience, and must have distinguished service records that inspire trust in our members and the military community. Individuals of this caliber have many opportunities for volunteer service, and the Association is grateful to those who choose to join Navy Mutual’s Board.

The qualifications of all Board nominees are thoroughly vetted by the Nominating Committee before the candidates are put forward for the Board’s review. The Board carefully considers each candidate’s qualifications, with an eye toward selecting outstanding nominees while maintaining the Board’s balance and fulfilling the Association’s business needs. The Board then nominates to the membership only those candidates whom the Board believes will be best able to serve. Our election process is consistent with best governance practices of both nonprofit associations and commercial insurers, and has served our members well for over a century. We do not believe that the process would be improved, or our members better served, by contested elections that would require Navy Mutual to recruit volunteers to run for the Board only to be rejected by the membership.

Navy Mutual members are encouraged to nominate candidates for election to the Board of Directors. We are always looking for outstanding leaders to join the Board and appreciate the opportunity to consider anyone who is appropriately qualified.

Eligibility Requirements

Individual board nominees should have the background and experience to be able to convey to the board and staff the financial security needs of veterans, their families and survivors. In particular, nominees should have the financial training and experience to provide strong leadership as the Association seeks to meet the financial security needs of its existing and prospective Members.

Further, at the time of election, nominees must be a Member in good standing of the Association and reside in the National Capital Region. For more information, review the Association’s Bylaws.

Nomination Process for Board Members

The Nominating Committee is charged with ensuring nominees for the board are representative of veterans of the Sea Services including retired and honorably discharged officers and enlisted personnel. Additionally, the Nominating Committee looks for nominees who have the financial training and experience to provide strong leadership, ensuring the Association continues to meet the financial security needs of its existing and prospective Members.

The Nominating Committee seeks input from fellow members of the board, the President and Chief Executive Officer, and the membership. Candidates are carefully considered by the Nominating Committee and an election slate is proposed to the board prior to being submitted to the Membership for a vote.

If you meet the Association’s eligibility requirements and are interested in being considered for a board position in the future, please contact boardelection@navymutual.org.