Election Central
The 2023 Board of Directors election is closed.
Online voting began January 6, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. EST and ended at 7:00 p.m. EST on February 10, 2023.
Members who have a confirmed email address on file with Navy Mutual will be able to cast their ballots online via Survey&Ballot Systems’ secured election portal. For Members without a confirmed email address on file, their ballots will be mailed in early January and they will be able to vote in one of two ways: (1) return their ballot by mail, or (2) use the Member Number and Election Passcode on their paper ballot to cast their ballot online.
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
- Vice Admiral Stanley R. Szemborski, USN (Ret.)
- Rear Admiral Frank Thorp IV, USN (Ret.)
- Rear Admiral Brian E. Luther, USN (Ret.)
- Rear Admiral Christine S. Hunter, MC, USN (Ret.)
- Vice Admiral John Terence Blake, USN (Ret.)
- Vice Admiral Anthony L. Winns, USN (Ret.)
- Captain Nita Sood, USPHS
- Captain Anthony Cooper, USN (Ret.)
- Vice Admiral Ted N. Branch, USN (Ret.)
- Eric J. Candelori, USMC Veteran
- Christopher P. Dean, Esq.
- Captain Heidi A. Fleming, USN (Ret.)
- Captain Reggie Howard, USN (Ret.)
- Captain Catherine M. Mulé, USN (Ret.)
- Rear Admiral Cari B. Thomas, CAE, USCG (Ret.)
- Vice Admiral Michael Vitale, USN (Ret.)
- Lieutenant General Robert S. Walsh, USMC (Ret.)
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.