Former Ambassador to Norway, Secretary of the Navy to Lead During Launch of Foundation Fundraising Campaign Alongside Peers

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, October 25, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The national Navy Museum Development Foundation announces leadership team that will spearhead the launch of the foundation’s $450 million capital campaign.

On Oct. 18, the Department of the Navy took a major step forward in its commitment to build a new National Museum of the United States Navy in Washington, D.C. as Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced the Navy’s preferred location for a new NMUSN would be on land adjacent to the Washington Navy Yard. The land would be acquired either through a land exchange or direct purchase. Location of a new national Museum would afford the general public unfettered access to U.S. Navy history and heritage amid “The Yards,” a vibrant development nestled in D.C.’s fast-growing Capitol Riverfront area next to the Washington Navy Yard.

The Honorable Kenneth J. Braithwaite will serve as the Chairman of the NMDF Board. He was the 77th Secretary of the Navy and previously served as the 31st U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Norway. “I am honored to be joining a talented and committed Board of Directors and proud to serve as its chairman as we launch our work,” said Braithwaite.

The new National Navy Museum will be a state-of-the-art facility devoted to telling the storied history of the Navy’s past, present, and future. The centerpiece of a new, more accessible Navy Campus, the museum will become a tangible tribute to the traditions of service and sacrifice exemplified by Navy sailors for more than two hundred years. It will showcase the experience of Navy servicemen and women and create a lasting memorial to the Navy’s central role in our national story.

Braithwaite went on to say, “The new, state-of-the-art flagship museum will ensure that the Navy’s story can be shared with the audience it deserves. Moving the museum to a more accessible site within the heart of the nation’s Capital presents a unique opportunity to reach the 22 million visitors who come to Washington D.C. every year. It is vital that the American people understand the importance of a strong and viable naval force. As a maritime nation, our future depends on it.”

The Secretary of the Navy has selected the Navy Museum Development Foundation, an eligible non-profit organization, to be a partner in transforming this vision into a reality.

Braithwaite leads a distinguished board that includes the following members:

NMDF President, Vice Adm. Albert H. Konetzni, USN (Ret.)
Albert Konetzni is a distinguished nuclear power qualified submarine commander who retired Vice Admiral of the United States Navy, having served 38 years, culminating as the Deputy Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command and U.S. Atlantic Fleet.

NMDF Treasurer, Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, USN (Ret.)
Mark Montgomery served for 32 years in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear-trained surface warfare officer, retiring in 2017 after a tour as director of operations (J3) at U. S. Pacific Command. He is currently the Senior Director of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation and a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

NMDF Secretary, Dr. Jerry Hendrix, PhD, Capt., USN (Ret.)
Jerry Hendrix completed his Naval career as the Director of Naval History and Heritage Command. In 2018 he was a Senior Fellow and Director of the Defense Strategies and Assessments program at the Center for a New American Security, a 501(c)3 nonprofit think tank.

He is Founder and CEO of Hendrix and Associates, a national security consultancy and geo-strategist leveraging history and trend analysis to provide discreet advice to business leaders and policy makers.

Dr. Christopher M. Lehman, PhD.
Christopher M. Lehman, Sr. is former senior government national security official who served in both the Legislative and Executive Branches including service in the U.S State Department and as Special Assistant for National Security Affairs to President Ronald Reagan. He also served for decades as an author and a national security consultant and ended his professional career as President and CEO of a defense technology firm specializing in the development and integration of advanced technologies including low observable (LO) technologies and lightweight composite structures. He now serves on several non-profit boards and is Chairman of the Board of the Landing Craft Support Museum Foundation.

Dr. Jennifer London, PhD.
Jennifer London has a diversified background in strategic planning, business development, executive hiring, marketing and community relations. Dr. London’s late husband was retired Navy Captain Dr. J. Phillip (Jack) London former Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board of CACI International, Inc. and 2019 U.S. Naval Academy Distinguished Graduate who served on the Boards of the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation, the U.S. Naval Institute, the Naval Historical Foundation and Friends of the National World War II Memorial. The London’s established essay contests on leadership with the Naval Historical Foundation and the U.S. Naval Institute and scholarships in cyber studies, history, and leadership with the U.S. Naval Academy. They also supported installation of Lone Sailor statues at Pearl Harbor and Utah Beach with the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation. Dr. London maintains leadership roles on a number of boards and organizations and has numerous professional publications to her credit.

Honorary campaign co-chairs include:
-The Honorable Gordon R. England served as the 29th Deputy Secretary of Defense from January 2006 to February 2009. He previously served as the 72nd and 73rd Secretary of the Navy and as the first Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

The Honorable John H. Dalton was nominated by President Clinton to become the Secretary of the Navy in 1993 and served until Nov. 16, 1998.

The Honorable Ray E. Mabus served as the 75th Secretary of the Navy, the longest to serve as leader of the Navy and Marine Corps since World War I.

Kalen Arreola
Navy Museum Development Foundation
+1 844-244-5033 ext. 7
karreola@nmdf.org
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