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2024 U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES MID-ATLANTIC AND WESTERN REGION TRUSTEE ELECTION INFORMATION


VOTE FOR YOUR MID-ATLANTIC AND WESTERN REGION REPRESENTATION ON THE U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES

If you are a member of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association who resides in the Mid-Atlantic or Western regions (see regional map), vote here for your regional trustee on the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association Board of Trustees. The election launches on 1 March.

By voting in the upcoming election, you are helping choose leaders for the Alumni Association who will help strengthen our alma mater and our alumni community.

In accordance with the bylaws of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association, the Board of Trustees approved the slate of nominees for the positions of Mid-Atlantic and Western Region Trustees at the October 2023 meeting. The trustees elected will join the board for the May 2024 meeting and will serve a three-year term. Trustees can serve up to two consecutive terms.

Trustees must be regular members of the Association. Write-in votes are permitted. The candidate receiving a plurality of the votes cast will be announced at the May 2024 meeting.

Board members govern the business and affairs of the Association which includes providing oversight of existing alumni programs and services and strategic direction for Association leadership.

Mid-Atlantic and Western region members will receive an email around 1 March 2024 from our third-party election service YES Elections with instructions to vote online, and around the same time a paper ballot for the option to vote by mail. The election closes on 15 April.

Learn more about the Alumni Association Board of Trustees and the election at www.usna.com/BOT-Trustees.

 

Candidates for Mid-Atlantic Region Trustee

Meet your candidates in their campaign videos.

David Bethel ’79
Ingar Grev ’89
Alonzo Barber ’97

Candidates for Western Region Trustee

Meet your candidates in their campaign videos.

Pat Temple ’79
Barbette Lowndes ’80
Jim Brennan ’84
Hank Molina ’95

 

Mid-atlantic Region

 

David Bethel ’79

Born in Harrisburg, PA, in 1957, I was raised by parents who were professional musicians. My formative years were marked by an exceptional athletic journey, achieving All-State status and numerous accolades in basketball. Joining the U.S. Naval Academy in 1975, I pursued a Management and Technology major while actively participating in varsity basketball, heavyweight crew, brigade boxing, and the Semper Fi society.

Having graduated from the Naval Academy in 1979, I cherish the diversity and camaraderie of my time there. The experiences, challenges, and bonds formed with classmates from various backgrounds shaped my perspective on service and teamwork. I am driven by the ethos of "Service Before Self," a principle deeply ingrained in me during my time at the Academy as well as in my Marine Corps career.

Graduating marked the beginning of my 28-year Marine Corps career, commanding at each rank from 2nd Lieutenant to Lieutenant Colonel, the most rewarding being Battalion Command. In my career I served in diverse roles across all four Marine divisions, to include Inspector Instructor Duty, key staff assignments, Special Projects Directorate for the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and Aide-de-Camp to the Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command. Additionally, I was privileged to be an instructor in the US Naval Academy's Economics Department, where I supported the academic excellence of our Midshipmen athletes, a fulfilling role after my own challenging experience as a young student athlete.

Transitioning from the Marine Corps in 2007, I pursued roles in Business Development with Lockheed Martin and later Arctic Slope Regional Corporation until 2021. Presently, I serve as a Field Monitor at Anne Arundel County Parks and Recreation, residing in Severn, MD. I am the proud dad of three adult children and six grandchildren.

My dedication extends beyond professional roles, as I've been actively involved in mentoring and volunteering. In addition to coaching local youth sports, I support veterans' advocacy as a Veterans Services Officer with the Baltimore American Legion. I fundraise for causes like the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and participate in various community organizations like the Travis Manion Foundation and Our Community Salutes, a non-profit organization that celebrates high school graduates that opt to enlist in the military.

As an Athletic and Scholarship Programs Trustee since 2006, I've actively participated in various capacities, supporting the Academy and the Alumni Association. With a profound commitment to service and a deep connection to the values instilled by the Naval Academy, I am compelled to offer my experience and unwavering dedication as a Trustee for the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association. I am eager to contribute, support, and strengthen the institution and its alumni, fostering a legacy of leadership and service among future generations.

 

Ingar Grev ’89

Serving the Naval Academy and our Alumni community has been Ingar Grev’s passion for decades; arguably, his engagement with the community defines who he is. Ingar started coordinating the Class of ’89 tailgaters around the mid-90s, and a few years later – in 1999 - he was elected as class president. In 2007, during his second term as class president, Ingar was asked to join the USNAAA Board of Trustees as the 80’s Decade Representative, where he served for two terms. While on the Board of Trustees, Ingar served on the Communications, Joint Investment, CEO Transition, and CEO Search Committees. He also was one of the Board’s representatives to the Naval Academy Memorial Oversight Committee.

Ingar was re-elected for a total of four terms (20 years) as class president and was excluded from running for a fifth term in 2019 due to term limits. After leaving the ’89 Board in 2020, he continued to coordinate the ‘89 tailgaters, administer the ’89 social media platforms / website, and chair / participate on three ’89 Distinguished Graduate Award committees. Ingar returned to the 89 Board of Directors in 2023, and he has been a member of the Navy Football Brotherhood since its founding.

The son of a German World War 2 POW and a German refugee, Ingar entered the Naval Academy from New Jersey, earning a BS in systems engineering in 1989. Before serving as a submarine officer on the USS Philadelphia (SSN-690), he was a coach for the 10-0 1989 NAPS football team. After completing his submarine tour at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in 1994, Ingar reported back to USNA to work in the Phys Ed Department as a staff member, instructor, and Lightweight Football coach (now called Sprint Football). During that tour, he also earned an MS in Systems Engineering at the University of Maryland. A few years later, Ingar returned to the University of Maryland to earn his MBA.

Ingar left the Navy in 1996 and settled in the Annapolis area. His first job out of the Navy was with Verizon (back then called Bell Atlantic), and since then his career went in several directions, from telecommunications to defense contracting, from very large companies to small, and from corporate to entrepreneurial. After leaving Verizon, he worked for a small defense contractor supporting the National Missile Defense program. He returned to telecommunications a few years later to work with the start-up Covad Communications. When the telecom market crashed in 2003, he returned to the defense industry for a company that was acquired by Raytheon, and for about 8 more years he supported the Missile Defense Agency as a technology leader / systems engineer. Ingar started his own company around 2011, where he provided strategic advisory services, interim executive support, and business development consulting. During that time Ingar was also a nationally read contributor to The Business Journals. From 2017-2022, Ingar was the Navy Business Development Executive for 3M, and he is currently the Director of Defense Business Development for Motion and Flow Control Products, Inc. (www.mfcp.com).

Ingar is married to Jean and lives in Annapolis. Their daughter Vivian is an AFROTC scholarship cadet at the University of Maryland, their daughter Sarah is a Biomedical Engineering student at Purdue, and their son TJ is a junior in high school and an aspiring midshipman.

 

Alonzo Barber ’97

For the past decade, I have been actively involved with the Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation, serving on various committees and councils. I have been a member of the Foundation’s Council of Annual Giving. I have also been a non-trustee member of the Association’s Governance Committee, which reviews and recommends policies and procedures for the Association’s Board of Trustees and its committees. Additionally, I served on the Association’s Special Committee for diversity, equity and inclusion. Through these roles, I have contributed to the advancement and support of the Naval Academy and its mission, as well as the engagement and empowerment of or alumni.

After separating from the Navy, I pursued a career as a corporate lawyer, specializing in intellectual property and technology law most recently for Microsoft. I have served as a volunteer board member for various non profit boards. Through these roles, I have gained valuable experience and skills in governance, fundraising, advocacy, and community service which makes me an ideal candidate for the Naval Academy Board of Trustees.

I believe that a diverse and inclusive brigade of midshipmen enhances the quality of education and leadership development at the Naval Academy and prepares future naval officers for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. My final active duty tour was as an admissions officer for the Naval Academy, where I gained a passion and unique skillset for enhancing the diversity of the brigade of midshipmen by recruiting and mentoring candidates from various backgrounds and perspectives. Since then I have worked closely with the office of admissions to develop and implement strategies and initiatives to increase the representation and retention of underrepresented groups. If elected to the Board of Trustees, I plan to continue working closely with the office of admissions to expand outreach to underrepresented communities and to support the Naval Academy’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

 

WEstern Region

 

Pat Temple ‘79

Kennon “Pat” Temple ’79 has enjoyed a career spanning over five decades marked by servant leadership and grounded in service to his nation and community. Over 25 years of both Active and Reserve service, Pat’s character and spirit were forged by his time in the Navy, beginning at Annapolis.

His career began as a Naval Aviator flying the S-3 Viking, with follow-on aviation tours as a flight instructor in the Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) for the S-3 and special projects, in both Active and Reserve roles. Pat expanded his knowledge base into Command and Staff positions of increasing responsibility, ultimately being selected to serve as Commanding Officer of three Reserve units, notably in support roles for major Joint Commands. Retiring as a Captain from the Navy Reserve in 2004, Pat’s final Command was a Navy Reserve unit tasked with supporting emergent requirements for the staffs of NATO Headquarters in both Norfolk and Brussels.

In 1987, Pat transitioned from active duty to the Navy Reserve and civilian employment as a pilot for Delta Air Lines. For the next 35 years, Pat flew all over the world, and qualified as a Captain on numerous transoceanic aircraft. He was designated as a Federal Aviation Administration Line Check Airman, responsible for the training and supervision of hundreds of new pilots. Additionally, since 2002 he volunteered significant time and effort on behalf of the Air Line Pilot Association (ALPA), both as a safety volunteer and Critical Incident Response Program (CIRP) committee member. Pat eventually served as Vice Chairman and then Chairman of the CIRP team until retiring from Delta. In this capacity, he chaired an extraordinary committee of volunteers, trained in stress management and support for more than 12,000 Delta pilots in the event of a mishap or operational incident. Finally, he volunteered and was deputized as a Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration Federal Flight Deck Officer from 2004 until 2022. In recognition of extensive service to aviation security, Pat was awarded the President of the United States Volunteer Service Award from the TSA.

Pat’s military affiliations include: U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association – Life member, Colorado chapter. U.S. Naval Academy Blue & Gold Officer from 1991 to the present, supporting multiple high schools, first in North Central Texas, then in Evergreen Colorado and surrounding communities. As a member of the Rocky Mountain Naval Reserve Association in the early 2000s, Pat joined a team of Flag-level and other senior officers who traveled the U.S. teaching fitness report structure, grading and promotion cycles. This rewarding and impactful project added value for many hundreds of Naval Reservists. As a member of the Navy League of the United States, Pat is an active promoter of regional events. He is a Life Member of the American Legion and Current Commander of Evergreen Post 2001.

In civilian life, Pat serves as an elected official in his 5th consecutive term as Director and Secretary on the Board of Directors of the West Jefferson County Metropolitan District. He was a former Boy Scouts of America local troop adult leader and Council adult education instructor for more than ten years. He has served for over three decades as a volunteer for Ducks Unlimited International as local committee member, chapter treasurer and most recently as Evergreen Colorado Committee Area Chairman.

Pat is blessed with a loving family; Marianne, his wife of 38 years, three adult children and four grandchildren. Two of his children are Naval Aviators currently serving on active duty.

In his spare time, Pat is an avid outdoor enthusiast, who enjoys mountaineering, alpine skiing, hunting, 4WD exploring, shooting sports and travel.

 

Barbette Lowndes ’80

Captain Barbette Lowndes, USN, (Ret) ’80, retired from federal employment after 35 years. She served 27 years active duty in the Navy and 8 years as a Navy civil servant. During her military career as a Supply Corps Officer, Barbette served at 10 commands including two tours at sea on USS MCKEE (AS-41) and USS CAPE COD (AD-43). She was the Commanding Officer of Defense Contract Management Area Boston. As a civil servant, Barbette was the Director of Total Force Management for Space and Naval Warfare System Command (now called Naval Information Warfare Systems Command).

Barbette graduated from USNA in May 1980 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Oceanography. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Business Management from Webster University and a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. She is a graduate of the Senior Executive Institute at the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Barbette has been an active member of the USNA Alumni Association since 2006 when she was first elected to the Board of Directors for the San Diego Chapter. Barbette worked her way up from 2nd vice president and 1st vice president to president of the San Diego chapter. She was elected by her chapter to become the chapter trustee for the Board of Trustees for a three-year term and then served an additional three years on the Board of Trustees as a non-Trustee Committee member for the Admissions, Membership and Alumni Services, and Governance Committees.

Barbette served four years as the inaugural President of the USNA Women’s Shared Interest Group (SIG). She also served as a member of the Special Committee on Alumni Culture, Diversity and Inclusion.

Barbette has been serving as the Western Region Trustee for the past two+ years and has been the Chair of the Membership and Alumni Services Committee. She also serves on the Executive and Nominations Committee. She is proud to have been a part of the growth of the SIGs and the expansion of engagement resulting from the establishment of the current six SIGs. She looks forward to being a part of the implementation and execution of the Alumni Association Strategic Plan 2030.

Barbette also volunteers for the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society San Diego and in various roles for her church.

 

Jim Brennan ’84

Jim “JJ” Brennan ’84 has called the West Coast home for over 84% of time since graduating from USNA including living in San Diego, Seattle and, since 1995, Fremont, CA. His military career kicked off with NAPS and USNA followed by Surface Warfare Division Officer and Department Head tours on USS STEIN (FF-1065) and USS ACADIA (AD-42) respectively, with a stint as a staff officer at USNA in between.

Transitioning into a sales and marketing career upon leaving active duty, Jim has had key leadership positions in several industries and companies: Specialty Chemical (Nalco), Commercial Solar (Jabil, D2Solar, Borrego Solar, NRG, Stion) and, primarily, Semiconductor Capital Equipment (Applied Materials, Eugenus, UCT, Ichor Systems). Following his initial transition from active duty, he also served as a Reserve Staff Officer on COMCARGRU THREE (USS INDEPENDENCE/Whidbey Island) and COMCARGRU FIVE (USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN/Moffett Field).

Graduating from USNA with a BS in Marine Engineering, Jim has also completed the Strategic Marketing Executive Education course at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. A detailed CV can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/brennanjim/.

His enjoyment of serving graduates took off after moving to the Bay Area when he became involved in the Silicon Valley Business Network, an organization of 500 grads from all service academies (about half from Navy) around the greater San Francisco Bay Area founded in the early 90’s by Raymond Burkley ’60. Taking over as coordinator full time in 2010, Jim has been ably assisted by grads from all the service academies to enable business and career networking as well as semiannual social events for Bay Area grads. The USNA Alumni Association and Foundation has been a great resource for the SVBN, helping to bring speakers from USNA to the periodic meetings.

Since his initial time in Silicon Valley coincided with the rapid adaption of electronic communications, he has also served his USNA Second Company mates as an unofficial communication hub and ‘call to action’ officer when USNA events such as reunions and the Great Class Challenge are in play. This has also resulted in working closely as a volunteer with the class Reunion Committee for the last several reunions. In addition, Jim actively supports the USNA Foundation outreach efforts in Northern California.

All this interaction with USNA has brought Jim to wonder how do other grads, particularly in the Western US, interact with their alma mater and what part does the Alumni Association play in that? As such, it drives the core of Jim’s potential Trustee agenda:

1. Is the Alumni Association adequately communicating how it supports alumni in the Western Region? Is it the needed support?
2. Are ideas and needs from Western Region alumni being fully understood and addressed by Alumni Association leadership?
3. Do Western Region alumni understand the three organizations (USNAAA and Foundation, Athletic and Scholarship Programs) that support alumni and USNA and what their missions are?

These are fundamental elements and as they are unpacked, there are many more links between the Alumni Association and alumni to be understood and strengthened, which is the foundation of the Western Region Trustee’s role.

On a personal note, Jim’s son just finished a seven year active duty stint as a Lieutenant in the Medical Service Corps and his daughter is a Cryptologic Technician Second Class on a DDG out of Yokosuka Japan.

Go Navy!

 

Hank Molina ’95

Enrique “Hank” Molina ’95, CDR, USN (Ret.) served the U.S. Navy for over 27 years. As a Trustee, he will serve ALL USNA alumni in the concentrated Western Region as their hands-on advocate by developing relationships with current trustees, present, and future Alumni Association members. His background, as both a Naval Aviator and certified Acquisition Program Manager, including an MBA from the Naval Postgraduate School gives him the skill set to strengthen member bonds to the Academy and to each other. He is personally committed to contributing time and energy to carry out the USNA Alumni Association Board of Trustees duties ensuring adherence to the stated corporate purposes/mission.

Hank was born in East Los Angeles, CA. Enlisting in the U.S. Navy directly from high school - he served as an Aviation Electronics Technician. Shortly after enlistment, he applied for and was accepted into the BOOST Program (Broadened Opportunity for Officer Selection and Training). He matriculated and graduated from the USNA in May 1995. Upon completion of flight training and designation as a Naval Aviator, he transferred to NAS North Island in San Diego, CA, where he reported for sea duty as a “Sea Knight” pilot. After retiring from Active Duty, Hank transitioned to the Joint Program Executive Office Chemical Biological Defense and became the chief strategist for DoD Biosurveillance Portal by developing an unclassified web-based application, facilitating the timely identification and detection of biological events worldwide.

Philanthropically, Hank was an officer for the USNAAA San Diego Chapter. He served as their Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer. He coordinated social events; monitored & tracked the chapter’s overall financial status; and worked to insure fiduciary responsibility across the Chapter’s financial accounts. Hank is a native bilingual strategic critical thinker, who has directly supported the USNA Superintendent. Hank focused on recruiting future qualified midshipman to address the institution's historical underrepresentation in minority candidates.

Hank’s goal is to represent and reflect the geographic and cultural diversity of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association Board of Trustees. He will ensure a fully open, inclusive, and transparent process to develop leaders both in and out of uniform, to mentor them in order to reach their full potential, as an influential leader who is forward‐looking, service‐oriented, and committed to furthering USNA’s purpose and mission.