Mr. Kevin M. Sweeney served as Chief of Staff to Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis. He was responsible for providing counsel and advice to the Secretary on all matters concerning the Department.    

Mr. Sweeney retired as a Rear Admiral from the U.S. Navy in 2014 following a two-year assignment as Commander, Carrier Strike Group TEN and a highly successful nine-month deployment as Commander of the Harry S. Truman Strike Group.  His 32 years of operational experience also include Command of Destroyer Squadron 26 and Commanding Officer of USS Cole where he was responsible for the Cole’s restoration and return to fleet operations following the terrorist attack in Yemen.  Additionally, Mr. Sweeney has significant experience as an advisor to senior civilian and military leaders having served as the Executive Assistant to the Under Secretary of the Navy, the Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation, and Commander, U.S. Central Command.

Following his retirement from active duty, Mr. Sweeney was Vice President of Track Patch 1 Corporation, an innovative start-up company developing a radio frequency patch to monitor the movements of loved ones afflicted with Alzheimer’s dementia.  He also served as Interim President and CEO of the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance (HREDA), the joint public-private corporation established to market Hampton Roads worldwide as the region of choice for business investment and expansion.  Mr. Sweeney guided the Alliance through a strategic review process resulting in the successful restructuring of corporate governance and realignment of resources and internal processes to more effectively and efficiently accomplish the organization’s mission.

While in the private sector, Mr. Sweeney served on various boards, including the Eastern Virginia Medical School Board of Visitors and the Old Dominion University Research Foundation Board of Trustees.

Mr. Sweeney holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Resources Management from the U.S. Naval Academy.  He graduated with distinction from the Naval Postgraduate School with a Master of Science in Financial Management and holds a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.  Mr. Sweeney also completed the Senior Executive Fellows Program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.