Former Destroyer Skipper Nominated for SECNAV

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has nominated a retired Navy officer to become the next secretary of the Navy. 

The nominee, Carlos Del Toro, was the first commanding officer of the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Bulkeley. If confirmed by the Senate, he would assume office as the nation’s 78th secretary of the Navy. 

Below is the June 11 White House release of the nomination: 

“Carlos Del Toro is a retired Commander in the U.S. Navy with nearly 40 years’ experience in national security and naval operations, budgeting, and acquisition. Over the course of a 22-year career in the U.S. Navy, Del Toro held a series of critical appointments — including Senior Executive Assistant to the Director for Program Analysis and Evaluation in the Office of the Secretary of Defense; First Commanding Officer of the guided missile destroyer USS Bulkeley; and Special Assistant to the Director and Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget — before founding SBG Technology Solutions Inc. He has served as CEO and President of SBG Technology Solutions for the last 17 years. As CEO and President of SBG Technology Solutions, Del Toro has supported defense programs across a host of immediate and long-term Navy issue areas, including shipbuilding, AI, cybersecurity, acquisition programs, space systems, health, and training. Having earned a Masters in National Security Studies from the Naval War College and a Masters in Legislative Affairs from George Washington University, Del Toro has also supported military programs addressing policy and strategic studies. 
 
“Born in Havana, Cuba, Carlos Del Toro immigrated to the U.S. with his family as refugees in 1962. Raised in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of New York City, he attended public schools and received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering. He was the first Hispanic President of the White House Fellows Foundation and Alumni association and serves on the Board of Directors of the Stimson Center. He was recently appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association’s Special Commission on Culture, Diversity, and Inclusion. Del Toro is married to Betty Del Toro, with whom they have four children and a granddaughter.” 

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Washington, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, praised the nomination in a June 11 statement: 

“Mr. Del Toro is a proven leader who is well equipped to lead our Navy. His story is uniquely American, as is his service to our nation, which include multiple deployments during the Cold War and Operation Desert Shield and Storm and culminated in his selection for the rank of Captain and Major Command at Sea. After retiring from the Navy, Del Toro continued to lead in the private sector as the CEO and President of an engineering and IT services company. As recently as 2020 the company was recognized by the Small Business Administration as an SBA success story — another testament to Del Toro’s leadership.  
   
“With decades of experience, both in and out of uniform, Del Toro is an excellent pick to lead the Navy and I look forward to working with him once confirmed by the Senate.”