Neel Mehta
Brian Hawthorne, a former senior adviser for strategic messaging at the Department of Veterans Affairs, has been appointed as PenFed Foundation’s director of communications and development.
PenFed said Monday that Hawthorne will oversee the planning and execution of the nonprofit organization’s fundraising and government relations efforts in his new role.
“Having served in the military himself and served veterans on a variety of different levels, Brian knows firsthand the needs, challenges and importance of helping those who have served our country and their families,” said Tammy Darvish, president of the PenFed Foundation and executive vice president and chief operating officer of the PenFed Credit Union.
“With his professional and personal experience, Brian will help us greatly expand the reach of the foundation and those we serve through it,” Darvish added.
Hawthorne also previously served as a White House liaison at the VA and led strategic messaging and planning efforts related to the department’s MyVA initiative and other national programs that aim to improve care for military veterans.
He is also an Army Reserve master sergeant at the Riverdale, Maryland-based 450th Civil Affairs Battalion.
