ADM Jonathan W. Greenert ’75, USN (Ret.): ADM Greenert was born and raised in Butler, Pa. He attended the Naval Academy, majored in Ocean Engineering, and was commissioned in June 1975. Greenert completed studies in naval nuclear engineering and entered the nuclear submarine force. His service in submarines (FLYING FISH, TAUTOG, NR-1, MICHIGAN (GOLD)) culminated in command of the submarine USS HONOLULU (SSN 718) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. His flag assignments were Commander, U.S. Forces Micronesia; Deputy Comptroller, Dept. of the Navy; Deputy Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet; Commander, U.S. SEVENTH Fleet (Asia); Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Requirements and Resources (N8); Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces (Atlantic); and Vice Chief of Naval Operations. Greenert served as the thirtieth Chief of Naval Operations from 2011 to 2015. He retired from military service in October 2015 and currently serves as a director on corporate boards, as a consultant and advisor, and as a volunteer for non-profit and philanthropic organizations. He served as chair of the USNA Distinguished Graduate Award selection panel for the 2020 through 2022 selection cycles. He and his family have enjoyed living in Japan, Guam, Hawaii, Bangor/Seattle, San Diego and Washington, DC. 

VADM Anthony L. Winns ’78, USN (Ret.): VADM Winns is a native of Jacksonville, FL and graduated with distinction from the Naval Academy in 1978. He later earned a Master’s degree with distinction from the Naval Postgraduate School. He was the first officer in his Naval Academy class to promote to flag rank. On active duty, he commanded Patrol Squadron Eleven, USS ESSEX (LHD-2), Patrol and Reconnaissance Force Pacific and Task Force 32, and served as Vice Director and Acting Director for Operations (J-3), Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Naval Inspector General. He retired from military service in 2011 and joined Lockheed Martin, serving as President of the Middle East-Africa region and later as Deputy, Lockheed Martin International and Regional Executive, Africa-Latin America, overseeing global partnerships, business development, and corporate strategy. In 2007, Winns was the recipient of the Becoming Everything You Are (BEYA) “Career Achievement in Government” Award for inspirational STEM leadership. He currently serves as National Chairman of the BEYA Stars and Stripes Military Alumni Association where he has made a significant impact reaching over 40,000 students and professionals. Moreover, he founded the BEYA National Scholarship Foundation and co-founded the BEYA National STEM Student Mentoring Program which, to date, has inspired over 7,000 high school students. Winns currently serves on corporate boards and is a trustee of the Naval Academy Foundation Athletic and Scholarship Programs. He and his family reside in Orlando, FL.  

CAPT Sunita L. Williams ’87, USN (Ret.): CAPT Williams was born and raised in Needham, MA. She graduated from the Naval Academy in 1987 and began her naval career as a helicopter pilot, logging over 3,000 hours in 30+ aircraft as a test pilot. Williams became an astronaut in 1998 and has made three trips to the International Space Station (ISS). She is one of two women to command the ISS twice, and one of five U.S. astronauts with over 500 days in space. Living by her creed to “inspire the next generation of explorers,” she is an international role model and ambassador for the Naval Academy, Navy, and NASA astronaut program. Williams is a perennial fixture at the Naval Academy Space Convocation, relaying her Navy and NASA experiences to the next generation of leaders and explorers. As a former captain of the USNA women's swim team, she stays engaged with the team and offers her guidance and support. Naval Academy ideals are the foundation of her successful career, and she emphasizes those concepts during her interactions with midshipmen. Her many contributions to the space program include helping build the ISS; designing systems, products, and processes for future space travel; recruiting and training scores of astronauts from multiple countries; and creating strong and trusted partnerships in both the U.S. and international space communities. Williams uses her platform to encourage careers in science and technology, speaking with school children both in person and from space. In October 2019, her hometown of Needham, MA dedicated the Sunita L. Williams Elementary School in recognition of her life of character, integrity, adventure, and service. She and her husband and classmate Michael Williams ’87 live in Houston, TX. 

Ms. JoAnna L. Sohovich ’93:  Ms. Sohovich is a 1993 graduate of the Naval Academy. She began her career as a Navy Supply Corps officer, serving at the supply depot, U.S. Naval Submarine base in Point Loma, California. She later deployed to the Persian Gulf aboard the USS ESSEX (LHD-2), an amphibious assault ship, as one of the first women following the repeal of the combat exclusion policy. Sohovich’s business career has spanned various industries, including technology, manufactured goods, and general management, and she has held leadership positions with some of the world's leading companies such as Chamberlain Group, Stanley Black & Decker, and Honeywell. Sohovich is an independent board director for two prestigious public companies: Barnes Group, Inc., and Ingersoll Rand. She chairs a private equity board under Blackstone for the Chamberlain Group. She is a member of The Committee of 200, an invitation-only membership organization of the world's most successful women business leaders, and a member of YPO, the world’s largest leadership community of chief executives. Sohovich serves on the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation Board of Directors and as a member of the Women For Navy Athletics. Her philanthropic projects include the Sohovich Refueling Station in Lejeune Hall that provides nutritional resources and custom tools needed for athletic programs based on training and competition schedules. She is the proud mom of teenaged super-swimmer Xavier.

The USNA AA&F wishes to thank the 2025 DGA selection panelists, led by panel chair Admiral Harry Harris ‘78, USN (Ret.), for their diligent and difficult task in selecting these four outstanding graduates from a highly competitive field of nominees. 

We also thank the Naval Academy alumni who submitted nominations – the panel was impressed by the achievements of every nominee.