WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Pentagon Federal Credit Union Foundation (PenFed Foundation) has selected Jane Whitfield as its new president and chief executive officer as of March 3. A nationally recognized leader in the nonprofit sector, Whitfield will be the foundation’s first female head. She was selected to lead the organization after a nationwide search. Whitfield will replace Christopher Flynn who will return to his role as senior executive vice president of PenFed (Pentagon Federal Credit Union) until his upcoming retirement.
“Jane is the perfect choice to lead the foundation into the future. She will bring a fresh set of eyes backed up by a sterling resume,” said Col. (Ret) Bill Siegert, board chairman of the PenFed Foundation. “Her decades of work in philanthropy combined with her personal experiences give her a unique perspective on how the PenFed Foundation can grow and flourish. We’re very excited to welcome her aboard.”
After a successful career in sales and marketing, Whitfield moved into the nonprofit world more than 20 years ago, working in senior executive positions with organizations including UC Berkeley School of Law, Graduate Theological Union, and Bay Area Legal Aid. Since founding Whitfield Consulting in 2008, she has worked with foundations, nonprofits, and individual philanthropists to improve leadership development, fundraising, communications, program planning, and evaluation.
Whitfield also comes from a military family. Her father was a pilot in the Navy in World War II, while her brother had a 20-year career in the Army. Her son, Marine Sgt. Matthew Abbate, was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for valor shown in an ambush in Afghanistan’s Helmand province in 2010. Whitfield says her family’s culture of service inspired her to focus her work on veteran’s issues and the challenges faced by the military community.
“I personally look forward to working closely with Jane,” added Siegert. “I’m confident that with her vision and commitment she will take the foundation to a new level so we can do what we do best even better: serving the men and women of the defense community.”
