President's Message

Hello. I’m Dietrich Kuhlmann, and on March 1 of this year, I took over as President and Chief Executive Officer of Navy Federal Credit Union.

I want to take a moment to thank Mary McDuffie for her decades of service to Navy Federal. Mary announced her retirement last September after leading as our CEO since 2018. The greatest testament to her leadership, vision and immense accomplishments is that she leaves the credit union more equipped and empowered to serve our members than it has ever been.

My first in-depth look at Navy Federal occurred in 2010-2012, when I served as a volunteer on the credit union’s Board of Directors. Assigned to the board’s Membership and Supervisory committees, I was fortunate to have brought with me a first-hand understanding of the financial needs of military members, Veterans and their families. Those perspectives were indeed valuable, but more than anything, I was honored to play just a small role in an institution I knew served a critical purpose in the lives of so many.

Military orders soon relocated my family outside of the Washington, DC area, but the experience ultimately proved to me that I'd be able to make a meaningful difference somewhere outside of the service, whenever that time came.

In 2019, after retiring as a rear admiral from the Navy, I returned to the credit union as its head of Branch Operations. Here, I was constantly reminded of the importance of our team’s face-to-face interactions with our members, and I later brought those experiences with me into the role of Chief Real Estate Lending Officer. Most recently, I oversaw the credit union’s operational functions and workforce as its Chief Operating Officer. In every position I’ve held at Navy Federal, I've repeatedly observed a team that is committed—no matter their role or responsibility or location—to our mission of serving our members.

As we enter a new chapter at Navy Federal Credit Union, I'm excited to pursue new ways to serve and support our members. This means emphasizing the importance of assisting in financial well-being for members at all stages of their lives, aligning with partners across our industry to identify opportunities that will serve the collective benefit of our membership, and so much more. I look forward to sharing additional details with you in the months ahead.

I learned countless lessons during my 35 years at the United States Navy and Department of Defense, but two stick with me most. The first is the importance of a clear mission. The second is the importance of people—of our relationships and our reliance on others. The possibilities for success are so much greater when working with a team of likeminded souls. It's full circle for me to return to serving our members at Navy Federal, where our team’s dedication to making our mission a success continues to define us.

As I begin this new role and as our team continues to focus on developing and delivering the services you need, please remember that we're here for you, no matter where you are in life or where you find yourself in the world. Thank you for this opportunity and for placing your trust in Navy Federal Credit Union.

Very Respectfully,

Dietrich Kuhlmann
President/CEO
Navy Federal Credit Union