Military community champion to lead strategic partnerships and engagement efforts

Vienna, Va. (October 8, 2026) – As a military spouse and longtime advocate for America’s military, Elizabeth O'Brien has spent more than two decades creating opportunities for service members, veterans and military families. Now, as Navy Federal Credit Union's new senior vice president of military affairs & strategic partnerships, her extensive leadership experience and military family perspective will help shape the credit union’s engagement with military, government and community partners.  

O'Brien joins Navy Federal from Hiring Our Heroes, an initiative of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, where she served as senior vice president of programs and events. Throughout her career, she has helped advance workforce readiness, military spouse employment, veteran entrepreneurship and other initiatives that expand opportunity across the military community. 

“Elizabeth is a respected leader whose career has been defined by service, collaboration and a commitment to the wellbeing of America’s military community,” said Navy Federal President & CEO Dietrich Kuhlmann. “She brings a proven track record of creating meaningful opportunities for veterans and military families, and we’re thrilled to have her on our team.”

In her new role, O’Brien works closely with government, nonprofit and community partners to strengthen support for the military community and advance the credit union’s commitment to the financial well-being of service members, veterans and their families. Combining professional expertise with personal experience, she offers a unique perspective on the issues affecting those who serve. 

"As a military spouse, I've experienced firsthand the resilience of military families and the importance of having trusted organizations that support them,” said O'Brien. “That perspective has shaped my career and fueled my passion for creating opportunities for service members, veterans and their families. I'm honored to join Navy Federal and look forward to building on its legacy of service while strengthening partnerships and expanding impact across the military community."

O’Brien’s experience also includes leadership roles at TFX Capital and Freedom Learning Group, where she helped expand entrepreneurship, workforce development and employment opportunities for military-connected individuals and families. 

She succeeds Retired U.S. Navy Capt. Keith Hoskins, who retired from Navy Federal in May after serving in senior leadership since 2019. During his tenure, Hoskins helped strengthen the credit union's relationships across the military community and advance initiatives supporting service members, veterans and their families. 

About Navy Federal Credit Union: Established in 1933 with only 7 members, Navy Federal now has the distinct honor of serving more than 15 million members globally and is the world’s largest credit union. As a member-owned and not-for-profit organization, Navy Federal always puts the financial needs of its members first. Membership is open to all Department of Defense and Coast Guard Active Duty, Veterans, civilian and contractor personnel, and their families. Navy Federal employs a workforce of over 25,000 and has a global network of more than 380 branches. Navy Federal is contracted to operate the Overseas Military Banking Program under the authority of the Department of Defense, which provides Active Duty military Servicemembers deployed overseas with access to some 60 branches and hundreds of ATMs spread across 10 countries and territories. For more information about Navy Federal Credit Union, visit navyfederal.org.