News Release
Jeffery Peterson to Lead CNA’s Center for Naval Analyses; Gordon Jaquith to Direct Navy Relations
CNA confirmed its leadership team for the Center for Naval Analyses today. Jeffery Peterson, who has led CNA’s Resources and Force Readiness Division since 2020, is now executive vice president of the Center for Naval Analyses.
As executive vice president, he leads a team of about 375 analysts who work on topics ranging from naval tactics and strategy to military recruiting and retention. Founded in 1942, the Center for Naval Analyses is the federally funded research and development center for the Department of the Navy and the nation’s oldest military operations research organization.
Gordon Jaquith is formally taking on the role of executive director for external relations with the Department of Navy. The role includes leading CNA’s Scientific Analyst Program, which embeds senior CNA analysts in the office of the Chief of Naval Operations and Marine Headquarters. Jaquith is also vice president of the Systems, Tactics, and Force Development Division, where he will continue to serve.
“Both Jeff and Gordon have demonstrated excellent leadership and shown great initiative and commitment to CNA,” said CEO and President Katherine McGrady. “The Center for Naval Analyses is in experienced hands to guide our evolving support to the Navy, the Marine Corps, and the Department of Defense.”
Peterson, a former Marine Corps officer who played a leadership role in Marine recruiting, said, “For almost 35 years, I have held CNA in the highest regard—23 of those years on active duty. To be entrusted to serve this superb team of analysts is truly an honor.”
Jaquith came to CNA from a civilian position in the Senior Executive Service in the Pentagon, where he was a director in the Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) office within the Office of the Secretary of Defense. “The fact that CNA created this new role to focus on relations with the Department of the Navy is an indication of the organization’s commitment to responsiveness,” he said. “And we are uniquely positioned and excited to provide that responsiveness.”
CNA is a nonprofit research and analysis organization dedicated to the safety and security of the nation. It operates the Center for Naval Analyses—the federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) of the Department of the Navy—as well as the Institute for Public Research. CNA develops actionable solutions to complex problems of national importance. With nearly 700 scientists, analysts, and professional staff, CNA takes a real-world approach to gathering data. Its unique Field Program places analysts on aircraft carriers and military bases, in squad rooms and crisis centers, working side by side with operators and decision-makers around the world. CNA supports naval operations, fleet readiness, and strategic competition. Its non-defense research portfolio includes criminal justice, homeland security, and data management.
Note to writers and editors: CNA is not an acronym and is correctly referenced as "CNA, a research organization in Arlington, VA."