NEWPORT NEWS—Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) recently announced that Danny Hernandez will succeed Beci Brenton as the company’s corporate director of public affairs upon Brenton’s October 31 retirement. Hernandez will join HII on September 13, transition into the position, and report to the executive vice president of communications while based in the company’s Washington, D.C. office.
As corporate director of public affairs, Hernandez will be responsible for the creation, execution, alignment, and sustainment of public affairs and media communications for HII. He will lead HII’s corporate media relations team to develop external communications that advance critical business themes and messages to support HII’s portfolio programs, corporate and division-level events, community relations, and more.
“Danny brings nearly three decades of communications and public affairs acumen to this position,” said Jerri Dickseski, HII’s executive vice president of communications. “His years of naval service offers an invaluable perspective to the communications team, as well as his extensive experience in media relations and crisis communications.”
Prior to joining HII, as a captain in the U.S. Navy, Hernandez served as director of communications to the assistant secretary of the Navy (Research, Development, and Acquisition), where he was the spokesperson for the Department of the Navy’s most senior acquisition executive. He also served as director of public affairs and communications engagement for U.S. European Command, and director of communications for the chief of naval operations. Hernandez was commissioned as a naval flight officer in 1991 and became a Navy public affairs officer in 1993, servicing multiple tours in communications, public affairs, and media relations.