Marine Vet Richard Spencer Nominated for Navy Secretary

After half a year with no one in the post of Navy secretary, a nominee for the job is once again on the table.

On Friday evening, President Donald Trump announced that Richard V. Spencer, a former Marine Corps captain and finance executive, was his pick for the sea service's top civilian post.

The moves comes after Trump's previous pick, financier Philip Bilden, withdrew from consideration in late February, citing challenges with divesting financial interests to meet government ethics requirements.

Like Bilden, Spencer is a lesser-known figure in Washington, D.C. He hails originally from Wilson, Wyoming, and served most recently as managing partner for Fall Creek Management, LLC, based in Wilson.

As a Marine, Spencer served as an aviator for a four-year tour, from 1976 to 1981, according to his biography at the Center For a New American Security, where he serves as an adviser. He is also the vice chairman for the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, based in Woodbridge, which exists to promulgate the history, culture and traditions of the Marine Corps.

Spencer graduated from Rollins College in 1976 and later completed the Advanced Management Program at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.

He previously worked as vice chairman and chief financial officer for Intercontinental Exchange, Inc., and as president of Crossroads Group, LLC.

His other board positions include five years on the Defense Business Board, and membership on the Chief of Naval Operations Executive Panel and the boards of the Global Atlantic Financial Gorup, the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, the Teton County Search and Rescue Foundation, VeteransCampaign, and Honoring Our Vets, among others.

It's not clear why Spencer's nomination was so long in coming. Media outlets began reporting in March that he was the rumored candidate for the position.

At the time, USNI News reported that former Virginia congressman J. Randy Forbes, the original favorite for the position, was still a possible nominee. Forbes, a former chairman of the House Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee who left office earlier this year, has since joined the faculty of the U.S. Naval War College.

It's not yet clear when Spencer's confirmation hearing will be held before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.