Sing Second Alumni

We've reached November here at Sing Second. Does that mean we're growing mustaches and hankering for turkey already? No. It means we're bringing more great interviews and alumnus perspectives as we inch closer to Army-Navy game. Unfortunately for Navy Football, Army-Navy will likely be their last game of the season after Notre Dame delivered a sound beat down to our favorite Midshipmen this past weekend up in Boston. Chris and John break that down, as well as the updates from both our Soccer teams. We also chat about the upcoming weekend with Reunions (2011. 2016, 2021!!) and Honor our Fallen Heroes...a truly special ceremony that we think sets USNA apart. I'll tell you who is set apart...our alumni entrepreneurs. And we're thrilled this week to bring in Waypoint Ventures' Jeff Walker '97 and Billy Hurley '04. They make up 2/3 of an amazing group of founders - Jeff Chapman '97 is also a founder - that goes out and invests in service academy alums trying to make it in the Entrepreneur space and beyond. At Waypoint Ventures, they act as an intermediary step, a waypoint, for startup companies, providing capital and strategic guidance to ensure they are on the proper path to their final destination. An amazing conversation with two friends of the Pod and the Naval Academy. That and more on the best Alumni Association podcast in the land. Beat Army. Always.

Last pod of October. Time is officially flying. We welcomed back to 56, 76, 91, 01, 06 for their reunions and hosted an amazing event at the Fluegel Alumni Center. Chris and John chat about the weekend football loss to North Texas, but also two big star wins for Swimming up at Army. We also chat a bit about this past weekend's Marine Corps Marathon. We preview this weekend's big trip to Beantown for Football as they face national powerhouse and longtime rival, Notre Dame. Scott Sloan '01 came alongside the live pod Saturday and talked about his 25th reunion, his experience as a TDY Ensign on 9/11 on the Yard and his amazing company, StratasCorp. And Evan McNeer '06 chatted with us about 20 years since his graduation and the cool stuff he's doing out of uniform now. Thank you to the AA&F Events and Engagement teams for an amazing LIve Event along the banks of College Creek. That and more on the best Alumni Association podcast in the land. Beat Army. Always.

Your favorite Alumni Podcast keeps rolling through October. Chris and John talk about the weekend in San Antonio, the Roadshow, the Tailgate and the disappointing loss to UTSA in The Alamodome. And we send our thoughts and prayers to the family of Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ian Patterson, who died in a rappelling accident before Navy’s game in the stadium…a truly horrifying and tragic event. The boys also talk about the split for Cross Country in the Star Meets this past weekend and all of the awesomeness coming up this weekend - Homecoming, the Anchors Aweigh Golf Tournament, SIX reunion classes coming to town and a LIVE SING SECOND PODCAST from the Fluegel Alumni Center! There’s a lot going on. One of those reunion classes this weekend is 1976…returning for their 50th Reunion! We chat with Kevin Stone ‘76, Jim Petersen ‘76, Gary Hall ‘76, Mark Nestlerode ‘76 about how their class gives back to USNA and how well represented they’ll be this weekend in Annapolis - HInt: There are more than 500 members of the class coming back. Wowsers! That and more on the Sing Second Podcast. Beat Army. Always.

Mid-October is here in Annapolis. The Power Boat Show came and went…and so did 4 inches of weekend rain. But, hey, before the heavens opened up, Navy Football got a big win vs Tulsa. John and Chris break down the win and preview the awesome tailgates and alumni roadshows that are coming your way in San Antonio this coming weekend. The boys chat about the upcoming Homecoming weekend festivities and some other Star matches we have on the horizon. And our Alumni interview this week is special. October 12th marked the 26th anniversary of the bombing of the USS Cole (DDG 67). Kirk Lippold ‘81 was the CO on that fateful day. Kirk joins us to remember the 17 sailors who died that day, his lessons learned and the leadership choices he made in the immediate aftermath that kept the ship from going down. AN amazing conversation on a solemn day. That and more on the best Alumni Association podcast in the land. Beat Army. Always.

Special LIVE Sing Second Podcast from Naval Bagels featuring Denny Moynihan '86 and Zach Guerra '00. We welcomed Navy Football back to Annapolis after a month-long hiatus with an AMAZING live pod from Naval Bagels in Annapolis.Chris and John ushered in Founders Day with some of our favorite Annapolis fans. We talked about big star wins for Men's Soccer and Women's Volleyball. And we previewed the big game vs Tulsa that ended up (spoiler alert) as a big win. Denny Moynihan joined the pod yto update us on Navy Golf and to talk about what makes the Naval Academy special as we celebrated our 181st Founders Day. And Zach Guerra ran it back to the old Naval Bagels pod scene to talk about his new venture - Revolutionary VP Studios. Check them out here - https://www.revolutionaryvp.com. Zach joined the pod to talk about what RVP is and will become, which is the premiere Virtual Production studio in the DMV. That and more on the best Alumni Association podcast in the land. Beat Army. Always.

Welcome to October, party people. The Sing Second Pod steams into our favortie month with a great conversation about the upcoming President's Circle weekend, a difficult weekend for Navy Football vs Air Force, a new remembrance to Jimmy Carter on the Yard and a big star win for Jimmy Stobs and Navy Men's Golf. We also interview Wayne Rogers '76. The movie Atonement hit the theaters this past Friday. AN incredibly moving story about a tragedy from the Iraq War and how lives continue to be affected by its events years later. Starring Kenneth Brannagh, this marks Waynbe Rogers' return to movie producing. The Annapolis resident dishes about how to produce (hint - It's harder than "Get Shorty"), the leadership lessons he learned from being a SWO to being a successful executive in the Hydro Power game...to producing a Hollywood movie. That and more on the best Alumni Association podcast in the land. Beat Army. Always.

The last pod of September hits like a freight train. John and Chris chat about an up and down week for Navy sports. A big star win for Rugby was offset by a star loss for Sprint Football and a loss to UAB for Brian Newberry's guys. We also have a great conversation with Alberto Desterac '23. Alberto lost his sight during his firstie year to a rare condition, but that didn't stop him from getting 4.0 and graduating with his class. Now he's using the challenges life threw at him and crafting solutions for vision-limited people around the world. And we preview the big game vs Air Force this weekend with a great conversation with Air Force cadet and football stud Isaac Hubert. Isaac plays for Troy Calhoun's boys, but he was raised by two USNA parents. We talk to him about his unique story and his thoughts on the rivalry with Navy. That and more on the best Alumni Association podcast in the land. Beat Army. Always.

September keeps rolling along, and so do John and Chris with this week's Alumni Association & Foundation Podcast. We break down what you might see from Navy Football Friday night in Birmingham. We chat about Friends of Navy Golf and the amazing momentum behind this organization's effort to support the ecosystem of Golf Excellence at Navy through alumni philanthropy and support. We also announce the 2026 Thriving as Leaders awardees, an amazing group of women and men who represent what the Naval Academy is all about - excellence. And our alumni interview this week is with Karl Darden '84. Karl is a fellow podcaster and supporter of the Naval Academy physical mission. Through the Navy Sports Central Podcast, Karl provides a unique perspective into the high performing collegiate athletic program that is USNA. That and More on the best Alumni Association podcast in the land. Beat Army. Always.

Mid-September brings the return of your favorite Alumni Association & Foundation Podcast. Chris and John break down the first road game of the year. The football result wasn’t what we wanted, but the tailgate was 200+ strong. We had astronauts and Thriving as Leaders awardees in attendance…and that was just the Class of ‘77! Either way, great connections down in Boca. Next up…Birmingham. We also wrap up our historic 9/11 coverage last week, which included our multi-media features which provided the alumnus a sneak peak of the new shipmatemagazine.com. And our featured interview this week is with Jeff McLean ‘04. Jeff joins us from “Sconny” and chats up his time as a fighter pilot, his transition to the civilian world of leadership and his role as a new member of the Alumni Association Board of Trustees. Jeff has amazing leadership lessons and stories. Be sure to listen in! That and more on the best Alumni Association & Foundation podcast in the land. Beat Army. Always.

Welcome to Sing Second’s special commemoration of the 9/11 25th Anniversary. We remember the 14 alumni who passed away on that fateful day, and Chris and John discuss how we are still touched and haunted by what 9/11 was and is. And we remember that day from several perspectives with a four-pack of interviews. VADM John Ryan recounts what it was like to lead the Academy as the Supe in the hours and weeks after the tragedy. Chris Hoffman ‘96 was the Officer of the Watch that day on the yard. Chris lends his perspective on the leadership and logistical challenges of “standing the watch” that day. Ed Malinowski was a firstie and the Football team captain when the planes hit. Ed recounts how it impacted him and the football team during a particularly challenging season. And there was only one American not on earth on 9/11…Frank Culbertson ‘71. Frank gives us his perspective on learning of the events from the space station and how it impacted him and his crew. That and more on the best Alumni Association & Foundation podcast in the land. Beat Army. Always.