Carlos Del Toro, who founded a defense business with an office in San Diego, will be nominated by President Biden for secretary of the Navy, the White House said Friday.
Del Toro is a retired naval commander with nearly 40 years’ experience in national security and naval operations, budgeting and acquisition, the White House said in a statement.
Founded by Del Toro in 2004, SBG Technology Solutions is an engineering and IT services company based in Alexandria, Virginia, with offices in Washington and Mission Valley. Del Toro is its CEO and president.
The firm “leverages extensive governance and engineering expertise to offer customers comprehensive, enterprise-wide approaches and innovative technical solutions for critical mission execution,” says its website.
It lists a dozen openings in San Diego. Lensa lists a “senior mentor” job.
Del Toro completed the vetting process last week, reported Politico.
“If confirmed by the Senate, Del Toro would be the second Latino person to serve as Navy secretary,” the news outlet said. “The first was Eduardo Hidalgo, who led the service under President Jimmy Carter from 1979 to 1981.”
Mexico City-born Hidalgo died Jan. 21, 1995, in Fairfax, Va. at age 82.
Havana-born Del Toro, 59, immigrated to the U.S. in 1962 and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1983. He served in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm and worked at the Pentagon on budgeting, acquisition, space and legislative issues.
In 1998, he was commissioning commanding officer of the USS Bulkeley, then the nation’s newest destroyer.
“He was the first Hispanic American naval officer to have ever served as the first captain of an Aegis capable cruiser or destroyer,” said the U.S. Naval Academy. “In 2004 he was selected both for the rank of captain and major command at sea.”
Del Toro is married to Betty del Toro. They have four children and a granddaughter.
Reuters contributed to this report.
