Kevin Pickard

Captain Kevin “Kepper” Pickard is a U.S. Navy officer with over 25 years of experience driving solutions in political-military and diplomatic affairs, installation and financial management, and aviation operations. He is currently the Chief of Staff for Navy Region Northwest. The region composes the U.S. Navy’s third-largest Fleet concentration area and serves as home to more than 50,000 military and civilian employees while providing $10.7 billion in annual economic impact to the Pacific Northwest. He most recently served as the Commanding Officer for Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy and as the Senior Naval Representative for Sicily and Calabria where he led the Navy’s only overseas Naval Air Station.

A native of New Orleans, LA, Kepper has served on the Staff of the Chief of Naval Operations and also at the U.S. Department of State. He is a Navy pilot with more than 4,200 hours in various helicopters and aircraft, and during his operational assignments, he has completed multiple deployments to Europe, the Pacific, and the Middle East in support of Operation Joint Guardian in Kosovo, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Inherent Resolve.

Kepper graduated in 1996 from the United States Naval Academy. In 2006, he was selected into the U.S. Navy’s Strategic Planning Program and subsequently earned a master’s degree in Political Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is also a graduate of the National Defense University’s Joint Forces Staff College, Joint Command and Warfighting School.

Married with a vivacious 6-year-old, Kepper and his wife Amy are thoroughly enjoying discovering the beautiful Pacific Northwest.