KOR Chapter Officers
Chapter President Kristen Daniels Class of ’02
Kristen Daniel graduated from the United States Naval Academy in May of 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and a minor in German. Upon graduation, she served on the USS CROMMELIN (FFG 37) in Pearl Harbor, HI as the Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer and Legal Officer. After qualifying Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) and finishing Navy Nuclear Power School and Prototype in Charleston, SC, she was stationed in San Diego, CA as a Propulsion Plant Watch Officer on the USS RONALD REAGAN (CVN 76). She later served a final shore tour in Bahrain before resigning her commission in 2010 and moving to East Tennessee to work for Tennessee Valley Authority. At TVA, she earned her Senior Reactor Operator’s license for Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (Units 1 and 2) and began to participate in the Knoxville-Oak Ridge Chapter of the USNA Alumni Association. In April of 2018, Kristen transitioned to a new job at Y12 National Security Complex and finished her training as a new Blue and Gold Officer for the greater Knoxville area.
Chapter Vice-President Richard A. Cataldi, Class of ’69
Rich graduated from the Naval Academy and received his commission in the Navy in 1969. He became a carrier pilot flying both the S-2 and the S-3 aircraft from the decks of the USS Saratoga and USS Nimitz. He completed his Master’s Degree in Public Administration at Auburn while attending the Air War College in Alabama. He taught Leadership and Strategic Planning at the Academy and also coached the women’s soccer club and lobbied for and earned varsity status for the club. He taught Navy Junior ROTC at Bearden High School for nearly 10 years and then was an Advanced math teacher for nearly ten years at Lenoir City High School. He is a passed President of the K-OR Chapter, served as the Central Region Trustee for the Naval Academy Alumni Association for 6 years and is currently serving a member-at-large for the Class of 1969 Board of Directors. He is the East TN Area Coordinator directing the 10 BGOs in serving nearly 100 Academy applicants each year. He and his wife Susie have lived in Farragut since arriving in East Tennessee in 1993.
Chapter Secretary-Treasurer Jim Ward, Class of ’85
Jim graduated from USNA in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering degree. He was commissioned in the Marine Corps and served 6 years on active duty and 4 years reserve. He served as an Air Defense Control Officer and Communications Officer with Marine Air Command and Control System (MACCS) units based out of Twentynine Palms CA and Beaufort SC and with the MCCDC G-6 in Quantico VA. Since leaving active duty in June 1991, Jim has held a variety of leadership positions in software and enterprise IT services companies. Jim completed the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree at The University of Texas at Austin and the Master of Theology (ThM) degree at Dallas Theological Seminary. In March 2022, Jim and his wife Donita relocated to Knoxville. Jim and Donita have four adult children. Their son graduated from USNA in 2017 and currently serves as a Submarine Warfare Officer. Jim is involved in several local professional and civic groups, such as (ISC)2, ISACA, PMI, InfraGard, Knoxville Technology Council, and Fellowship Church Knoxville.
Chapter Trustee Mitchell Eisenburg, Class of ’99
Mitch joined the Navy at 18 to attend the United States Naval Academy, graduating in 1999. He served five years as a Surface Warfare officer at sea and in multiple shore commands before the Navy sent him to law school in 2004. He earned his Juris Doctor degree, with honors, from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 2007 and spent the next six years serving as a military prosecutor and a legal advisor for the Navy. In 2013, he earned a master’s degree with highest honors in National Security and U.S. Foreign Relations Law at The George Washington University Law School. In 2016, he left active duty for the Naval Reserve and to pursue a civilian career in Knoxville as an Assistant District Attorney. He retired as a Lieutenant Commander in 2020. Mitch is a Blue and Gold Officer and also teaches at Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law. He and his wife are adventurous athletes participating in triathlons and marathons respectively and attend various sporting events while raising their high school aged twins.
