Thomas Mancinelli, principal deputy assistant secretary for legislative affairs at the Department of Defense, will perform the duties of the under secretary of the Navy in August, Breaking Defense reported Monday.
The Pentagon official will take over the responsibilities of Erik Raven, whose departure from the Navy was announced earlier this month. Read more about Raven’s decision to step down as the Navy under secretary, and Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro‘s remarks about the outgoing official here.
Mancinelli is currently responsible for providing the DOD secretary and deputy secretary with advice on all matters pertaining to the Pentagon’s relations with Congress. He assumed the position in April 2022.
Prior to his present post, Mancinelli served as the national security adviser for Senator Chris Coons of Delaware and led the legislator’s work on the Foreign Relations Committee and the Appropriations Subcommittee.
The senior official also worked as the chief of staff in the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.
Mancinelli served a five-year stint as a logistics officer in the U.S. Marine Corps.