Rear Admiral (Ret.) Frank Ponds

Fernandez “Frank” Ponds, Rear Admiral, USN, Ret., is the Principal and Owner of FPONDS LLC Independent Consultant providing consulting services in national security, defense, strategic planning, maritime safety and security, and disaster preparedness and response. Admiral Ponds served over 33 years in the U.S. Navy in senior executive, operational and managerial positions within DoD and the Interagency.

Ponds actively serves as a member of Mission: Readiness, the national security organization of nearly 800 retired admirals and generals with years of military experience who are committed to strengthening national security by ensuring kids stay in school, stay fit, and stay out of trouble. He serves on the Mission: Readiness Nutrition and National Security Speakers Bureau and was hand-selected to serve on the Task Force to inform the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health and as a keynote speaker during the National Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) 37th Child Nutrition Conference.

Frank held five Command positions afloat and ashore, leading joint, multinational, and inter-agency organizations across the spectrum of military operations, including assignments in the Offices of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV N3/5, N81/00X) and as Senior Naval Advisor within the Department of State, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, International Security Operations. His Flag assignments included Commander Navy Region Hawaii, Commander Naval Surface Group Pacific, and Commander Expeditionary Strike Group Three.

Additionally, Admiral Ponds led multilateral operations during Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief missions to Haiti following Hurricanes Gustav, Hanna, and Ike in 2008 and to Bangladesh following Hurricane SIDR in 2007. He also served as Mission Commander during Operation Continuing Promise ‘08. Continuing Promise '08 is a large-scale Theater Security Cooperation operation comprised of subject matter experts and representatives from USAID, USPHS, Project HOPE, and Operation Smile, conducting joint civil-military operations with seven partner countries within the Caribbean and Central and South America.

Ponds holds a bachelor’s degree from The University of Alabama and master’s degrees from National Defense University, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, and The George Washington University. He graduated from the Darden School of Business, Corporate Business School, and the National Association of Corporate Directors Executive Leadership Seminar.