MMHLA Executive Director Receives Leadership Award from the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association
On April 29, 2026, Adrienne Griffen, MPP, Executive Director of the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance (MMHLA), was honored by the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association for her leadership efforts in maternal mental health. Griffen graduated from the Naval Academy in 1987, served on active duty as a naval intelligence officer for seven years, and completed her naval career serving as a Senior Duty Officer in the White House Situation Room.
The U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association Thriving as Leaders Award (TAL) program was established in 2024 to honor Association members who have distinguished themselves and brought credit upon the community either through distinct acts of achievement or through volunteer service and leadership.
2025 USNA Alumni Association Thriving as Leaders Awardees
Alumni Outstanding Achievement Awards are presented in three categories: Athletic, Professional, and Volunteer. Griffen was selected for the Thriving as Leaders Award in the Professional category in recognition of her work leading maternal mental health federal policy advocacy efforts. Under Griffen’s leadership, MMHLA successfully passed four federal laws and secured $125.5 million in federal funding for programs that support the mental health and well-being of mothers in the United States.
Adrienne Griffen, MPP receiving her award from ADM Mark Ferguson USN (Ret.) USNA '78 (Chairman, USNA Alumni Association Board of Trustees) and Jeff R. Webb USNA '95 (CEO, USNA Foundation and
President, USNA Alumni Association).
Adrienne Griffen, MPP and Stefanie Goebel USNA ’80 with Jeff R. Webb USNA ’95 (CEO, USNA Foundation and
President, USNA Alumni Association) and ADM Mark Ferguson USN (Ret.) USNA '78
(Chairman, USNA Alumni Association Board of Trustees).
Griffen was instrumental in establishing the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, which has assisted over 100,000 help-seekers since launching in 2022. She has also led efforts to address the mental health of our nation’s military mothers, who experience maternal mental health conditions at 2-3 times the rate of their civilian counterparts.
Stefanie Goebel — a member of the class of 1980, which was the first class to include female midshipmen — was honored for her work with the Survivor Advocacy Network, which supports individuals who were sexually assaulted while attending a Service Academy. Military sexual assault is a leading contributing factor to maternal mental health conditions.
Read more about Griffen and the other awardees and listen to their interviews on the Sing Second podcast.
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