The Naval Postgraduate School Foundation recently appointed Paul C. Gregory, CEO of Gregory & Cook, and Anton J. Marano, CEO of Anthony Marano Company, to its Board of Trustees.
Gregory and Marano join their fellow trustees during a pivotal period for both the NPS Foundation and the Naval Postgraduate School as the two organizations lean into initiatives that enable the innovation ecosystem and the construction of the Naval Innovation Center (NIC) at NPS to ensure readiness for the uncertainties of tomorrow. The current state of heightened conflict around the globe highlights the urgency and importance of these initiatives.
Gregory began his career in the construction of pipelines in 1989. His journey from G&C Construction's founding in 1998 to its acquisition by Quanta Services in 2009 showcases a commitment to strategic growth and excellence. Gregory's tenure as Chief Strategy Officer of Quanta Services reflects his ability to drive transformative initiatives, which aligns with the NPS Foundation efforts during this pivotal period.
Marano has led AMC with a focus on strategic vision and innovation. A family-owned company, AMC was founded by his grandfather in 1947. Marano’s commitment to building a strong organization, healthy teams and leaders within AMC aligns with the NPS Foundation's objectives of advancing NPS capabilities through strong leadership, collaboration and innovation.
Since the Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro’s December 2022 announcement of the Naval Innovation Center at NPS, the school established a range of initiatives that underscore its commitment to advancing defense capabilities. Each of the initiatives play an important role in advancing a culture of innovation, from the rapid ideation facilitated by the Warfare Innovation Continuum to the tangible solutions produced through Innovation Capstone Projects and the real-world connections forged by the Fleet Engagement Program. The Naval Innovation Center at NPS will provide a capability unavailable elsewhere in the DOD for industry, government and academic partners to work side-by-side with NPS’ 2,500+ operational students and expert faculty to solve the unique challenges facing our Nation in an interdisciplinary, collaborative, applied and classified setting.
As a partner and advocate for the Naval Postgraduate School, the NPS Foundation supports the school’s initiatives and priorities by building strong corporate partnerships, supporting leadership positions that can drive innovation from within, and supporting state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure such as the NIC at NPS.
“The work the Naval Postgraduate School is doing is more important now than ever. In the current state of the world, the Naval Postgraduate School emerges as a beacon of innovation to prepare military leaders to navigate global complexities and safeguard our nation’s interests and citizens,” said Rich Patterson, President and CEO of the Naval Postgraduate School Foundation. “The addition of our two newest board members expands the Foundation’s ability to support and advocate for NPS, the Naval Innovation Center, corporate partnership and community engagement.”
The Naval Postgraduate School Foundation has supported the Naval Innovation Center at NPS initiative since its inception, investing over $1.75 Million in the planning and development of the NIC vision and original schematic designs. The Foundation’s commitment extends throughout the entire life cycle of the project, from design and development to construction and outfitting. The NPS Foundation is a dedicated partner to NPS, the Department of the Navy, and the broader Department of Defense in realizing the full potential of the NIC at NPS. View a concept for the Naval Innovation Center here.
At the Naval Postgraduate School Foundation, we recognize the urgent need to accelerate the pace of innovation to prepare the U.S. for any challenge we face. The NPS Foundation brings together the brightest minds from the Department of Defense, academia, industry and our community, fostering a collaborative environment and establishing the necessary infrastructure to empower these exceptional individuals to develop groundbreaking solutions that address our most critical national security challenges.
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Paul C. Gregory is the CEO of Gregory & Cook where he focuses on the management of real estate, securities, and private equity investments for both the company and third parties. He began his career in the construction of pipelines and related facilities in 1989. He founded G&C Construction in 1998 and served as President & CEO until the company was acquired by Quanta Services in 2009. He is a past President of the Pipeline Contractors Association, serves as a director on several private company boards and is recently retired after serving seven years as the Chief Strategy Officer of Quanta Services (NYSE: PWR). Gregory holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin. He and his wife Jennifer reside in Houston, Texas.
Anton J. Marano is CEO of Anthony Marano Company, a leader in the produce industry that was founded by his grandfather in 1947. Marano’s focus at AMC has been providing strategic vision, injecting culture, and ensuring the company remains an innovator in the industry. To those ends, he introduced significant change within the organization by embracing a comprehensive leadership program utilizing tools from the Table Group and individual performance coaching, and he placed the company’s first-ever Vice President of Leadership, Team Development, and Strategy into AMC’s Executive Team. His efforts have built a stronger organization at AMC by emphasizing healthy teams and leaders. Marano graduated from Loyola University with a degree in finance. His passion has evolved into creating environments where people achieve results and have fun while doing so. In his spare time, he recharges by enjoying golf in Pebble Beach at the Monterey Peninsula Country Club and spending time with his fiancé, Anastasiia, and his three children, Mia, Anton D., and Gianluca. Marano and his family support a range of nonprofit organizations with a primary commitment to serving and supporting special forces operators and their families.
