LEXINGTON, Va. May 1, 2026 — Virginia Military Institute has announced the speakers who will address the Class of 2026 in May. Gen. Christopher J. Mahoney, 13^th vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation’s second highest-ranking military officer, will address cadets beginning their journey of military service at the joint commissioning ceremony, Friday, May 15 at 2 p.m. in Cameron Hall, and the 75^th Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia and first woman elected to the position, Gov. Abigail Spanberger, will speak to the graduating cadets at commencement exercises Sunday, May 17 at 11 a.m. Both events are open to the public. The Cameron Hall clear bag policy will be in effect.

Mahoney graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in economics, and commissioned into the Marine Corps. He completed The Basic School and Infantry Officer Course at Quantico in 1988.

After earning his qualification as an A-6E Intruder pilot, Mahoney deployed to the Indo-Pacific with the Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron known as the “Bengals.” He completed transition training to the F/A-18 Hornet, a supersonic, twin-engine jet, at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) El Toro in Orange County, California, and made multiple deployments with the “Bengals” as well as the fighter squadrons known as the “Werewolves,” the “Crusaders,” and the “Bats,” to the Indo-Pacific, Italy, and Iraq.

He has held command at the squadron, group, and wing levels. He completed a joint force tour as chief of staff of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California, and served as executive assistant to the deputy commandant for programs and resources at Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC) in Arlington.

His general officer duties include 37^th assistant commandant of the Marine Corps; deputy commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific; director of strategy and plans at HQMC; deputy commander, U.S. Forces Japan; commanding general, 3^rd Marine Aircraft Wing; and deputy commandant for programs and resources, HQMC.

Mahoney is a graduate of the Weapons and Tactics Instructor course, the Marine Division Tactics Course, and the Navy Fighter Weapons School commonly known as TOPGUN. He served as an instructor at the Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One at MCAS Yuma in Arizona, and has over 5,000 hours of flight time. He is also a qualified forward air controller and parachutist.

Mahoney holds two master’s degrees. One from the University of Canberra in Australia, and one from Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, both with the highest academic distinction.

Spanberger grew up just outside of Richmond and graduated from J.R. Tucker High School in Henrico County. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia, and later completed an MBA from a dual-degree program between Purdue University and the GISMA Business School in Germany.

Before becoming governor, Spanberger worked as a federal law enforcement officer with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, then later as a case officer for the Central Intelligence Agency. She ran for Congress in Virginia’s Seventh Congressional District in 2018 and won three consecutive terms.

She and her husband, Adam Spanberger, a software engineer, have three daughters.  

Marianne Hause
Communications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE