A 1980 Naval Academy graduate, Cmdr. Janie L. Mines became the first and only black woman, among the first group of women, accepted to the Academy in 1976. She became the first black woman to graduate from the Naval Academy and commissioned as a supply officer. Mines held numerous positions throughout her naval career, including as a senior advisor to the secretary of the Navy. She is a member of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services. Miles left the Navy to earn a Master’s of Business Administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has held positions in management at several corporations, including Procter & Gamble and Hershey Foods, and was the Senior Vice President of Strategic Sourcing at Bank of America.

Last Updated: 29 March 2023