Mitre names new chief HR officer

Not-for-profit research and development company Mitre has named April Castañeda as its new senior vice president and chief human resources officer.

The company, founded in 1958 with a focus on national security and operating from dual headquarters in McLean and Bedford, Massachusetts, manages federally funded R&D centers.

Castañeda started in the new role March 3 and brings more than 20 years of experience in human resource strategy design, communication and execution. The role was previously handled by Kathleen Federico, who left in September 2024.

“April has consistently created high-performance teams, and she will undoubtedly bring that leadership and expertise to Mitre in service to our sponsor’s mission and our commitment of Mission First, People Always,” Mitre President and CEO Mark Peters said in a statement. “April’s passion for uplifting organizational cultures with transparency, trust, and respect, aligns with Mitre’s own mission, vision, and values.”

In her new role, Castañeda will be part of an executive leadership team and direct long-range development of strategic plans and transformation initiatives. She will also lead all functional areas of the company’s people, learning and growth sector — including its leadership and education centers, talent acquisition, talent engagement, HR business partners and benefits programs.

Before joining Mitre, Castañeda was the chief human resources officer at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, a Department of Energy national lab. According to Mitre’s website, she previously led human resources programs at Caltech and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in women’s and cross-cultural studies from the University of California, Los Angeles and a master’s degree in industrial/organizational social work from the University of Southern California.

She sits on the American Association for the Advancement of Science Professional Standards & Review Committee and the Board of Oversight’s Operations Committee for SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, a national lab operated by Stanford University for the Department of Energy.

Mitre is a member of the Coalition for Health AI and participated in the creation of the Blueprint for Trustworthy AI Implementation Guidance and Assurance for Healthcare. It’s also involved in developing tools to identify and mitigate supply chain threats.