Paul Nakasone is a long time friend of Obama's chief of Staff Denis McDonough. They both attended the same school.

https://www.csbsju.edu/about/student-outcomes/alum-achievements

https://www.wired.com/story/general-paul-nakasone-cyber-command-nsa/

Few Americans would recognize Nakasone if they saw him walking down the street. He throws off the vibe of a Midwestern suburban dad, which he is. (He and his wife have four children, the youngest of whom are just entering college, and Nakasone is deeply loyal to Minnesota, where he grew up.) “Level-headed, non-emotional, well-prepared, and exceedingly decent” is how Denis McDonough, a longtime friend who served as Barack Obama's White House chief of staff, describes him. Yet Nakasone not only leads Cyber Command, he was one of its architects, and he was a key figure in each stage of its operational trials and evolution.