NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) – Jennifer Boykin, president of Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), announced on Wednesday that she will be retiring by the end of the year.
According to a release from Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), Kari Wilkinson will serve as the company’s president starting on Jan. 1, 2025, taking over after Boykin’s 37 years with the company.
NNS, HII’s largest division, helps to oversee over 26,000 shipbuilders who all work to design, build and maintain complex ships, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and nuclear-powered submarines.
“I have asked Jennifer to stay on in an advisory capacity through March to support a seamless transition to Kari,” HII CEO and President Chris Kastner said. “You will not find a more loyal advocate than Jennifer for her shipbuilders and the Hampton Roads community. Kari’s leadership has steered Ingalls Shipbuilding into its next phase of growth, having secured serial production contracts for both the destroyer and amphibious ship programs. She is a tremendous leader and now brings her great energy and expertise to Newport News.”
Wilkinson will become the 21st president of NNS. Previously, she worked as HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division president since 2021, overseeing the U.S. Navy’s amphibious assault and surface combatant ship programs.
“Leading shipbuilders in the critical work we do for the nation has been and will continue to be the greatest honor of my life,” Wilkinson said. “I join the Newport News team with deep respect for its nuclear culture, commitment to safety, and an exceptional legacy further strengthened by Jennifer and the NNS team. I am fully committed to advancing our mission in support of our sailors, their families, and for all of us who depend on them for freedom and security.”
Boykin posted to Facebook Wednesday morning about her retirement. Her statement can be read in part below:
It is impossible to sum up a 37-year career in a short letter. But I can say this: If in my youth, someone told me I would one day lead the greatest shipyard and the finest shipbuilders to build the most amazing ships in the world, I never would have believed it! Without a doubt, I will miss the most extraordinary people who make Newport News Shipbuilding such a special place to work. Thank you for believing in the dignity of hard work, craftsmanship, and the purpose of our mission.
Jennifer Boykin
During Boykin’s career, she helped to lead the transformation from digital design to digital construction first on Enterprise (CVN 80) and Columbia-class submarine program, guided the company’s achievement of the first two-ship aircraft carrier procurement in over 30 years for CVN 80 and Doris Miller (CVN 81 and was known throughout the region for community engagement and commitment to diversity.
For more information, click here.