Federal Contractors/Technology: JENNIFER BOYKIN
PRESIDENT, NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING; EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, HUNTINGTON INGALLS INDUSTRIES, NEWPORT NEWS
Published
Newport News Shipbuilding is ingrained in the fabric of Hampton Roads. As the nation’s only builder of nuclear aircraft carriers and the military’s largest shipbuilding company, the shipyard is the state’s top industrial employer, with about 25,000 employees.
Boykin is the first woman to lead the company, and she’s been at its helm since 2017 after first going to work there as an engineer in 1987. A graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and George Washington University, Boykin serves on the academy’s board of visitors, as well as the boards of the Mariners’ Museum and RVA757 Connects.
Boykin is also an advocate for girls and women and serves on the board of Old Dominion University’s Women’s Initiative Network.
Lately, the shipyard has been on a hiring spree, seeking to add as many as 5,000 employees this year to keep up with the pace of work, which includes a backlog of about $31.8 million in projects.
As it marks the aircraft carrier’s centennial, the shipyard completed work on the USS Gerald
R. Ford, which is set to make its maiden deployment later this year.
