Lucas Hicks, facilities director at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (NYSE: HII) Newport News Shipbuilding division, has been promoted to vice president of construction for the John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) aircraft carrier at the division in a move that takes effect July 1.
The 26-year HII veteran will directly report to Ken Mahler, VP of Navy programs at the division, and will oversee planning, construction and program management for the aircraft carrier, HII said Thursday.
Charles Southall, chief engineer at Newport News Shipbuilding, has been promoted to VP of engineering and design and will be responsible for test engineering, planning yard, ship design and topside construction operations.
He succeeds Jennifer Boykin, who was appointed president of the division and executive VP of HII in May.
Southall started his career at the division in 1988 as a submarine program engineer and elevated to the role of director of submarine engineering.
Mike Shawcross, VP of construction for CVN 79 and CVN 80 (Enterprise) aircraft carriers, has been named to lead the CVN 81 and Enterprise programs.
The 37-year shipbuilding veteran will be responsible for material procurement initiatives and build plans as well as contracting activities related to the construction of Enterprise and other future ship programs.
Shawcross and Southall will directly report to Boykin, effective July 1.
