PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP) — An experienced naval architect and manager will become the first woman to lead a shipyard that is the largest private employer in Mississippi.
Kari Wilkinson will become president of Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula.
She also will become executive vice president of the shipyard’s parent company, Huntington Ingalls Industries.
The company’s board of directors announced Friday that it is promoting Wilkinson.
She has been the Ingalls vice president of program management since 2016.
She will succeed Brian Cuccias, who announced his retirement.
He has been Ingalls president since 2014.