NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — It's about to be the end of an era at HII Newport News Shipbuilding as President Jennifer Boykin prepares to retire at the end of December, after 37 and a half years with the company.
She says there's much she's going to miss.
"There is no question that I will miss the people I work with the most. Next to that, I would say secondary to that is just the sights, the sounds, the smells of the shipyard. I mean, it's a very addictive place," she said in an interview with 13 News Now.
Since 2017, Boykin has led the shipyard's more than 26,000 employees as the company's 20th president and its first woman president.
During her time, Boykin has guided the yard through the COVID pandemic, oversaw the Virginia and Columbia-class submarine partnering arrangements with General Dynamics Electric Boat, and guided the Ford-class aircraft carrier construction program. Plus, she oversaw labor talks which in 2022 resulted in a new five-year collective bargaining agreement with the United Steelworkers Local 8888.
Also during her time, it came to light last September that 26 warships had "deficiencies" with welds while undergoing construction or maintenance at Newport News Shipbuilding.
Boykin expressed confidence that with improved training and oversight, the mistakes will not be repeated in the future.
"The reality is there were steps in the welding process that were skipped by some of our welders. And we are doing all of the right things as we always do when these kind of issues come up over the years to make sure we get the quality of the product right," she said.
Succeeding Boykin at the shipyard will be Kari Wilkinson, who, since 2021 has served as president of HII's Ingalls Shipbuilding Division in Mississippi.