To My Shipbuilding Family,
I love our shipyard. Early morning walkabouts before the yard wakes up are an instant reminder that the most powerful element of our yard isn’t a crane or a piece of equipment— it’s our shipbuilders. So when I say I love our shipyard, what I really mean is that I love our shipbuilders.
Life is about learning. I learned kindness, respect, work ethic and service from my parents. They taught me the value of treating people like people, respecting the world around us, that you have to work hard for what you want in life, and that there is no greater honor than serving others and a purpose greater than yourself. However, tenacity, resilience, and the power of the human spirit I have learned from Ingalls shipbuilders. Whether witnessing an obstacle overcome, seeing one shipbuilder care for another in a time of need, or watching our entire team rally to get a ship to sea, there is no greater feeling of pride than being part of this incredible group of people.
The desire to put a mission or another person before oneself is a powerful force. It compels us to attempt heroic things. It inspires loyalty in those we have the privilege of calling friends and family. It creates connections that endure even the most difficult times. And the very best shipbuilders I have known here at Ingalls do all of these things, and continue to inspire me to do the same.
Leaving this shipyard family is proving a most difficult thing to do, and I do so with the deepest gratitude for all Ingalls shipbuilders – past and present – and for the incredible service done here on behalf of our nation. I can’t begin to capture all that this shipyard and Ingalls shipbuilders have inspired in me over nearly three decades of my time here. It has truly been the honor of my life to serve alongside you.
So now, I look forward to a new honor and to earning the respect of a new shipbuilding family, knowing that there is something that is the same in both places…shipbuilders…and they are extraordinary. Brian is an exceptional leader and deeply committed to our shipyard and shipbuilders. With his background, his vision for the future, and this team of scrappy shipbuilders, Ingalls has a very bright future indeed. There is much work to be done, and these are the shipbuilders who can get it done. It is up to you all to prove it.
With gratitude and my very sincerest wishes for continued prosperity to each and every Ingalls shipbuilder,
Kari