Vanessa Candelario began her career as a boat clerk at Ingalls in 2008. Nearly two decades later, she’s now a project manager—and the mission continues with her children and husband also supporting the warfighter.
We’re proud to celebrate April Martin, director of Information Systems Technology, for earning a Forever Young award from the Coast Young Professionals!
A boat, a shipyard and a girl back home.
After more than four decades at Ingalls, one conversation still stands out to Johnny Brown, Research & Development engineer.
Above: Pictured, from left, are the 2026 industrial engineer interns: Nathan Hoffman, Sarakshi Kandel, Nilda Gibbons, Briggs Menendez, and Chloe Smith.
Paint foreman Darrell Johnson still comes to the shipyard each day with the same philosophy he’s had since he was a high school athlete years ago: lead by example, pay attention to the details and never cut corners.
Anchor Apparel has grown into a meaningful part of daily life at Ingalls. It has given shipbuilders a place to get gear that makes them feel not only seen but supported. Running the show is store lead Wendy Dickson, whose passion for helping shipbuilders guides every decision she makes.
For half a century, pipe insulator Donald Ashford has walked through the gates of Ingalls Shipbuilding with the same purpose he carried as a young Army veteran in 1974: work hard, take pride in the craft and help build the ships that protect our nation.
For Tucker Paulk, this summer's internship at Ingalls is more than a chance to gain experience. It's an opportunity to continue a family legacy that spans five generations.
With eight years behind him as a shipbuilder, Pipe foreman Jamario Cole is already helping shape culture and leadership in the shipyard.
Moving thousands of tons of steel across land may look effortless from the outside, but for the Translation Team, it’s a precise, high‑stakes evolution that depends on preparation, communication and trust.
Surrounded by family who have worn the uniform and family who have built the ships that protect them, Roderick found his place in a craft that ties all those pieces together. He’s built a path defined by pride, purpose and caring for the people he works with every day. During this conversation, Roderick shares what led him to the shipyard and why the mission means so much to him.
Shipbuilding is ever evolving, and Julie McDonald is at the forefront of that transformation. By introducing advanced 3D scanning and pushing for digital innovation, she’s redefining how Ingalls supports the Navy fleet.
For 28-year structural welder Cory Dillon, tracing the keel sponsor’s initials into the steel of Philadelphia (LPD 32) wasn’t just another job task. In fact, it was a milestone he’d quietly hoped for. It’s a role he watched friends take on in the past, and one he’d always hoped to experience himself.
At Ingalls, we build ships as though our sons and daughters may one day sail on it—because they may. For shipfitter apprentice Monica McCann, they do. With two of her children currently serving on ships built by Ingalls shipbuilders, the saying is more than just a reminder - it’s the soundtrack to her life.
With a family history in both the military and the shipyard, Lorenzo Fuller was destined to help protect our freedom in some shape or form. Using his military background, Lorenzo’s experience comes in handy in his role as ship superintendent of the future USS Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129).
The Big Picture: The Ingalls Security team earned a “SUPERIOR” rating during a recent Defense Counterintelligence & Security Agency (DCSA) vulnerability assessment.
Soft spoken and humble, James “J.O.” Putman, welder, has dedicated his life to Ingalls for 59 years. For nearly six decades, J.O. has been a steady heartbeat of this shipyard.
With over seven years of shipbuilding experience, Stephen Harris, quality analyst, helps deliver vital, quality-focused data aimed at reducing potential situations that may arise during ship construction.
When Operations functional support representative Barbara Watkins first learned her son Colby Ward was autistic, she was told he wouldn’t be able to talk or handle day-to-day life on his own. Now, Colby is a proud shipbuilder who uses his voice to break the barriers of autism.
Ingalls Shipbuilding was recognized Thursday with a 2025 Governor’s Initiative for Volunteer Excellence (GIVE) award presented by Volunteer Mississippi in partnership with the Office of the Mississippi Governor.
In 2010, Lanetta Fantroy, test engineer, was a single mother of four, part of a family with a deep tradition in shipbuilding. Fast forward 15 years, not only did she follow in her family’s footsteps, two of her children now work in the shipyard and another one serving on an Ingalls built ship in the Navy!
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