Following the completion of a highly successful 30-year career in the United States Navy, Richard Coleman joined the Newport News Shipbuilding Aircraft Carrier Program team in January 1999 as business manager for the construction of the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).
He has also served as the program manager for the planning and execution phases of the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) PSA, the USS George Washington (CVN 73) DPIA and the USS Enterprise (CVN 65) EDSRA. He has also served as executive assistant to the vice president, In-Service Aircraft Carriers.
In his current position as the program director, In-Service Aircraft Carriers, Coleman is directly responsible for all aircraft carrier maintenance completed by Newport News Shipbuilding outside of the shipyard. This includes aircraft carrier maintenance accomplished in Norfolk, Va., San Diego, Yokosuka, Japan and emergent work accomplished on deployed aircraft carriers around the world. He provides direct support to the vice president, In-Service Aircraft Carriers, contributing oversight and recommendations concerning cost and schedule performance as well as recommendations for business management issues, labor resource planning and direct and indirect budgets. He also provides daily administrative support in response to numerous communications between both NNS and the government.
Coleman is a recipient of the Newport News Shipbuilding Model of Excellence Award for his overall performance on the CVN 73 DPIA Team. The DPIA Team also received the Hampton Roads Project Management Institute Project of the Year for 2005 and was nominated for Aviation Week Project of the Year. He received a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Charleston.
About Newport News Shipbuilding:
Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, is the nation’s sole designer, builder and refueler of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and one of only two shipyards capable of designing and building nuclear-powered submarines. NNS also provides fleet services for naval ships and recently expanded its nuclear and manufacturing expertise into Department of Energy and alternative energy business ventures. Headquartered in Newport News, Virginia, the shipyard’s vast facilities span more than 550 acres along two miles of waterfront on the historic James River. It is the largest industrial employer in Virginia, employing more than 20,000 people, many of whom are third and fourth generation shipbuilders. For more information, please visit www.huntingtoningalls.com.