Organization InformationNews Releases
Friday, July 16, 2010 - New Norfolk Naval Shipyard Commander Named
Naval Sea Systems Command named a soon-to-be-one-star admiral, Capt. Gregory R. Thomas, as the next commander of Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth on Thursday, two weeks after the previous commander was relieved. Thomas has commanded Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility since June 2007. In that role, he returned ships and submarines to duty on time and on budget and developed “He’s done a tremendous job out at Pearl. The Navy thinks that he’s the right man to come in here at Norfolk,” said Jeff Cunningham, a spokesman for the shipyard. The shipyard has not had a flag officer as its commander since 1994, he said. Its previous commander, Capt. William Kiestler, was removed after a series of events involving critical maintenance work not being performed according to procedure and a loss of awareness about the status of submarine repairs, the Navy has said. Thomas, a native of Portsmouth, received his bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering at the United States Naval Academy in 1982. He later earned a master’s degree and doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He’s held several posts related to shipbuilding and maintenance, including a stint in the Navy’s submarine project office in Newport News. 
Soon-to-be admiral to lead Norfolk Naval Shipyard
He is tentatively set to assume command in early September, Cunningham said.
