General Dynamics has announced that current President of Bath Iron Works Frederick Harris will be retiring effective January 1.

Harris, who has held that position since 2013, will also be stepping down from his position as president of NASSCO, a General Dynamics shipyard in San Diego.

“Throughout his extensive career with General Dynamics, Fred has held leadership roles at all three of our shipyards and made significant contributions to the U.S. Navy’s shipbuilding programs,” said John P. Casey, executive vice president, Marine Systems. “I want to thank Fred for his commitment to shipbuilding and outstanding service to our company and employees. We wish him well in retirement.”

Current vice president of BIW Dirk A. Lesko has been appointed as vice president of the corporation as well as the next president of BIW. Lesko has held that position since 2015, although he has held a variety of positions since joining the company in 1990.  Kevin M. Graney will replace Harris at NASSCO and will also serve as a vice president at General Dynamics.

“Dirk and Kevin are seasoned leaders with proven track records of managing complex shipbuilding
projects and driving continuous improvement at every level of their business,” said Casey. “Both have worked for General Dynamics for more than 20 years and they have the right management and operations experience to ensure these shipyards are positioned for the future.”