Ms. Shawna McCreary is the Technical Director (Acting) for Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD), Dahlgren, Virginia. She was appointed to the position in June 2025 and has been a member of the Senior Executive Service since 2019. As the NSWCDD Technical Director (Acting), she is the senior civilian leader for the 4,500-member NSWCDD workforce and is responsible for the execution and technical excellence of Dahlgren Division’s $2.4 billion portfolio of research, development, test and evaluation, including complex naval combat, sensor, weapon and strategic systems engineering, analysis, integration and certification.
Previously, Ms. McCreary served as the Executive Director for Safety and Regulatory Compliance for Naval Sea Systems Command. Her responsibilities included overseeing and managing the Safety and Regulatory Compliance Directorate (SEA 09), serving as the Deputy for Weapons Safety and Chair of the Department of the Navy’s Weapon System Explosives Safety Review Board, and serving as the Executive Director, Naval Ordnance Safety & Security Activity. In 2019, she served as the Assistant for Shipboard Systems at Strategic Systems Programs. Her responsibilities included senior technical leadership for the design, development, test and evaluation, procurement, operation, support, and maintenance of the shipboard elements of the Strategic Weapon System and assigned conventional weapon systems onboard Ohio- and Columbia-class submarines. She also served as the technical liaison regarding shipboard systems for the United Kingdom Vanguard and Dreadnought-class submarines. She began her career at NSWCDD supporting the Navy’s Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile Program in 1991. Her career experience includes significant roles in weapon control design, development, maintenance and operations.
Ms. McCreary earned a Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering from the University of Cincinnati and a Master of Science in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado. Her awards include the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award (2023), Navy Civilian Meritorious Service Award (2015) and Department of the Navy Co-op of the Year (1995). She is a member of the Acquisition Professional Community and is Level III certified in the Systems Planning, Research, Development and Engineering and Program Management career fields.