Ms. Karen M. Davis serves as the Deputy Commander, Supervisors of Shipbuilding (SUPSHIP), and as the Executive Director for Industrial Operations at Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). As Deputy Commander for SUPSHIP, she serves as senior executive interface and oversite of the Navy’s four Supervisors of Shipbuilding and Repair organizations of over 2K personnel co-located with major private shipbuilders to provide on-site technical, contractual and business oversight of cost, schedule and quality for the Navy’s new construction ships, submarines, and aircraft carriers. In her role as Executive Director for Industrial Operations, in addition to directorate executive leadership, her responsibilities include senior executive oversight and support of the four public naval shipyards encompassing more than 37K civilian and military personnel executing multi-billion-dollar depot-level repair, maintenance and modernization of the Navy’s submarines, aircraft carriers, and supporting surface ship maintenance.
Ms. Davis immediate past position was Executive Director, Program Executive Office (PEO) Aircraft Carriers leading a $50 billion portfolio that includes design and construction of Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, execution of mid-life Refueling Complex Overhauls for Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, inactivation of ex-USS Enterprise, and life cycle support for all in-service aircraft carriers in the fleet. Prior to this position she served as Director for Surface Warfare, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, Platform and Weapon Portfolio Management Office. This brief assignment charged her with leadership of mission portfolio management, policy, investments in ground and maritime interdiction capabilities, and evaluation of essential mission areas across system-of-systems to execute mission threads. Ms. Davis completed a joint tour, serving two years as Executive Director, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), Fort Bragg, NC, where she led resourcing, support and business integration matters for JSOC’s assigned, attached, and augmented forces conducting special operations in protection of the Homeland and U.S. interests abroad. Before JSOC, she served three years as the Executive Director for Surface Warfare at Naval Sea Systems Command, responsible for a $15 billion portfolio for fleet support of surface ships, inactive ships, foreign military sales and ship transfer programs. Ms. Davis’ initial SES assignment was as Director, Integrated Combat Systems, PEO Integrated Warfare Systems, leading engineering of integrated combat solutions for Navy surface combatants, amphibious ships and aircraft carriers.
Prior to selection to the Senior Executive Service (SES), Ms. Davis’ career progression included engineering and program management leadership positions starting as an AEGIS Weapon System Engineer at Port Hueneme Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center (PHD NSWC) within NAVSEA, where she led Combat System Ship Qualification Trials and at-sea test events. She completed a one-year detail with the AEGIS Test Team, Bath, Maine, leading warfare system integration and testing in the first AEGIS Destroyer. Ms. Davis also served as lead engineer for Topside Signature Control, and after a year of managing these efforts, she was promoted to lead the PHD NSWC branch responsible for Ship Self Defense Systems In-Service Engineering. Ms. Davis then transitioned to NAVSEA Headquarters, Washington Navy Yard, DC via the Commander’s Development Program (CDP) after 10 years at PHD NSWC.
Following CDP, Ms. Davis was selected as Assistant Program Manager for CVN 68 Class Aircraft Carrier Construction within PEO Aircraft Carriers, where she managed two aircraft carrier shipbuilding projects, and subsequently was selected to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition) staff as Director for Aircraft Carriers and Amphibious Assault Ships within the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Ship Programs). Her duties included informing Navy Acquisition Executive decisions and responding to Office of the Secretary of Defense and Congressional oversight. After four years, Ms. Davis returned to PEO Aircraft Carriers when slated as the Deputy Program Manager for the Future Aircraft Carriers Program; a Major Defense Acquisition Category One Program valued at over $30 billion.
Ms. Davis was subsequently selected as the Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) Program Manager for Information Systems and Infrastructure, where she provided senior leadership to approximately three hundred civilian and military personnel responsible for acquisition and sustainment of Marine Corps information technology solutions and the associated infrastructure. After nearly four years with MCSC, she returned to the Navy when slated as the Major Program Manager for Advanced Technology within PEO Integrated Warfare Systems and was selected to the SES from this position.
Her professional recognition includes the Joint Meritorious Civilian Service Award, Navy Superior Civilian Service Award, Blacks in Government DoD Meritorious Service Award, Navy Chief Information Officer Information Technology Excellence Award and several Special Act Commendations from the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition). Ms. Davis, a graduate of Clemson University, holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Engineering and a Master of Science Degree in Engineering Management. As a member of the Defense Acquisition Workforce, she is certified in Program Management and Engineering. She has served as NAVSEA’s SES Champion for the Women’s Employee Resource Group, African American Employee Resource Group, and Commander’s Executive Fellows Program. She chartered “Lean-in” Circles, at NAVSEA and serves as a mentor and coach with credentials that include certification in Business and Professional Coaching from North Carolina State University.