Mr. Jonathan S. Graves assumed the role as the Executive Director for the Supervisor of Shipbuilding Gulf Coast (SSGC) in March of 2022. As SSGC’s senior civilian, he is responsible for overseeing the design and construction of multiple U.S. Navy ships and craft along the gulf coast including the Arleigh-Burke (DDG 51), America (LHA 6), and San Antonio (LPD 17) classes of ships built by Huntington Ingalls Industries at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, MS; the Independence (LCS 2) and Spearhead (EPF 1) classes built by Austal USA in Mobile, AL; and numerous other ships, small boats, and craft built in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
Mr. Graves’ most recent position was as the LPD 17 Class Deputy Program Manager’s Representative (DPMR) for SSGC, providing waterfront leadership for the new construction oversight efforts of the U.S. Navy’s San Antonio class amphibious transport dock ships. Mr. Graves served in this position from 2019 to 2022.
Mr. Graves previously served as the Deputy Quality Assurance Director for SSGC from 2014 to 2019. In this capacity, Mr. Graves was responsible for conducting the Contract Administration Quality Assurance Program for SSGC and managing SSGC’s largest department.
From 2010 to 2014, Mr. Graves served as the DDG 1000 DPMR, where he was responsible for managing the oversight of the DDG 1000 class deckhouses manufactured by Ingalls Shipbuilding to Bath Iron Works. Prior the this position he served as the DDG 1000 Project Engineer from 2007 to 2010 and as the DDG 1000 Waterfront
Engineer from 2006 to 2007. Mr. Graves was awarded the Civilian Meritorious Service Award for his contributions on the DDG 1000 program in 2014.
Mr. Graves began his professional career with Ingalls Shipbuilding in 2001 as an engineer in the Engineering Test and Trials division. There he was responsible for development of ship acceptance test procedures, trial agendas, and dockside and at-sea test conduct and coordination.
Mr. Graves is a native of Gulfport, MS. He graduated from the University of South Alabama in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and received a Masters of Business Administration Degree in 2010.