Parent company General Dynamics Corp. announced Monday that Frederick Harris, Bath Iron Works’ president, is retiring on Jan. 1 and will be replaced by a company insider.
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.”
Dirk A. Lesko, current vice president of BIW, has been appointed as vice president of General Dynamics 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.”
Members of Maine’s congressional delegation congratulated Lesko on his new position, with Rep. Chellie Pingree calling him “the right person to take over for Fred Harris.”
“We commend the selection of Dirk Lesko to serve as the next president of Bath Iron Works. We have both worked with Dirk very closely over the years and are confident that his depth of experience, proven track record, and long-standing commitment to the yard will make him good leader who will work well with the talented and skilled employees at BIW,” said Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King in a joint statement.
Rich Nolon, president of Machinists Union Local S6 and BIW’s largest union, said that with new union officials taking office in January, it could be an opportunity to turn over a new leaf.
“I hope it’s a move in a positive direction. We have new leadership coming on board too, so hopefully it’s a fresh start,” said Nolon.
“We’re familiar with Dirk,” he continued. “He’s open-minded. He’ll listen. We don’t always agree on everything, but in our positions we don’t expect to always agree.”
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