MELANIE McGRATH

Since 2013, Melanie McGrath has worked for Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. and its subsidiary, Newport News Shipbuilding, and she’s seen some massive federal contract awards come in — especially since 2019, when she was promoted to director of its submarine division.

In February, HII broke ground on a facility to support nuclear submarine construction in Newport News. This project is jointly funded by the Navy and HII, and is part of $1.9 billion in capital investments at NNS between 2016 and 2025. McGrath oversees the Virginia Class Submarine Scheduling and Planning for NNS.

Overseeing projects of this size is an undertaking since these submarines are some of the “most important and most expensive assets,” according to the U.S. government. But McGrath has had impressive career advancement as a woman in a male-dominated industry, having served as a manufacturing technology manager and submarine scheduling manager before assuming her current director position. She has also been “instrumental in hiring, training and development of the leadership team” at NNS, according to her nominator, and encourages women to pursue careers in engineering.

“Just as my mentors invested in my development, so too do I feel the responsibility to cultivate the next generation of leaders, both at Newport News Shipbuilding and the community,” McGrath says. “It’s an honor to share my passion for supporting women in manufacturing and construction, especially knowing the important work we do in service of the nation.”

A Clemson University graduate, McGrath also is an alumna of the Hampton Roads Chamber’s Lead757 regional leadership program.

Read more about the 2023 class of Virginia Business Women in Leadership Award winners.