Executive Director, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst
Ms. Kathleen P. Donnelly serves as the Executive Director for NAWCAD Lakehurst (LKE), Support Equipment (SE) and Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE) Group. She is responsible for executing NAWCAD LKE mission functions for all aspects of SE and ALRE including management of the labs and facilities providing capability development and sustainment to the fleet. She manages more than 1,800 NAWCAD LKE civilian and military personnel, is responsible for a contracting operation with unlimited contractual authority that obligates in excess $2B annually and executes budgets exceeding $1B. She has more than 35 years in civil service and entered the Senior Executive Service in March 2008.
Previously, Ms. Donnelly served as the NAVAIR Engineering Director for SE and ALRE as the technical authority for all engineering and fleet support related to Aircraft Platform Interface equipment critical to the Naval Aviation Enterprise. She led a national organization across 23 sites worldwide that included more than 1,600 civilian and military professionals. She directly managed a budget of $80M, substantially influenced a Command annual budget of $450M and was instrumental in the development and fielding of the Gerald R. Ford class aircraft carrier Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems (EMALS) and the Advanced Arresting Gear.
Ms. Donnelly established strategic partnerships with academia resulting in recognition as the Employer of Year by both the Steven’s Institute of Technology and the New Jersey Institute of Technology, which also recognized her department as the Best-in-Class Recruiting Partner. The department won the prestigious ERE Award for Best Retention Program Practices. Ms. Donnelly is a founding member of the NAVAIR Women’s Initiative Network and led the inaugural Women Moving Forward Symposium. She served as a distinguished panel member at the Women in Defense Symposium and the Society of Women Engineers Conference, was profiled in the Diversity / Careers in Engineering and Information Technology periodical and received honors for her work on the Diversity Life Cycle Sustainment Team.
Prior to her selection, Ms. Donnelly distinguished herself in leadership positions in support of high profile SE and ALRE programs. Her teams received numerous commendations including the NAWCAD Commander’s Award and the NAVAIR Commander’s Award for development and fielding of the EMALS.
Ms. Donnelly earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Villanova University and a master’s degree in business administration from Monmouth University. She is a graduate of the Defense Systems Management College and the NAVAIR Senior Executive Management Development Program. She is a member of the Acquisition Professional Community with Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act certifications in Program Management and Systems Engineering, and the recipient of the 2019 Presidential Rank Award.
Executive Director, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst
Ms. Kathleen P. Donnelly serves as the Executive Director for NAWCAD Lakehurst (LKE), Support Equipment (SE) and Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE) Group. She is responsible for executing NAWCAD LKE mission functions for all aspects of SE and ALRE including management of the labs and facilities providing capability development and sustainment to the fleet. She manages more than 1,800 NAWCAD LKE civilian and military personnel, is responsible for a contracting operation with unlimited contractual authority that obligates in excess $2B annually and executes budgets exceeding $1B. She has more than 35 years in civil service and entered the Senior Executive Service in March 2008.
Previously, Ms. Donnelly served as the NAVAIR Engineering Director for SE and ALRE as the technical authority for all engineering and fleet support related to Aircraft Platform Interface equipment critical to the Naval Aviation Enterprise. She led a national organization across 23 sites worldwide that included more than 1,600 civilian and military professionals. She directly managed a budget of $80M, substantially influenced a Command annual budget of $450M and was instrumental in the development and fielding of the Gerald R. Ford class aircraft carrier Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems (EMALS) and the Advanced Arresting Gear.
Ms. Donnelly established strategic partnerships with academia resulting in recognition as the Employer of Year by both the Steven’s Institute of Technology and the New Jersey Institute of Technology, which also recognized her department as the Best-in-Class Recruiting Partner. The department won the prestigious ERE Award for Best Retention Program Practices. Ms. Donnelly is a founding member of the NAVAIR Women’s Initiative Network and led the inaugural Women Moving Forward Symposium. She served as a distinguished panel member at the Women in Defense Symposium and the Society of Women Engineers Conference, was profiled in the Diversity / Careers in Engineering and Information Technology periodical and received honors for her work on the Diversity Life Cycle Sustainment Team.
Prior to her selection, Ms. Donnelly distinguished herself in leadership positions in support of high profile SE and ALRE programs. Her teams received numerous commendations including the NAWCAD Commander’s Award and the NAVAIR Commander’s Award for development and fielding of the EMALS.
Ms. Donnelly earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Villanova University and a master’s degree in business administration from Monmouth University. She is a graduate of the Defense Systems Management College and the NAVAIR Senior Executive Management Development Program. She is a member of the Acquisition Professional Community with Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act certifications in Program Management and Systems Engineering, and the recipient of the 2019 Presidential Rank Award.