American Shipbuilding Association

CONTACT:
Cynthia L. Brown
202-544-8170

Washington, D.C. – The American Shipbuilding Association (ASA), the national trade association of the largest shipbuilders and more than 60 manufacturers of ship systems and components, regrets to announce that Mr. Dick Vortmann, President of National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO), San Diego, CA, will be stepping down as the President of NASSCO and from the Board of Directors of ASA effective January 1, 2006 to assume the Chairmanship of the Board of NASSCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics.

Dick Vortmann has led NASSCO for 23 years, and during this period, he has been a consistently strong leader of NASSCO and the shipbuilding industry as a whole.  “While I am extremely happy for Dick in his decision, it is always sad to lose a long-time shipbuilding leader with such a profound understanding of our history and vision,” said Cynthia Brown, President of ASA.  “Dick has been a mentor and friend for the past 20 years.  He has taught me a lot about shipbuilding, and has been a steadfast champion of the association’s mission to defend and strengthen the shipbuilding industry in the United States.  I will miss his leadership very much,” she said.

The Association congratulates Mr. Fred Harris on his appointment as President of NASSCO, and looks forward to working with him as a member of the Board of Directors of ASA in the coming year.  Mr. Harris brings more than 30 years of experience in shipbuilding at the Electric Boat subsidiary of General Dynamics, where he has served in positions of increasing responsibility since joining the company in 1973.  He is presently the senior Vice President for Programs at Electric Boat where he has played an instrumental role in several key design, construction and fleet support programs for numerous programs, including the Seawolf- and Virginia-class submarine programs.

Harris is a graduate of the Maine Maritime Academy with a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Engineering, and earned his MBA degree from Babson College.  He sailed for several years in the U.S. Merchant Marine, notably aboard the SS Transglobe, the most decorated American merchant ship of the Vietnam War.