Karen Henneberger became the first woman senior executive service member within the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP). A 2016 recipient of the Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Senior Executives and the 2020 Honorary Tailhooker of the Year, she currently serves as the senior executive for new ship design, leading the design and construction of the nuclear propulsion plants for the Navy’s Ford-class aircraft carriers, the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines, and the design for the next generation attack submarine, SSN(X). Ms. Henneberger has worked in the nuclear program for more than 30 years. She currently serves as CEO/senior executive of new ship desigin at the U.S. Department of Energy (2023).

Last Updated: 30 March 2023