HII President and CEO Honored by SNAME
Huntington Ingalls Industries announced that the Society of Naval Architect and Marine Engineers (SNAME) awarded HII President and CEO Mike Petters the 2019 Vice Admiral Emory S. “Jerry” Land Medal. Petters received the Land Medal on Thursday during the Annual SNAME Banquet, held in Tacoma, WA.
Mike Petters Accepts Land Award
HII President and CEO Mike Petters, center, accepts the 2019 Vice Admiral Emory S. “Jerry” Land Medal from, at left, Fred Harris, former president of General Dynamics NASSCO and Bath Iron Works, and Suzanne Beckstoffer, president of Society of Naval Architect and Marine Engineers (SNAME). The Land Medal is presented to an individual for outstanding accomplishment in the marine field. Photo courtesy of SNAME
“Under Mike’s leadership, HII’s shipyards build and maintain the world’s finest aircraft carriers and amphibious ships, and teamed with Electric Boat, deliver the world’s most technically advanced submarines,” said Fred Harris, 2012 Land Medal recipient and former president of General Dynamics NASSCO and Bath Iron Works. “Mike is also considered a leader in the areas of workforce development and early childhood education, relating both issues to our nation’s security. Mike’s accomplishments and industry leadership have rarely been equaled. He is the definition of what that SNAME Executive Committee had in mind in 1952 when they established the Admiral Land Medal.”
The Land Medal is named for former SNAME President Emory S. Land who was chief of the Navy's Bureau of Construction and Repair at the time of his retirement in 1937. Each year, the Land Medal is presented to an individual for outstanding accomplishment in the marine field. It was established in 1952 by the SNAME and Emory S. Land was the award’s first recipient.
“It is a true honor to be recognized by the distinguished members of this society who have shown such dedication to the advancement of our industry,” Petters said. “I have long held the belief that a well-educated populace is a vital asset to our nation’s security. The work SNAME does by providing educational pathways into the maritime industry will have an impact on our nation for years to come and I am proud to now be a part of that legacy.”
In 2016, Petters established the HII Scholarship Fund to annually provide scholarships for children of its employees who are pursuing post-secondary college or technical/vocation degrees, or who are enrolled in pre-k school readiness programs. Petters declines his annual salary, but for $1, to fund the program.
Mike and Nancy Petters are engaged in and supportive of multiple organizations across Hampton Roads, including the Downtown Hampton Child Development Center (DHCDC), where Nancy serves on the board of directors. The DHCDC is a non-profit preschool that serves 200 children between the ages of 6 weeks and 5 years. The center offers the Peninsula’s only sliding-scale tuition rate, based on family income, with a focus on children from at-risk and underserved populations, including children with special needs.
Mike and Nancy are also sponsors of Camp Launch at the College of William and Mary. Born out of a desire to help gifted students from all socioeconomic levels, Camp Launch provides eligible seventh- and eighth-grade students with enrichment and academic opportunities. The children are recruited from school districts around Virginia. They participate in a two-week residential program with courses in STEM, writing, and personal development.
