PASCAGOULA, Miss., (Jan. 29, 2026) — HII (NYSE: HII) announced today that Fatina Brave has been appointed vice president of infrastructure and sustainability at its Ingalls Shipbuilding division. Brave succeeds Eric Crooker, who has transitioned into the role of vice president of program management at Ingalls, succeeding George Nungesser who is retiring at the beginning of February after 37 years of service to the company.
Brave will oversee all environmental, health, safety, security, facilities and maintenance operations at Ingalls. She will be responsible for enhancing operational efficiency, fostering shipbuilder well-being, and spearheading the adoption of new technologies and equipment within the shipyard. Brave will report to Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Blanchette.
“Fatina brings a unique combination of experiences to this role, from her distinguished service in the U.S. Air Force to her 15 years of leadership in human resources at Ingalls,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Blanchette said. “Her commitment to developing talent and driving organizational growth underscores a career built on service, making her ideally suited to succeed Eric and further the infrastructure and operational strategies at Ingalls.”
Since joining HII in 2011, Brave has held roles of increasing responsibility across the human resources and administration organization, most recently serving as director of talent acquisition and workforce development.
Brave is a veteran of the United States Air Force and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial psychology from William Carey University.
About HII
HII is America’s largest shipbuilder, delivering the world’s most powerful ships and all-domain mission technologies, including unmanned systems, to U.S. and allied defense customers. HII is the largest producer of unmanned underwater vehicles for the U.S. Navy and the world.
With a more than 140-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII builds and integrates defense capabilities extending from the core fleet to C6ISR, AI/ML, EW and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII’s workforce is 44,000 strong. For more information, visit:
- HII on the web: HII.com
- HII on Facebook: facebook.com/TeamHII
- HII on X: x.com/WeAreHII
- HII on Instagram: instagram.com/WeAreHII
- HII on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearehii