Huntington Ingalls Industries announced last week that its board of directors has elected Jennifer R. Boykin to serve as executive vice president of HII and president of HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division, effective July 1.

She will succeed Matt Mulherin, who announced that he will retire on Aug. 1 after a 36-year career at Newport News Shipbuilding.

After Mulherin steps down as Newport News Shipbuilding president, he will assist with the transition and continue to report to HII President and CEO Mike Petters until his retirement.

Boykin, who will report to Petters effective July 1, currently is vice president, engineering and design for Newport News Shipbuilding. Named to this position in 2012, she is responsible for all ship design, planning yard and topside construction, and test engineering.

Boykin’s shipbuilding career began in 1987 when she joined Newport News Shipbuilding in the nuclear engineering division. Subsequent positions at Newport News Shipbuilding...