Navy Lakehurst Warfare Center Director Retiring After Nearly 40 Years

JOINT BASE McGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NJ — For nearly 40 years, Kathleen P. Donnelly has worked at the Lakehurst Naval base to support the U.S. Navy's sailors and Marines in their mission serving and protecting the United States.

On March 30, Donnelly retired from her post as executive director at Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst. She was the highest-ranking civilian at Lakehurst and oversaw a number of major changes during her career, including the transition to the Navy component of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst under the congressionally ordered Base Realignment completed in 2009.

"Kathy has steered the ship for us at Lakehurst, leading our command’s Support Equipment and Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment Group," said Stephen Cricchi, executive director of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division.

"She has been directly responsible for spearheading all Lakehurst mission functions, including its labs and facilities, while providing capability development and sustainment to the fleet, with over 1,800 teammates and a budget of more than $1 billion," he said. "Her contributions to our warfare center will be felt both here and across our fleet for generations to come."

Donnelly, a civilian employee, began working at Lakehurst in November 1984, and planned to stay just a few years, officials said. Instead, she helped guide the base through several critical stages while overseeing the development of countless examples of cutting-edge technology.

Under her watch, Lakehurst team members developed the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG), groundbreaking components on the new Ford Class aircraft carriers.

The development of these systems led to the construction of the EMALS test facility and the integration of the AAG systems into the jet car track test and runway arrested landing sites at Lakehurst.

"She also advanced Naval Aviation’s additive manufacturing, remote tech assistance, cybersecurity, and aircraft diagnostics capabilities," officials said.

Donnelly also oversaw operations at NAWCAD Lakehurst during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Donnelly, who has a degree in chemical engineering from Villanova and a master's degree in business administration from Monmouth University, received the 2019 Presidential Rank Award, and she was awarded the Department of the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award, the second highest honorary award under the Navy's civilian awards program.

"I am extremely proud of the team and their dedication to supporting our sailors and Marines," Donnelly said. "The constant at Navy Lakehurst has been the culture of the people and the Naval family atmosphere. We are one team, working together, to support the mission, and I could not be prouder of that."

A champion for diversity and inclusion, Donnelly is a founding member of Naval Air System Command’s Women’s Initiative Network and the outgoing Executive Champion for the LGBTQ+A Diversity Action Team.

Donnelly’s contributions also extend beyond the base. She has been an active member of the Lakehurst Small Business Roundtable, leading to small business contracts totaling more than $1 billion supporting Lakehurst’s mission.

Under her leadership, Lakehurst helped establish the Liberty Tech Bridge connecting NAWCAD Lakehurst, Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia, and Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific Cyber Engineering and Integration, bringing together regional government, industry, and academia to foster an ecosystem of innovation.

Following Donnelly’s retirement, Jack Martenak, NAWCAD Lakehurst’s technical director and chief engineer, will serve as acting executive director until a permanent replacement is named.