Frank C. Jones Award
2011
Mr. William F. Clifford
With over 40 years of leadership experience in the United States Navy and private sector ship repair industry, Mr. William F. Clifford has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to productivity and quality which has yielded marked improvements in U.S. Navy Fleet Maintenance.
In his position as President of BAE Systems Ship Repair, Mr. Clifford directs an industry leader in non-nuclear ship repair, conversion, and modernization. Under his guidance, policies and procedures have been established to ensure Lessons Learned were shared and executed across multiple shipyards, leading to significant savings and improved quality, and providing the Navy with greater value for available maintenance and modernization funds.
One of Mr. Clifford’s many notable initiatives was the establishment of an Aluminum Welding Center of Excellence to support the CG 47-class aluminum superstructure repair initiative, providing universal technical procedures, qualification practices, and deck plate applications that resulted in effective aluminum welding and structural fitting in CG 47-class ships at reduced cost for the Navy. Additionally, capital investment and improved procedures initiated by Mr. Clifford have maximized efficiency in BAE facilities, and have provided an industry-leading safe working environment for employees.
Throughout his career, Mr. Clifford’s leadership and dedication have yielded great benefit to the ships and Sailors of the U.S. Navy Fleet, and he has earned the respect and admiration of employees and customers alike. He is, indeed, highly deserving of the 2011 ASNE Frank C. Jones Award.
Mr. William F. Clifford is President, BAE Systems Ship Repair, the United States’ leading non-nuclear ship repair, conversion, and modernization company, headquartered in Norfolk, VA. In this role, Mr. Clifford leads Ship Repair, its 5,000 employees, and its eight business areas, including full service shipyards in Norfolk, VA, San Diego, CA, San Francisco, CA, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Jacksonville, FL, and Mobile, AL, as well as a satellite facility in Mayport, FL.
Mr. Clifford was most recently the Vice President and General Manager of BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair, providing ship repair, maintenance, and modernization services to the U.S. Navy’s Atlantic Fleet and other government and commercial maritime customers. In his twenty-one years in the private sector, he has been in senior management positions in several shipyards, including Managing Partner of Pacific Shipyards International, LLC, a Hawaii consortium of Honolulu Shipyard, Inc. and Honolulu Marine, Inc., from 2001-2005. Additionally, he was the Director of Ship Completion at Bath Iron Works, and Vice President of New Construction at Atlantic Marine in Jacksonville, FL.
Prior to pursuing a career in the private sector ship repair industry, Mr. Clifford served on active duty in the U.S. Navy for twenty years, including tours on the USS Wallace L. Lind (DD-703), the USS Ault (DD-698), the USS Fairfax County (LST-1193), and as the Commanding Officer of the USS Papago (ATF-160). After obtaining a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Navy’s Postgraduate School in Monterey, he became an Engineering Duty Officer and subsequently obtained a subspecialty in diving and salvage. His shore assignments include Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Pacific Fleet Staff, and Commanding Officer of the Pearl Harbor Shore Intermediate Maintenance Activity.
Mr. Clifford is a 1969 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.