Ms. Sarah E. Wickenheiser
Frank C. Jones Award - Intermediate/Depot Maintenance & Alterations
2021
Ms. Sarah E. Wickenheiser
Awarded for her significant contribution to naval engineering as set forth in the following
CITATION:
Ms. Sarah Wickenheiser joined the Coast Guard Yard (CG Yard) in 2013 as a contractor on the 140’ Icebreaking Tugboat (WTGB) Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) and transitioned to a full-time government position to support the In-Service Vessel Sustainment (ISVS) vessel renovation programs.
Ms. Wickenheiser was recognized as the 2018 DC Council of Engineering and Architectural Societies Young Engineer of the Year Award as the nominee from ASNE. Ms. Wickenheiser holds a B.S. in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the Webb Institute and an M.S. in Engineering Management from Johns Hopkins University. Ms. Wickenheiser is also a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Maryland. She currently serves as the Engineering Program Manager for the CG’s ISVS program at the Coast Guard Yard.
Ms. Wickenheiser’s leadership has been foundational to the success of the Coast Guard’s ISVS vessel renovation program. As the CG Yard’s Engineering ISVS Program Manager, she led design teams that developed a systems engineering approach to Major Maintenance Availabilities (MMAs) and Service Life Extension Programs (SLEPs); programs that extend Coast Guard vessels’ service lives by 10 to 15 years, reducing sustainment costs through the renewal of key electronic, machinery, and habitability systems.
Under her leadership, Ms. Wickenheiser designed a new bridge for an LHA and supported the re-engineering of the power system, rigging and structural weight redesign on a Military Sealift Command vessel. She also was part of a team that re-assessed the launch and recovery system, and helped design retrofits for UAV technology on National Security Cutters
Over the past decade, Ms. Wickenheiser has successfully led her division in $30 million of specification and drawing development for a $500 million depot maintenance portfolio that included comprehensive vessel renovation programs for the 140’ Icebreaking Tugboat (WTGB), 270’ Medium Endurance Cutter (WMEC), and 295’ Barque EAGLE SLEPs, as well as the 225’ Seagoing Buoytender (WLB) Major Maintenance Availability (MMA).
These programs met schedule, budget and mission requirements, and the final products support a wide range of vital Coast Guard operational missions, and these three asset classes will remain mission ready for the next 15 years.
Ms. Wickenheiser continues to have a tremendous impact on the successful execution of depot-level ship maintenance and vessel alterations not only in the Coast Guard but also supporting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and foreign navies.
The U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Government interagency and international Navy depot maintenance engineering impacts that Ms. Wickenheiser has been overseeing clearly demonstrates she has had a significant global impact far above her formal paygrade.
Ms. Wickenheiser has “paid it forward” to our Nation while displaying selfless service in advancing the noble art of Naval Engineering – all while superbly mentoring the next generation of Naval Engineers. The American Society of Naval Engineers is privileged to present Ms. Sarah E. Wickenheiser the 2021 Frank C. Jones award.