EVENT DESCRIPTION
Mr. Southall, in conjunction with Ms. Nelson and Mr. Smith will share a retrospective on the re-purposing and deployment of a retired dry dock gate as an artificial reef. The presentation will focus on the critical importance of public-private partnerships in environmental stewardship, the criticality of marine engineering in the creation of artificial reefs, the importance of clearly applied technical rigor in conjunction with at-sea decision making, and the benefit to the marine ecosystem when these factors are brought together for the greater good.
SPEAKERS/PRESENTERS
Charles Southall, Vice President Columbia-Class Submarine Construction (Retired)
Charles Southall is vice president of Columbia-Class Submarine Construction for Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries. Named to this position in 2020, Southall is responsible for company-wide management, leadership, and the cost, schedule, and technical performance of our Columbia-Class Construction Program.
He joined NNS in 1988 as an engineer in the submarine program and has since held leadership positions of increasing responsibility, including director of Submarine Engineering, and director of Advanced Submarine programs where he established the Columbia-Class Submarine Program Office. From 2012 to 2017 he served as the company’s chief engineer and was responsible for leading engineering efforts across all Navy programs. Prior to his current appointment, Southall served as vice president of Engineering and Design, and was responsible for all ship design, construction engineering, fleet engineering services, and test engineering.
Southall earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering technology from Old Dominion University. He was licensed as a registered Professional Engineer (PE) in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Southall currently serves in an advisory capacity to the Old Dominion University College of Engineering, he has served the Engineering Advisory Boards at Hampton University, Norfolk State University, and Virginia Commonwealth University. Additionally, he serves as vice chair of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission Recreational Fisheries Advisory Board.
Southall grew up in, and currently resides in Poquoson, Virginia. A product of family influences in commercial fishing and aviation, he and his wife Lisa have enjoyed a coastal lifestyle raising two grown children and now proudly enjoying three granddaughters.
In his free time, he enjoys salt water fishing with his family and friends, a passion taken from his grandfather who was a local VIRGINIA Waterman.
Alicia Nelson has over 15 years of experience with the Virginia Marine Resources Commission’s Fisheries Management Division, where she has contributed to a range of initiatives including fisheries management programs, public outreach, federal and state grant administration, and the Artificial Reef Program. She holds a Master of Science degree from Christopher Newport University and currently resides in Carrollton, Virginia.
Hunter Smith has been working for the Virginia Marine Resources Commission’s Fisheries Management Division for the past 7 years. During his time, he worked as an Endangered Species Observer collecting data and tagging Atlantic Sturgeon. In 2022 he was hired on as the Artificial Reef Specialist where he has worked under Alicia Nelson for the past 3 years carrying out artificial reef deployments. Hunter is a lifelong resident of Isle of Wight County, Virginia.
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