December 19, 2013
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (Dec. 19, 2013) Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) announced today that Dru Branche, health and safety director for the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division, was recognized as a recipient of an Inside Business 2013 Women in Business Achievement Award. Branche was presented with the award Monday during a banquet held at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott
“It’s a great honor to be recognized among this group of tremendously pioneering, creative and entrepreneurial women,” she said.
Branche is responsible for NNS’ environmental, safety, industrial hygiene, medical services and wellness programs, as well as compliance, workers’ compensation and leave services. In her 30 years at the shipyard, Branche’s work history has run the gamut from warehousing and logistics to serving as a construction superintendent on USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) and construction director on USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77).
“Dru is so deserving of this recognition,” said Bill Bell, NNS’ vice president of human resources and administration. “Her wealth of knowledge, incredible work ethic and dedication to her fellow shipbuilders is admirable. She is an asset to Newport News Shipbuilding, and we congratulate her for this accomplishment.”
Women in Business Achievement Award recipients are selected by a panel of judges that reviews nominations from the public. The award was created by Inside Business 11 years ago to celebrate women who “have made a significant impact on the community, within their industry and by helping lift up other women on the road to success.” The weekly business publication honored 15 community leaders who are highlighted in the publication’s Dec. 16 issue.
HII is America’s largest shipbuilder, delivering the world’s most powerful ships and all-domain mission technologies, including unmanned systems, to U.S. and allied defense customers. HII is the largest producer of unmanned underwater vehicles for the U.S. Navy and the world.
With a more than 140-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII builds and integrates defense capabilities extending from the core fleet to C6ISR, AI/ML, EW and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII’s workforce is 44,000 strong.
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