Lakela Lofton is a program manager at Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII).

According to HII, their Newport News and Ingalls shipbuilding divisions have built more U.S. Navy aircraft carriers and submarines than any other shipyard in the last 100 years.

Lofton has spent 24 years at Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), since earning a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Hampton University.

She also holds an M.B.A. from the Florida Institute of Technology.

Lofton has proven success in reconfiguring facilities and reducing the quantity of operating equipment, resulting in upwards of $1 million in annual savings.

In 2013, Lofton was honored with a Women of Color in STEM Special Recognition Award for moving beyond what is considered a traditional career for women.

Lofton has served as a nuclear engineering manager for the Kesselring site, where the United States Navy trains sailors to operate nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines.

Lofton also led a team that was awarded the 2013 NNS Model of Excellence Award. She was also nominated for a 2012 Model of Excellence Award.

This year, Lofton will receive the Managerial Leadership Award at WOC DTX for her expertise in turnaround management, team leadership, as well as strategic planning engineering.

Click here to register for WOC DTX 2021.