The President of the Pascagoula shipyard succeeds William Yates at the helm of the Mississippi Coast business and public policy advocacy organization.
The Mississippi Gulf Coast Business Council has named Kari Wilkinson, President of Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, as Chairman of the Board for the upcoming 2023-2024 term.
Wilkinson is executive vice president of Huntington Ingalls Industries and president of Ingalls Shipbuilding. Named to this position in April 2021, she is responsible for all programs and operations at Ingalls, including the U.S. Navy’s amphibious assault and surface combatant ship programs and the U.S. Coast Guard’s National Security Cutter program.
She succeeds William Yates of Yates Construction.
The Gulf Coast Business Council was formed after Hurricane Katrina. It engages top executives of businesses to be the “united voice on public policy issues important to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.” The Council works as a facilitating organization and helps develop future leaders, using its status as an umbrella organization made up of the top business leaders in the three coastal counties along with member organizations initially including the Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson County Chambers, and Partners for Stennis.
Wilkinson also serves on the Boards of Directors for the Jackson County Economic Development Foundation, Mississippi Economic Council and Mississippi Power.
Frank Corder
