Kresa Wins Nimitz Award
Navy League's 2002 Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Award Presented to Northrop Grumman Chairman/CEO Kent Kresa
Navy League National President Timothy O. Fanning has presented the Navy League's 2002 Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Award to Northrop Grumman Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Kent Kresa, saluting him for his numerous achievements throughout "a long and distinguished career" in the national-defense field. "His outstanding leadership and dedication to the maritime strength of the United States and its allies," Fanning said, "and the technological genius of the talented work force he has assembled at Northrop Grumman ... have been instrumental in maintaining the maritime supremacy of the United States ... and will ensure that all of our nation's armed forces will continue to have the tools they need to meet the challenges they face in the 21st century."
Kresa is the 22nd recipient of the prestigious award, which was established by the Navy League to recognize an individual who, or organization that, "has made an exemplary contribution to our nation's strength and, in turn, our national security." The Navy League's guidelines specify that the person selected to receive the award should possess "the qualities of leadership, statesmanship, and dedication exemplified by Admiral Nimitz himself."
The guidelines also say that "special consideration" should be given to the award recipient's "long-term contributions to U.S. national security." Kresa meets "all of the criteria specified," Fanning said. "He has worked in the defense field throughout his career, and has been involved in programs ranging from aircraft and space vehicles and UAVs to Navy submarines and surface combatants and a host of other platforms, weapon systems, and technologies. I am proud to present this award, on behalf of the Navy League of the United States, to this outstanding business leader and American patriot."
Following are additional excerpts from the award citation:
"Mr. Kresa began his distinguished career at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and Lincoln Labs, where he was responsible for a broad array of applied research and development programs ... [involving] ballistic missile defense and re-entry technology. ... [He] then took his extraordinary talents to Northrop Grumman and applied them to the development of unmanned aerial vehicles [UAVs]. We are witnessing his handiwork today as UAVs help to save the lives of combat soldiers on the ground ... [in Afghanistan] in Operation Enduring Freedom. Mr. Kresa became CEO and chairman of Northrop Grumman in 1990 and took ... [the company] to new heights of technical achievement. Northrop Grumman is today ... the world's largest shipbuilder and a critical supplier of other technologies to the Department of Defense. Kent Kresa's vision, leadership, and character will help to guide Northrop Grumman and the entire defense industry ... [as they] adapt to the changing needs of the Department of Defense as it fights the war on terrorism."
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