Leadership

Fred Pasquine has served as President of Fairlead since 2017 and was promoted to President and CEO in 2025. Under his leadership, the company has experienced remarkable growth, expanding operations organically by nearly 500%. Fred has led Fairlead in securing and executing major U.S. Navy programs of record, supporting aircraft carriers, submarines, surface combatants, and unmanned vessels.

He spearheaded the acquisition and transformation of a 15-acre yacht repair facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, converting it into a modular warship construction yard that has delivered over 4,000 tons of aircraft carrier and submarine modules since 2021. In 2022, Fairlead secured the Fairwinds Landing facility—a 132-acre shipping terminal in Norfolk—which has since been redeveloped to support U.S. Navy shipbuilding and sustainment, breakbulk terminal operations, as well as offshore wind operations.

Prior to joining Fairlead, Fred served as Senior Director of Business Operations at General Dynamics NASSCO-Norfolk, where he oversaw business development, estimating, planning, engineering, scheduling, supply chain, and procurement functions.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Geneva College and an MBA from Miami University. Fred is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) and a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB) through the American Society for Quality. He is also a proud alumnus of the CIVIC Leadership Institute, Class of 2019.

Fred has worked across both large corporations and smaller enterprises, consistently driving cohesive teamwork focused on operational excellence, customer success, and growth. He greatly enjoys the mission of delivering readiness with speed and scale to the US Navy and its partners.

Fred is deeply engaged in his community, serving on the boards of the Tidewater Community College Foundation, The Mariners' Museum, and Starbase Victory. He also serves as Vice President of the Portsmouth Partnership.

Outside of work, Fred enjoys restoring historic homes with his wife of 27 years, spending time with their three adult daughters, and playing the drums. He and his wife, Allison, reside in the historic Olde Towne neighborhood of Portsmouth, Virginia.

Jeremy Jeffreys serves as Chief Operating Officer at Fairlead, where he oversees daily operations, drives strategic execution, and ensures alignment across divisions, people, and performance. In this role, he is focused on operational excellence and delivering consistent, reliable outcomes in support of Fairlead’s mission to bring the Warfighter home safely.

Jeremy brings more than 30 years of leadership experience spanning military service, ship repair, and ship construction. He began his career in the U.S. Navy, where he developed a strong foundation in teamwork, accountability, and mission focus. After transitioning into industry, Jeremy held leadership roles across quality assurance, programs, planning, scheduling, and operations, progressing into senior and executive leadership positions.

Background and experience include:

• U.S. Navy veteran with hands-on operational and leadership experience

• Quality Assistant Foreman, Metro Machine

• General Superintendent, NASSCO–Norfolk

• Scheduling and Estimating Manager, NASSCO–Norfolk

• Director of Waterfront Operations, Fairlead

• Vice President / General Manager of Structures, Fairlead

Throughout his career, Jeremy has been responsible for mid-life drydock modernizations for CG, DDG, LSD, and LPD platforms; executed PSA availabilities for DDG, LPD, and LCS classes; and established a division responsible for fabricating heavy hull sections for both CVN and SSBN new construction programs.

What matters most to Jeremy is delivering complex work right the first time—meeting the highest quality standards while executing safely, predictably, and in strict compliance with contractual requirements.

Outside of work, Jeremy enjoys sports and aeronautics simulation.

Will Cox serves as the Chief Information Officer at Fairlead, where he leads enterprise IT and Business Information Systems operations. He is responsible for ensuring the company is strategically positioned for current and future growth while maintaining full compliance as a U.S. Government contractor.

Will brings more than 25 years of leadership experience spanning military service, ship repair, offshore energy, autonomous systems, and enterprise IT operations. His career began in the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Nuclear Community, where he developed a strong foundation in strategic planning, mission execution, and team leadership.

Following his Navy service, Will established Program Management Office Centers of Excellence (PMO COEs) supporting both commercial and government ship repair organizations as well as offshore drilling operations. He later advanced into global leadership roles overseeing enterprise business systems, ultimately serving as Director of Business Operations for a major shipbuilder’s autonomous vehicle division.

Will joined Fairlead in 2022 as Director of Process Improvement, became Director of Business Systems in 2024, and was appointed Chief Information Officer in 2025.

Career Highlights

• U.S. Navy Veteran — Submarine Nuclear Community

• Department of Energy Federal Officer

• Program Management Office Manager — Oceaneering

• Planning & Technology Manager — Oceaneering

• IT Business Systems Manager — Oceaneering

• Director of Business Operations — Huntington Ingalls Industries (Mission Systems/Unmanned)

• Director of Process Improvement — Fairlead

• Director of Business Systems — Fairlead

• Chief Information Officer — Fairlead

Throughout his career, Will has consistently focused on developing and implementing processes and technology that deliver both operational value and regulatory compliance. He applies a strong programmatic mindset to business operations, emphasizing standardization, elimination of data silos, and strategic use of enterprise data to drive decision-making.

His top priority is ensuring Fairlead remains prepared for future challenges through repeatable processes, effective technology adoption, and excellence in leveraging operational data.

Outside of work, Will enjoys mountain biking, software development, and volunteering within his community and church.

Todd Babcock is Vice President of Business Development and Shared Services, where he leads company growth by creating new revenue streams through strategic partnerships and key capture efforts. He also provides executive leadership to the Shared Services teams, including Contracts, Quality, Security, and Environmental Health & Safety, supporting all Fairlead divisions.

Todd has more than 40 years of defense industry experience. He began his career with The Jonathan Corporation, a Norfolk-based ship repair company, and went on to serve as Electrical Supervisor at MHI Ship Repair. He later advanced to Foreman and Ship Superintendent at Colonna’s Shipyard before joining Fairlead, where he held roles including Operations Manager and General Manager of Fairlead Integrated Power & Controls, now Fairlead Systems.

As General Manager of Fairlead Systems through 2017, Todd led the organization’s growth into a preferred marine electrical systems integrator. His proven ability to build strategic alliances and execute growth initiatives led naturally to his transition into corporate business development in 2018.

Todd’s strengths lie in proactively identifying new and untapped growth opportunities within the maritime industry. He places strong emphasis on building relationships—both within his teams and across industry partnerships—and is motivated by the challenge of creating long-term value for the organization and its people.

Outside of work, Todd enjoys running, spending time with his wife of nearly 40 years, and with his adult children and making memories with his seven grandchildren.

Nate Aiken, a native of Brevard NC, is the Chief of Staff to Fairlead’s President & CEO. In this role, Nate is focused on driving enterprise alignment, execution discipline, and cross-functional delivery of Fairlead’s top priorities.

In 2003 after graduation from the United States Naval Academy, he reported aboard USS WHIDBEY ISLAND (LSD-41) as Repair Office and Damage Control Assistant responsible for the ship’s firefighting, fabrication, repair, and ballasting capabilities. He qualified as a Surface Warfare Officer and became the ship’s Assistant Operations Officer in 2005. In 2006 he was billeted as the Anti Terrorism Force Protection Officer at Military Sealift Command and served there until leaving active duty in 2008.

In 2008 he joined defense consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton where he spent 15 years providing strategic planning and organizational transformation consulting services to clients in Norfolk, VA and Honolulu, HI including Naval Special Warfare Group 2, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, United States Fleet Forces Command, Commander Pacific Fleet, Commander Marine Forces Pacific, Navy Warfare Development Center and Navy Cyber Forces / Commander 10th Fleet.

From 2022-2023, he joined Maximus Federal Consulting where he helped stand up an Air Force and Navy-focused defense practice in software development, artificial intelligence, cyber defense and cloud infrastructure. He joined Fairlead in January 2024.

Nate has a Bachelor’s of Science degree from the United States Naval Academy and an Executive Master’s in Leadership from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. In his spare time, Nate enjoys working out and playing golf. He is married to LCDR Sharon Aiken, USN JAG Corps, currently assigned as Judge onboard CVN 75 USS HARRY S TRUMAN.

Michael Ford serves as General Manager of Fairlead Boatworks, where he leads operations supporting both Government and Commercial maritime programs. He is responsible for aligning strategic growth initiatives with disciplined execution overseeing estimating, proposal development, forecasting, production planning, earned value management, and overall financial performance across the division.

Michael plays a critical role in positioning Fairlead as a trusted partner within the maritime industrial base. His leadership bridges competitive acquisition strategy with executable waterfront performance, ensuring every contract is not only won competitively but delivered with precision, accountability, and full compliance.

With more than a decade of experience in naval ship repair and complex contract management, Michael brings deep expertise in planning and executing large-scale maintenance availabilities under Firm Fixed Price (FFP), IDIQ, Service, and Cost Reimbursement contract vehicles. His background reflects a strong command of operational planning, cost control, and schedule discipline within highly regulated federal environments.

Michael began his career at General Dynamics NASSCO-Norfolk, where he held progressive leadership roles supporting major Navy maintenance programs, including DPIA, PIA, CMAV, and large-scale decommissioning efforts. He led advanced planning strategies, work item development, and Integrated Master Schedule execution for complex naval platforms — ensuring compliance with NAVSEA specifications while maximizing cost efficiency and production performance.

Since joining Fairlead in 2018, Michael has been instrumental in strengthening operational controls and enhancing financial transparency. He has implemented structured budgeting processes, refined manning strategies, advanced earned value tracking systems, and improved execution planning to drive profitability while maintaining schedule predictability. His ability to translate estimating assumptions into executable action plans has become a cornerstone of Fairlead’s operational reliability and growth.

Michael holds a Master of Business Management and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Saint Leo University.

Nate Reich serves as Vice President of Supply Chain at Fairlead Integrated, where he leads strategic procurement, material planning, production support, and cross-functional supply chain operations in support of mission-critical defense and maritime programs. In this role, he ensures that Fairlead reliably delivers quality products on time, supporting readiness and operational excellence.

Nate brings over a decade of supply chain and manufacturing leadership to Fairlead. Since 2013, he has been instrumental in centralizing procurement functions, improving on-time delivery performance, and integrating planning with production and material control activities. His experience spans roles including Director of Production and Director of Procurement, where he championed AS9100D certification and operational efficiency through process improvement initiatives. Nate has held positions across procurement and warehouse management, strengthening vendor relationships and logistics execution. Nate holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Hartford and has complemented his career with global exposure through study abroad.

As a leader, Nate approaches challenges with steadiness, pragmatism, and a commitment to collaboration. He focuses on aligning supply chain execution with program needs, reducing risk, and ensuring continuity of delivery even under pressure.

Driven by a mission to support both team and customer success, Nate values clear communication, process discipline, and shared accountability.

Based in Hampton Roads, he is actively engaged in the local defense and maritime community and is committed to mentoring and developing the next generation of supply chain professionals. Outside of work, he enjoys college sports, fishing, golf, travel to new places, and discovering new restaurants and cuisines.

In his role as Vice President of Structures at Fairlead Integrated, Adam R. Zydron leads a high-performing team dedicated to delivering heavy steel fabrication and assembly for the nation’s most critical carrier and submarine defense programs.

Adam joined Fairlead following more than two decades of leadership in heavy industry and defense manufacturing. Most recently, he served as CVN80/81 Program Manager at Huntington Ingalls Industries – Newport News Shipbuilding, responsible for the manufacturing divisions of shipbuilding programs. Prior to that as Director of Facilities Engineering, where he executed capital plans spanning all major facilities projects and waterfront infrastructure supporting Navy Programs.

Adam leads with a guide’s mindset—listening first, clarifying priorities, and helping teams solve complex manufacturing challenges with confidence. He is driven by delivering reliable, repeatable outcomes for customers whose missions allow no margin for failure. By integrating strategy, facilities, and production execution, he enables Fairlead to scale responsibly while maintaining the trust and performance required for mission-critical defense programs.

Adam is motivated by work that directly supports national defense and the people who execute it. He believes quality, accountability, making decisions at the right level, and disciplined leadership are essential to honoring the trust placed in organizations delivering mission-critical capability.

Adam is based in Hampton Roads, Virginia, where he and his family are deeply rooted in the local community and the maritime industry. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time on home projects and active outdoor activities with the family that reinforce discipline, teamwork, and balance.

Jim Benton has more than 30 years corporate management experience and over 44 years in the marine industry. Before joining Fairlead, Jim designed, built, and served as President and CEO of Ocean Marine Yacht Center, a marina, dry storage, and haul out repair facility for vessels up to 300’ in length.

As VP/GM of Facilities and Dock and Storage Divisions for Fairlead, Jim has been responsible for converting waterfront facilities to accommodate production of modular sections of aircraft carriers and submarines, design and build a conference center, and manage general contractors and projects to include over $40M of SDF funding and working with area city government agencies for permitting and certifications.

Jim was an Officer of the Deck in the US Coast Guard, earned a Master Mariner’s license in the US Merchant Marine, NAVSEA certified Dockmaster, and former chair of Portsmouth Virginia’s Port and Industrial Commission.

Hal Barge serves as the Vice President and General Manager of the Fairlead Systems Division. He leads a team of engineers, project managers, and skilled trades in the design and production of complex electrical systems on submarines, aircraft carriers, other large warships, and unmanned vessels. Systems Division also engineers and integrates systems into containers for numerous challenging field applications.

As a veteran of a 28-year career as a Submarine Officer, Hal is passionate about providing excellent products for our customers. His naval service included command of a nuclear submarine, and command of a 1500-person submarine repair facility in the Northwest. For the past sixteen years, Hal has continued to work in the private sector. Having grown up as a creative artist and a maker, he values the opportunity to work at Fairlead where we actually make real tangible products; Hal is committed to helping to lead the renaissance of American manufacturing. Experience he brings to this task include the technical knowledge from years on nuclear submarines, the discipline of a Project Management Professional, and the business acumen learned through an MBA at Harvard Business School.

As Fairlead helps to lead the resurgence of the defense industrial base, Hal views his role as GM as a creative endeavor – building the business along with building product. The creativity and service extend to home as well – Hal and his wife Elizabeth raised two adult children; Hal has leadership roles in his local church and at Tyndale Theological Seminary in Amsterdam; and he and Elizabeth serve as leaders in While We’re Waiting, a ministry serving bereaved parents.

Eric Eckelman serves as Chief Human Resources Officer at Fairlead, where he leads the company’s human capital strategy and operations. In this role, he oversees business partnership, human resources strategy and operations, ethics, employee relations, compensation and benefits, talent acquisition, legal compliance and risk, training and development, employee engagement, and culture and change initiatives. Eric is committed to strengthening Fairlead’s workforce while ensuring legal compliance and risk mitigation, always with a focus on advancing a highly skilled team and representing the interests of Fairlead employees.

Eric brings more than 36 years of experience across the maritime, defense, shipbuilding, engineering, and construction/manufacturing sectors. Throughout his career, he has supported complex nuclear and commercial programs with organizations including Newport News Shipbuilding, Naptheon Information Technology Services, and the Marine Services Division of Oceaneering. His areas of expertise include organizational and employee development, human resources operations and compliance, labor relations, talent acquisition, and compensation and benefits.

Eric approaches leadership and problem solving by defining challenges clearly and breaking them down into manageable parts, using creative and collaborative thinking to reach effective solutions. He emphasizes data-driven decision making and strong team engagement to ensure the right people, processes, and systems are in place to support operational readiness and long-term success.

Motivated by teamwork and achievement, Eric believes that creating value for others begins with preparation, hard work, and collaboration. He lives in Yorktown, Virginia, where he enjoys spending time with family, mentoring young athletes, and writing novels and music.

Danielle Oliver is Vice President of Contracts at Fairlead Integrated, where she leads contracting strategy and oversight across multiple business units supporting mission-critical maritime defense programs.

With more than 25 years of experience in the defense industry, Danielle has worked across both large defense primes and small businesses supporting U.S. Government programs. Her expertise spans the full contract lifecycle, including contract negotiation, regulatory compliance, risk mitigation, and strategic execution under FAR and DFARS requirements. Throughout her career, she has supported complex Navy and Department of Defense programs, helping organizations navigate regulatory requirements while enabling operational success. Danielle holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Saint Leo University.

Her experience supporting Navy and maritime defense programs has given her a deep understanding of the operational demands faced by shipyards, program offices, and industry partners working to strengthen the nation’s maritime readiness. At Fairlead, Danielle works closely with leadership, program teams, and government customers to ensure contractual clarity, manage risk, and support the company’s growing role in strengthening the maritime defense industrial base. She also advises executive leadership on contract strategy, risk management, and compliance considerations that support Fairlead’s long-term growth and mission success.

Outside of work, Danielle enjoys camping, traveling, and exploring the open road with her husband, David Oliver. She also enjoys spending time with her children, grandchildren, and their beloved dogs.