Newport News Shipbuilding celebrated the 340 members of the Master Shipbuilder Class of 1983 during a recognition ceremony Friday night.

Master Shipbuilders are employees with 40 or more years of continuous service. Speaking to the Class of 1983, Xavier Beale, vice president of Human Resources and Administration, said a lot had changed in the past 40 years, but these shipbuilders have remained constant.

“Your perseverance, hard work and incredible dedication to our mission to build the best Navy ships in the world to protect our sailors and defend our freedoms has remained steadfast,” he said. “Together, you have given more than 4.5 million working days sharpening your skills, embracing countless changes and innovating so that our collective shipbuilding team can be the best we can be. You are an inspiration to all of us.”

Master Shipbuilder Edward Ross delivered the invocation during the ceremony. Howard Chamblee and Zelma Johnson-Haskins modeled the Master Shipbuilder ring and watch, and Norm Jacobs modeled the Master Shipbuilder jacket.

NNS President Jennifer Boykin called Master Shipbuilders the “heart and soul of the company” and thanked the honorees for four decades of service. She also encouraged them to mentor and support the next generation of shipbuilders, especially as NNS plans to hire thousands of new employees in the coming years.

“I need you to share your knowledge, and make sure all of your conversations strengthen our people and their ability to deliver on our mission,” she said. “Embrace new ideas, and if a new idea can’t be implemented for some reason, explain why. There are innovations in shipbuilding just waiting to be realized, and we will only discover them if we work together.”

Watch a video celebrating the newest class of Master Shipbuilders and see a list of Master Shipbuilders from the Class of 1983 on MyNNS. View photos from the Master Shipbuilder recognition ceremony on the NNS to Go app or on Jennifer Boykin’s Facebook and LinkedIn pages.