Washington, D.C., Jan. 29, 2024 - At the January Board of Directors meeting, members of the executive committee unanimously elected Mr. Roger Camp as President & CEO of the American Shipbuilding Suppliers Association (ASSA). Mr. Camp is the Director of Strategic Development for Surface Warfare and Missile Defense for General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) where he drives initiatives for domestic and international defense programs focused on Surface Warfare, Missile Defense, and Advanced Research. “Roger brings a wealth of experience and seasoned leadership to ASSA,” said Chairman of the Board, Chris Cikanovich. “In his role as president, Roger will lead the organization to pursue new initiatives to preserve, strengthen and sustain the domestic shipbuilding supplier base by pursuing business partnerships that will benefit our members and the shipbuilding industry,” said Cikanovich.
“I am honored to accept this important leadership position, and I sincerely appreciate the support of my employer General Atomics, one of the founding members of ASSA when it was first established 13 years ago,” said Camp.
“We believe shipbuilding designers and suppliers are an essential, critical national security asset that cannot be replaced or replicated,” said Camp. “Expanding the number of companies involved in Navy shipbuilding is important to maintaining a healthy industrial base.”
“We know there are many growing challenges, and we want to continue to be a resource to DOD to tackle these challenges to develop an industrial ecosystem that gives the US a competitive advantage over our adversaries,” he said.
“We plan to address these issues with members of Congress during the Annual ASSA DC Fly-in this March,” he said. “We invite all industry partners who have these same concerns and priorities to join with us during 2024 and beyond to continue our advocacy with senior US Navy and US Coast Guard officials to further strengthen the domestic shipbuilding industrial base.”
Prior to joining GA-EMS, Roger was Senior Manager, Air and Missile Defense Programs for Raytheon Co. Previously, he supported Navy Command & Display and Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) programs at General Dynamics. As an officer in the United States Navy, Roger served aboard four different surface ships. He served at NATO Headquarters as a junior officer and later headed the U.S. Delegation to NATO’s Maritime Capabilities Group for Above Water Warfare.
Camp earned a Master of Science degree in Business Administration from Central Michigan University and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Vanderbilt University. He also completed studies in the International Politics Program at the Université Libre de Bruxelles and as a Joint Advanced Warfighter Specialist at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.
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ASSA is a member driven, national organization, advocating for the American Shipbuilding Supplier Base to the U. S. Congress, Navy, Coast Guard, and shipbuilders to ensure the long-term stability of the U. S. national maritime industry.