Welcome to Ship Repair Radio, the official podcast of the Virginia Ship Repair Association. This show dives into the realities of keeping the Navy ready and the everyday friction on the waterfront. Virginia ship repair is a strategic national asset, and maintaining our strategic advantage requires a wartime mindset and a change in how we do business.
In each episode, we bring together voices from across our 320+ member companies, defense industry leaders, and maritime influencers to discuss the real bottlenecks in the yard. We focus on eliminating bureaucratic friction, enabling LMA-AIT integration, and championing the skilled tradesmen and women who serve as the backbone of our national security. Because at the end of the day, a predictable, stable workload is the primary driver of our industry's health: Workload Drives Workforce.
Tune in to join the fight for process reform, advanced manufacturing adoption, and the future of maritime readiness.
Ep 18 - "2025 Tradespersons of the Year" with Meaghan Parish & Gisaun Brothers, Colonna's Shipyard
In this episode of Ship Repair Radio, host John Polowczyk sits down with the 2025 VSRA Tradesperson of the Year winners: Meaghan Parish, our Senior Tradesperson of the Year, and Gisaun Brothers, our Junior Tradesperson of the Year. Both of these outstanding individuals come from Colonna's Shipyard, where they have set the standard for technical mastery, safety innovation, and community leadership on the waterfront. The conversation centers on their unique career transitions into the maritime ...
12 Oct 2026
Ep 17 - "Women in Welding and Maritime Trades" with Rachel Sciullo, ATI
In this episode of Ship Repair Radio, host John Polowczyk sits down with Rachel Sciullo, Maritime Welding Tech Program Director at the Advanced Technology Institute (ATI). Bringing 15 years of multifaceted trades experience—spanning commercial underwater diving, crane manufacturing, quality leadership at Steel America, and certified welding inspection—Rachel offers a powerful, deckplate perspective on career mobility and the rising generation of trades talent. The conversation centers on brea...
5 Oct 2026
Ep 16 - "Safety on the Deck Plates" with Larry Ryan, Vigor Marine
In this episode of Ship Repair Radio, host John Polowczyk sits down with Larry Ryan, Operational Risk Manager at Vigor Marine (MHC Norfolk) and Chair of the VSRA OSHA Partnership Subcommittee. Drawing from a nearly 30-year maritime career that began managing shipboard facilities in the U.S. Navy and spans a decade overseeing risk, wharf operations, and hot-work coordination at Vigor, Larry brings a pragmatic waterfront perspective to safety culture. The conversation centers on demystifying re...
28 Sept 2026
Ep 15 - "Operational, Not Aspirational" with Doug Smith, Hampton Roads Alliance
In this episode of Ship Repair Radio, host John Polowczyk sits down with Doug Smith, President and CEO of the Hampton Roads Alliance. Bringing four decades of public and private sector leadership across Hampton Roads (including service as City Manager for Norfolk and Deputy City Manager in Portsmouth and Virginia Beach), Doug shares an insider’s look into the competitive business of regional business recruitment and maritime expansion. The conversation centers on how a public-private coalitio...
21 Sept 2026
Ep 14 - "The Depot Maintenance Dilemma" with Rear Admiral Dan Lannamann, CNRMC
In this episode of Ship Repair Radio, host John Polowczyk sits down with Rear Admiral Dan Lannamann, Commander of the Navy Regional Maintenance Center (CNRMC). The conversation focuses on the operational and administrative realities of ship maintenance, diving squarely into the depot maintenance dilemma of getting the surface fleet in and out of the yards on time. Admiral Lannamann, who serves as the Immediate Superior in Command (ISIC) for seven regional maintenance centers across the globe,...
14 Sept 2026
Ep 13 - "Navigating the Deficit" with Congressman Bobby Scott
In this episode of Ship Repair Radio, host John Polowczyk sits down with Congressman Bobby Scott, who represents Virginia's third congressional district and serves as a long-standing member of the bipartisan Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus. The conversation focuses on the critical role of the ship repair industrial base and the ongoing fight to keep ships homeported in Hampton Roads. Congressman Scott breaks down the strategic and economic advantages of Norfolk's repair yards and why securi...
7 Sept 2026
Ep 12 - "Expanding the Recruitment Map" with Dr. Toni Johnson, Paul D Camp Community College
In this episode of Ship Repair Radio, host John sits down with Dr. Antoinette "Toni" Johnson, Director of Workforce Development at Paul D Camp Community College. The conversation focuses on expanding the recruitment map and activating untapped talent outside the immediate urban centers of Norfolk and Newport News. Dr. Johnson details how Paul D Camp is turning raw talent from rural and suburban communities, like Franklin, Suffolk, and Isle of Wight County, into job ready tradesmen and women t...
31 Aug 2026
Ep 11 - "Stable Workloads and the East Coast Navy" with Congresswoman Jen Kiggans
In this episode of Ship Repair Radio, host John Polowczyk sits down with Congresswoman Jen Kiggans, who represents Virginia's second congressional district and serves on the Armed Services Committee. The conversation focuses on the critical need for a predictable workload and adequate funding to keep the naval fleet ready. Congresswoman Kiggans details her role in taking the operational hurdles of the deck plates straight to Capitol Hill, educating other members of Congress on the immense val...
24 Aug 2026
Ep 10 - "Misunderstandings on Virginia Temp Labor" with Jay Prock, Tidewater Staffing
In this episode of Ship Repair Radio, John Polowczyk sits down with Jay Prock, President of Tidewater Staffing. The conversation dives straight into the realities of the maritime industry's workload peaks and valleys, exploring how temporary staffing serves as a necessary pressure-relief valve for private yards managing unpredictable Navy maintenance schedules. Jay details how Tidewater Staffing, a family-owned and operated business in the Port of Virginia since 1992, operates on a core...
17 Aug 2026
Ep 09 - "Community Colleges on Ship Repair" with Todd Estes, Virginia Peninsula Community College (VPCC)
In this episode of Ship Repair Radio, host John sits down with Todd Estes, Vice President of Workforce Development and Innovation at Virginia Peninsula Community College. As a member of the Community College Workforce Cooperative (CCWC), Todd breaks down exactly where the next generation of our maritime workforce is coming from and how regional institutions are providing a nearly debt-free pipeline straight to the deck plates. The conversation covers the Marine Trades Training program, ...
10 Aug 2026
Ep 08 - "Homeporting Norfolk and Funding the Fleet" with Congressman Rob Wittman
In this episode of Ship Repair Radio, host John Polowczyk sits down with one of Washington's most powerful voices on naval readiness, Congressman Rob Wittman, representing Virginia's first district. As the Vice Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and co-chair of the Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus, Congressman Wittman breaks down the critical importance of the maritime industrial base and why prioritizing ship repair is the true key to sustaining the fleet. The conversation...
3 Aug 2026
Ep 07 - "Pulling Maintenance Left" with Rear Admiral Dianna Wolfson, U.S. Fleet Forces Command
In Episode 07 of Ship Repair Radio, host John sits down with Rear Admiral Diana Wolfson, the Director of Fleet Maintenance for U.S. Fleet Forces Command. With a trailblazing background as the first woman to lead an American naval shipyard—serving as the commander of both the Puget Sound and Norfolk Naval Shipyards—Admiral Wolfson brings an unmatched, hands-on perspective to fleet readiness. The conversation tackles the current hurdles in ship repair, the Navy's foundational shift in how...
27 Jul 2026
Ep 06 - "Data, Technology, and People" with Mark Whitney, Virginia Digital Maritime Center (VDMC)
In Episode 06 of Ship Repair Radio, VSRA President John Polowczyk sits down with Mark Whitney, Executive Director of the Virginia Digital Maritime Center (VDMC). With decades of executive leadership spanning the U.S. Navy, private industry at BAE Systems, and regional workforce development, Mark offers a comprehensive look into why the ship repair industry is struggling to adopt new technology. The conversation explores the urgent need to integrate digital advancements, address systemic proce...
20 Jul 2026
Ep 05 - "The Workload Problem" with Kevin Terry, Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA)
In Episode 05 of Ship Repair Radio, host John sits down with Kevin Terry, Senior Defense Advisor for the Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), to tackle the most pressing challenges facing the ship repair industry today. With 40 years of experience supporting Navy ship material readiness, including his time as General Manager of General Dynamics NASSCO Norfolk and Commanding Officer at the Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Kevin brings unparalleled insight into the realities of fleet readiness.&nb...
13 Jul 2026
Ep 04 - "The Workforce Generation Machine" with Shawn Avery, Hampton Roads Workforce Council (HRWC)
In this episode of Ship Repair Radio, VSRA President John Polowczyk sits down with Shawn Avery, President of the Hampton Roads Workforce Council. They tackle a persistent but outdated narrative: the supposed lack of a maritime workforce in Hampton Roads. Shawn details the massive, coordinated "workforce generation machine" actively supplying talent to both the shipbuilding and ship repair industries across the region. Key Topics Discussed: Busting the Workforce Myth: Hampton Roads is cu...
6 Jul 2026
Ep 03 - "Mindset at Norfolk Naval" with RDML Kavon Hakimzadeh
In this podcast episode of Ship Repair Radio, VSRA President John sits down with Rear Admiral Kayvon Hakimzadeh (commonly known as "Admiral Hak"), Commander of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Bringing his perspective as a former Naval aviator, Admiral Hak discusses his observations after his first year in command, highlighting both the exceptional responsiveness of government flyaway teams and the systemic frictions that often slow down industrial operations. Key Topics Discussed: - Retai...
4 Jul 2026
Ep 02 - "Ship Repair in Your 20's" with Jahlani Williams, ECR
In this episode of Ship Repair Radio, VSRA President John Paul sits down with Jahlani Williams, the 2024 VSRA Junior Tradesperson of the Year and current Sheet Metal Lead at East Coast Repair and Fabrication. Jahlani shares his inspiring journey from navigating unfulfilling jobs after college to discovering a rewarding, long-term career in the maritime industry. Listeners will get an inside look at the daily realities of shipyard life, the profound impact of habitability work on sailors...
4 Jul 2026
Ep 01 - "Workload vs Workforce" with Jordan Webb, Colonna's Shipyard
In the inaugural episode of Ship Repair Radio, the official podcast of the Virginia Ship Repair Association, we tackle one of the most critical debates currently facing the waterfront: workload versus workforce. While the prevailing narrative often centers on a workforce shortage, we flip the script to examine why a volatile, unpredictable, and declining workload is the real issue impacting modern shipyards. Our featured guest is Jordan Webb, President and General Manager of Colonna's Shipyar...
26 Jun 2026
Ep 00 - John Polowczyk
Welcome to Episode 000 of Ship Repair Radio, the official podcast of the Virginia Ship Repair Association! Hosted by VSRA President John Polowczyk, this introductory episode sets the stage for the vital conversations ahead. Make us your go-to station and tune in every Monday morning for a weekly update on everything happening in the ship repair industry. We will be diving deep into the critical issues facing our members, including: Workload and Workforce: Navigating workload decline and addre...
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
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