U.S. Marine Corps veteran and defense scholar Ryan Colvert has been appointed senior director for government relations at BWX Technologies.
In his new position, Colvert will channel his defense knowledge and experience in the political arena to focus on BWXT’s relationships with members of U.S. Congress and the executive branch, the Lynchburg, Virginia-based company said Monday.
Colvert will also be expected to nurture and expand the defense manufacturing and engineering company’s status as the exclusive producer of naval nuclear reactors for U.S. submarines and aircraft. The organization is a trusted source of various intricate nuclear technologies used in defense and space settings.
The new BWXT senior director’s military career includes 16 years of service in the USMC, during which time he was an AV-8B pilot and forward air controller. He was deployed several times in Iraq and Afghanistan, flying over 400 combat ventures and administering hundreds of close air support missions and medical evacuations.
While in the Marines, Colvert earned distinctions such as the Meritorious Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal and the Presidential Unit Citation. He was a ten-time recipient of the Flight/Strike Air Medal.
Prior to joining BWXT, Colvert held the role of senior defense policy advisor to Senator Tim Kaine, who consulted Colvert on Army related issues and national security matters. Kaine was a participant in the Senate Armed Services Committee and Colvert holds a master’s degree in military studies from Marine Corps University.
Colvert’s skill set spans intelligence analysis, military logistics, counterinsurgency and contingency planning.
His addition to the BWXT team follows Jan Bertsch’s hire as chair of the company’s board of directors earlier this month, succeeding the retiring John Fees.