PSNS, IMF tab new top civvie

A big change was recently announced at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility.

Capt. Clarke Orzalli, commander of PSNS and IMF, announced the selection of Richard L. Tift as the next executive director.

“He was selected from a very competitive field of candidates and is well-suited to help lead us into the future,” said Orzalli, in his announcement.

Tift will take over the position on Sept. 1, which also is the day current executive director, Steve Anderson, is retiring.

Tift began work at PSNS in February 1978. He was selected to be the head nuclear material manager in 1989 and assumed additional duties in 1996 as the shipyard’s contracting officer. His duties included being the shipyard’s competition advocate, as well as warranting all shipyard purchase card buyers. Tift has been a member of the Bremerton and Olympic Peninsula Navy League for a number of years.

Tift has lived in Bremerton since 1962 and graduated from Central Kitsap High School in 1972. In 1974 he graduated from Olympic College with an associate’s degree in science and went on to graduate from the University of Washington in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Tift earned his master’s of business administration degree in 1987 from the University of Puget Sound. He also is a graduate of the Leadership Kitsap Class of 2000 and currently serves as secretary/treasurer of the Leadership Kitsap Foundation.

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