Christopher (Chris) Ledlow

Executive Director, Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet

23 September 2024 Mr. Chris Ledlow assumed the duties of the Executive Director for Commander, Naval Surface Forces, and Commander Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet in August 2024. Mr. Ledlow directly supports the Commander, Naval Surface Forces who is responsible for surface ships and Sailors throughout the U.S. Navy.

A native of Panama City Beach, Fla., he enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a Machinist Mate in 1984, rising to the rank of Senior Chief before commissioning as an Engineering Limited Duty Officer (LDO). While enlisted, he served aboard USS Puget Sound (AD 38), USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) and USS Austin (LPD 4). As an LDO, he served aboard USS Peterson (DD 969) as Main Propulsion Assistant, USS Nitze (DDG 94) as Main Propulsion Assistant and Combat Systems Officer (CSO), and USS Kauffman (FFG 59) as Chief Engineer.

After retiring from active duty in 2010, Mr. Ledlow joined McKean Defense as a program manager for the Surface Maintenance Engineering Planning Program (SURFMEPP) in Portsmouth, Va. In 2011, he entered Federal service as the SURFMEPP Platform Division Supervisor and Engineering Department Head. In 2019, he joined Commander, Naval Surface Force U.S. Pacific Fleet as the Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Maintenance and Engineering overseeing the maintenance of 92 ships and a two-billion-dollar annual budget. In October 2022, he assumed the role of Executive Director at Forward Deployed Regional Maintenance Facility in Naples, Italy overseeing emergent, intermediate and depot-level maintenance and modernization for transient and Forward Deployed Naval Forces in U.S. Fifth and Sixth Fleets through fleet technical assistance, voyage repair, contract management oversight, assessments, and diving and salvage.

Mr. Ledlow holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Studies and a Master of Science in Management in Organizational Leadership and Development with a second concentration in Management Information Systems.

Mr. Ledlow has received multiple Meritorious Civilian Service Medals and various other awards during his civil service career. He has a son who currently serves as a structural engineer in Naval Sea System Command’s Ford-class Carrier Program.