Dean Smith
Capt. Jesse Black, Commanding Officer of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), will be a Panelist at the 10th Annual Defense R&D Summit.
Read on and get to know more about Capt. Jesse Black’s leadership and significant milestones.
Meet Captain Jesse Black
Equipped with over 30 years of experience in the U.S. Navy, Captain Jesse H. Black currently serves as the Commanding Officer of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. He was the Executive Officer of NRL before officially receiving his current position in July 2023.
Originally from South Florida, Capt. Black became an electronics technician in the Navy in 1990. Since then, he has served several government defense entities and has accomplished essential missions and assignments.
Capt. Black earned a BS in civil engineering from the University of Idaho in 2000. He focuses on environmental engineering and hydrodynamic power design. By 2007, he had published his thesis on solid-state power systems and obtained an MS in Electrical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School.
This 2024, Jesse will engage with the 10th Annual Defense R&D Summit, an event coordinated by the Potomac Officers Club. The discussion will cover the latest U.S. defense and military technological developments.
Here’s a complete list of industry leaders who will be the panelists for the 10th Annual Defense R&D Summit:
- Capt. Jesse Black
- Dr. Patrick Baker
- Donald Kelley
- Michael Loomis
- Dr. Randy Yamada
- Brig Gen Scott Cain
- Dr. Richard Vaia
- Lt. Col. Benjamin Pimentel
- William Bailey
- Juan Ramirez
Catch Capt. Jesse Black as he joins other panelists at the 10th Annual Defense R&D Summit on January 31, 2024. You may register here to reserve your seats. We hope to see you there!
Career Chronology
- 1990-Present: Captain at U.S. Navy
- 1992-1995: Electronics Technician Nuclear Reactor Operator at USS Bainbridge (CGN 25)
- 2000-2004: Surface Warfare Officer at USS Cape St George (CG 71)
- 2007-2009: Shipyard Docking Officer (CVN 69 PIA) at Norfolk Naval Shipyard
- 2011-2014: USS Topeka SSN, 754 Deputy Project Superintendent at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
- 2014-2016: USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) Program Office Assistant Program Manager (PMS 500) at Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships
- 2016-2017: Federal Senior Sustainability Officer for Energy at The White House
- 2017-2019: Deputy Division Director, Technical Warrant Holder and Program Manager, Digital Transformational Officer, and Deputy Director of Marine Engineering at Naval Sea System Command (NAVSEA)
- 2019-2021: Special Project Officer and Principal Assistant Program Manager at Program Executive Officer (PEO) Carriers
- 2021: Executive Officer at U.S. NRL
- 2023-Present: Commanding Officer at U.S. NRL
Jesse Black: Leadership Journey Highlights
Capt. Jesse Black began his journey with the government as early as 1990, enlisted as an electronics technician for the U.S. Navy. One of his first assignments was the USS Bainbridge (CGN 25) from 1992 to 1995.
In 2000, he became the Surface Warfare Officer at USS Cape St George (CG 71). Over his nearly four years as an officer, Capt. Black held several engineering positions onboard the USS Cape St. George (CG 71).
The roles include that of an electrical officer, main propulsion assistant, and assistant chief engineer. He soon became a SWO and was promoted to combat information center officer after two years.
The Captain was selected to be transferred to the engineering duty officer (EDO) community, returning him to his engineering background. As an EDO, he has worked as a staff member in engineering, maintenance, and program executive offices.
In 2016, he served as the Federal Senior Sustainability Officer for Energy at The White House. He was appointed in the position for two different presidential administrations.
In 2021, Jesse entered the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory as an executive officer. In 2023, Capt. Black became the Commanding Officer of NRL, the position he holds until now.
