PASCAGOULA — Huntington Ingalls Industries  announced this week that former Batesville resident Jim McIngvale has been named director of communications and public affairs at the company’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division. Ingalls has combined its communications department and its government and community affairs department into a single organization called communications and public affairs.

He is the son of Wes McIngvale of Batesville and the late Leatrice McIngvale.
“Jim has established a strong reputation of professionalism and efficiency here at Ingalls through his various roles in communications and government/community relations,” said Brian Cuccias, president of Ingalls Shipbuilding. “For the past 39 years he has proven to be a valuable asset to the Ingalls team. His knowledge of the field and experience here will make this a seamless integration of the team.”

McIngvale has been an Ingalls employee since 1977 and has held positions of increasing responsibility, including photographer, senior communications editor, director of public relations and advertising, director of communications and special events, and, for the past several years, director of government and community affairs. He received his bachelor’s degree in political science and journalism from the University of Mississippi in 1976.

McIngvale serves as vice president of the board of directors of the Mississippi World Trade Center. He also serves on the board of governors of the Mississippi Economic Council, and he represents Jackson County on the board of trustees of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.

In October, he will be named chairman of the board of the Mississippi Manufacturers Association.

In 2012, McIngvale was appointed by Gov. Phil Bryant as a commissioner of Go Coast 2020, charged with defining how key priorities and leveraged resources can help overcome challenges faced by the Coast in the aftermath of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. He is co-chair of Go Coast’s Workforce GoTeam.

He is a past chairman of both the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and the Jackson County Economic Development Foundation and is currently vice chair of the Mississippi Military Communities Council.