Capt. Joel Uzarski

Captain Joel Uzarski is a Surface Warfare Officer Acquisition Professional (SWO AP) hailing from Ada, Michigan, and is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy. He is serving as the Director of NavalX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps where his expertise and leadership have contributed significantly to advancing naval innovation.

Prior to assuming his role as the Director of NavalX, Uzarski served as the major program manager (MPM) for all Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Weapon Systems at the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). His impressive career includes time spent on various naval vessels as well as in multiple acquisition roles within the Department of Defense and Navy primarily focusing on combat systems software and weapons acquisition.

At sea, Uzarski’s pinnacle role as a Surface Warfare Officer was being the Commanding Officer and Executive Officer of USS Gridley (DDG 101), in Everett, Washington. His previous sea duty included time on USS Fletcher (DD 992), USS McFaul (DDG 74) and USS Lake Erie (CG 70). In 2010, he earned the CNSP Surface Forces Junior Officer Award for Excellence in Tactics. He deployed multiple times participating in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, as well as was serving as the flag ship Commanding Officer while conducting a standing NATO Maritime Group ONE (SNMG 1) deployment in the North, Eastern and Western Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea while stationed on USS Gridley.

Additionally, Uzarski’s shore tours included MPM for Aegis Ashore at MDA; Fleet Readiness Officer in Program Executive Officer (PEO) Integrated Warfare Systems (IWS) 8.0 supporting all Combat Systems Integration on Littoral Combat Ships, Constellation Class Frigate and Large Unmanned Surface Vessels; Test and Evaluation Officer for PMS 420 Littoral Combat Ship Mission Modules as part of Program Executive Office Littoral Combat Ships; and as Executive Officer to the Deputy Director, Chief of Staff for Standard Missile-3 Block IIB missile Program Director, and Chief of the Navy Cell, in Office of the Director for Warfighter Strategic Integration (DDW), all while at the MDA headquarters in Ft. Belvoir.

Uzarski has a Master of Science Degree in Computer Science from the Naval Post Graduate School, and he is joint officer qualified earning both Phase One and Phase Two Joint Professional Military Education (JPME Ph I/II) certifications. He has achieved Advanced Tier Program Management certification via Defense Acquisition University, he is a member of the Acquisition Professional Management, and he is a member of the Surface Warfare Officer Acquisition Cadre. In addition, he has completed his Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification.