NSWCPD Technical Director Helps Bridge the Gap for Future Navy Civilian Leaders

For Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD) Technical Director Nigel C. Thijs, SES, the Department of the Navy’s Bridging the Gap Leadership Development Program is more than a professional development opportunity; it is a foundational part of his leadership story.

Before Thijs was appointed to the Senior Executive Service and became NSWCPD’s senior civilian leader, he was a Bridging the Gap alumnus, learning what it meant to move from senior management into enterprise-level leadership. Years later, he is returning that investment by helping the next generation of Navy civilian leaders see senior executive leadership up close.

Thijs, a graduate of Bridging the Gap Cohort 6 in 2018–2019, expressed that the program provided his first major opportunity to step completely outside his day-to-day operational lane and observe leadership at the highest echelons of the Department of the Navy.Among those he shadowed were Jeannette Evans-Morgis, then Deputy to the Commander for Systems Engineering and Acquisition Logistics at Marine Corps Systems Command, and David R. Menzen, then Director, Total Force Manpower, Training, and Education Requirements Division, (OPNAV N12). The experiences gave Thijs insight into acquisition, logistics, and how senior-level work is shaped and coordinated at the Pentagon.

“I intentionally shadowed a variety of executives across the Navy and Marine Corps enterprise to purposely expose myself to competencies and experiences different than my own,” Thijs said. “That experience helped me understand that senior executives in the Navy enterprise must be agile, ready to pivot, and able to lead teams toward a common goal.”

Thijs recently hosted Kenric W. “Rick” Johnson, Deputy Senior Competency Manager for Production Innovation and Materiel Readiness Engineering at Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic, and Karen Abernathy, Assistant Program Manager for Logistics, Department of the Navy Special IT Services, Program Executive Office for Digital and Enterprise Services, for individual shadowing visits through the Bridging the Gap program. For both participants, the decision to shadow Thijs began before they arrived at NSWCPD.

Johnson said the opportunity arose from an SES panel session in which Thijs made an immediate impression. “Mr. Thijs was incredibly engaging and offered relatable, grounded feedback. When he opened the door to shadowing opportunities, I knew I had to jump at the chance,” Johnson said. “Having previously been a Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) employee at Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren, I had a deep professional curiosity about how NSWCPD compared, both in mission and workplace culture.”

Abernathy was similarly drawn to Thijs’ insights after hearing him speak on a panel.

“I liked his perspectives and how he interacted with his peers on that panel,” Abernathy said. “He seemed eager and willing to provide development opportunities.”

Administered by the Department of the Navy Executive Management Program Office (EMPO), the Bridging the Gap Leadership Development Program is designed to strengthen technical competencies, leadership skills, and strategic thinking through structured learning, professional development, and direct exposure to senior leaders throughout the Navy enterprise. For participants, this exposure offers a firsthand look at how senior executives balance mission, people, resources, and long-term readiness.

Thijs wanted Johnson and Abernathy to see different dimensions of senior executive service.

“Management and leadership skills complement each other, yet they are distinct,” Thijs said. “Part of the experience is learning the breadth of leading in a technical role and of managing multiple command-level priorities.”

At NSWCPD, Thijs leads an organization of more than 2,700 Navy civilians who deliver research, development, test and evaluation, acquisition support, system integration, in-service engineering, and fleet support for surface and undersea vehicle machinery and ship systems. He also oversees more than 100 laboratories and test facilities while maintaining the command’s business and technical capabilities.

That scope made the shadowing visits especially valuable for Johnson and Abernathy, both of whom said the experience broadened their view of senior civilian leadership.

Johnson said the visit gave him a deeper appreciation for how senior executive leadership operates within a highly structured environment.

“What surprised me most was the judgment and agility required at that level,” Johnson said. “Leadership at the top is not always about holding a steady course under predictable conditions. Sometimes the seas change, and senior leaders have to make responsible course corrections while keeping the command focused on the mission.”

Abernathy was struck by the vast scope and complexity of the Technical Director role, as well as the deliberate way Thijs engaged across the organization.

“I was surprised at how far-reaching that role was in depth and breadth,” Abernathy said. “Even in his meetings, I saw the deliberateness of leading the organization at all levels.”

“I intentionally design shadowing visits so participants can observe both strategic and tactical leadership,” Thijs said. “That includes seeing how senior executives move between command-level priorities, workforce discussions, technical issues, and enterprise decisions.”

The visits also reflected one of the central strengths of Bridging the Gap: helping future leaders see beyond their own command, specialty, or program area.

For Johnson, one of the clearest lessons was empowerment. He said watching Thijs lead under pressure gave practical meaning to the idea of trusting a team.

“I saw a leader who could deeply motivate their staff by painting a crystal-clear picture of the destination without ever dictating the route,” Johnson said. “They provided the ‘why’ and the ‘what,’ and gave the team complete ownership of the ‘how.’”

One of the lessons Abernathy took from the visit was to “lead where you are.”

“What can I do right here, right now?” Abernathy said. “That philosophy made me more deliberate about what is around me and what I can influence at my current level.”

For Thijs, that shift from functional leadership to enterprise leadership is one of the key values of Bridging the Gap. The program gives participants an opportunity to step outside their day-to-day roles, learn more about the Navy enterprise, build long-term professional relationships, and better understand whether executive leadership is the right path for them.

The visit changed how Johnson thinks about Navy enterprise training. Rather than viewing training as only a set of administrative or instructional requirements, the experience showed him how leadership development connects people, ideas, and mission execution across the Navy.

“Training is the connective tissue of our entire organization,” Johnson said. “It isn’t just about transferring technical skills; it’s about building a cohesive, adaptable network.”

The shadowing experience helped Abernathy see how professional development can expand a leader’s perspective beyond a single command or program area. By spending time in another command’s environment, she said she gained a broader appreciation for the relationships that programs like Bridging the Gap help build across the Navy enterprise.

Ultimately, Thijs sees participating in programs like Bridging the Gap as a way for current executives to pay their experience forward and secure the organization's future.

“We need to have a robust bench of qualified candidates for succession,” Thijs said. “It is important to expose people to what senior leadership positions are like and to build Navy enterprise awareness and understanding.”

Thijs has hosted five Bridging the Gap shadows during the past three years, in addition to volunteering to speak on panels and participate on mock SES interview panels. Hosting Johnson and Abernathy was an opportunity to continue the leadership cycle: learn from those ahead of you, lead where you are, and create space for others to see what may be possible next.

NSWCPD employs about 2,700 civilian engineers, scientists, technicians, and support staff. The team focuses on research and development, testing and evaluation, acquisition support, and in-service and logistics engineering for non-nuclear machinery, ship machinery systems, and related equipment and materials for Navy surface ships and submarines. NSWCPD also serves as the main organization responsible for providing cybersecurity for all ship systems.