In honor of National Military Appreciation Month, Hispanic Engineer Online brings you an influential Latina who is helping to support the servicemen and women of the United States Navy and change the demographics of the Navy Civilian.
Navy Civilian Careers encourage the best and brightest candidates to pursue civilian careers within the Department of the Navy.
The team includes representatives from five commands: Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), Space & Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR), Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), and Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP).
Claudia Garcia was a 4.5 Avionics Engineering Department Head when she was named one of the most influential women in technology by Hispanic Engineer magazine in 2012.
Claudia’s career with Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) started in 1990 when she was hired as a summer intern while in her senior year at San Diego State University.
When she graduated in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Claudia was taken onboard fulltime at the command.
She went on to hold a number of career progressive jobs, including test program set project engineer leader, in 1995, and then branch head for the Test Programs Set Development Branch in 1997.
A year later she was selected as a fleet support technical lead, managing a team of engineers, technicians, logisticians, and configuration management specialists.
In 2001, Claudia crossed over to the Avionics Department as a flight information systems manager.
Three years later she was named Avionics Architecture and Systems Engineering Division manager, where she was responsible for fighter aircraft used by the U.S. Navy, Marines, and various foreign military.
In 2007, she was promoted to senior manager, Avionics Engineering Department.
Since 2005, she has worked on expanding the NAVAIR Command’s science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) educational outreach to students across San Diego. She works with nine educational partnerships in elementary, middle and high schools.
As director of North Island’s NAVAIR’s Science Enrichment Program and a member of the Hispanic Engagement Action team STEM advisory group, Claudia provides science workshops to elementary students and participates in various science and technology fairs, FIRST Robotics, shadow and career days.
She also hires high school and college students for engineering summer internships across the Department of the Navy, ensuring the Navy Civilian Careers goal to encourage the best and brightest candidates to pursue civilian careers within the Department of the Navy.
Claudia is also active with organizations such as the Society of Mexican American Engineers (MAES), SHPE, and MESA.
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