Captain April F. Heinze, Civil Engineer Corps, USN (Ret.)

Captain April F. Heinze graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1982 and was commissioned an Ensign in the Civil Engineer Corps through the NROTC scholarship program.

Following initial training, she was assigned as Assistant Resident Officer in Charge of Construction, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard from 1982-84. She then transferred to Naval Station, Mare Island where she served as the Public Works Officer, from 1984-86. She served as Activity Civil Engineer and Special Projects Program Officer, for the Navy Public Works Center, San Francisco Bay, from 1987-89.

During 1989-1991, she was assigned with the Seabees of Amphibious Construction Battalion ONE as a Company Commander and in August 1990, she deployed to Al Jubayl, Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Shield, participating in the first operational offload of nine Maritime Preposition Ships.

Immediately following the volcanic eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, she was assigned as Staff Civil Engineer, Naval Ship Repair Facility, Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines, responsible for damage assessment, disaster recovery and final closure of the command from 1991-92. She returned to the United States as Resident Officer in Charge of Construction, San Diego, South Bay Area from 1992-94. From 1994-96 she served as Director, Caretaker Division, BRAC Program Office, Southwest Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command.

From 1996-98 Captain Heinze was assigned to CINCLANTFLT, Installation Support, as the Air Station Advocate and Project Leader for the Installation Claimant Consolidation initiative responsible for coordinating the transfer of additional bases and resources to CINCLANTFLT. In 1998, Captain Heinze returned to Southwest Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command as the Camp Pendleton Operations Officer responsible for engineering, environmental, utilities, real estate and construction services provided to MCB Camp Pendleton and the Mountain Warfare Training Center.

From May 2000 to September 2002 Captain Heinze served in the Pentagon on the Secretary of Defense staff as the Military Assistant to the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Environmental Security) and as the Military Assistant to the Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics). She served on the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Headquarters staff from September 2002 to June 2003 as the Director of Strategic Sourcing and Director of Facility Support Services responsible for improvements in performance-based contracting and standardizing processes in base operations support.

From June 2003 to October 2005 Captain Heinze served as Executive Officer for the Navy Public Works Center, San Diego, responsible for managing 1600 military and civilian employees in the execution of $400 million of facilities support services annually.

During her career she completed advanced education including a Master of Science degree in Engineering from the University of Washington in 1987, Naval War College (off campus program) in 1989, and the Advanced Executive Program at Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University in May 2003.

She is a qualified Seabee Combat Warfare Specialist, a Navy Acquisition Professional in contracting, and a licensed Mechanical Engineer in California.

Captain Heinze's awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, three Meritorious Service Medals, three Navy Commendation Medals and the Navy Achievement Medal.

Captain Heinze retired from active duty in December 2005. She is currently the Director of the Department of General Services for the County of San Diego, CA.