Executive Director

Mr. Christopher Tarsa

Executive Director, Naval Safety Center

Mr. Christopher “Chris” Tarsa currently serves as the Executive Director of the Naval Safety Center. He is a native of Adams, Massachusetts and a 1995 graduate of the United States Naval Academy where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Systems Engineering.

Mr. Tarsa served 24 years in the Submarine Force on several submarines including MINNEAPOLIS-SAINT PAUL (SSN 708), USS PROVIDENCE (SSN-719), USS ALBANY (SSN 753), USS TENNESSEE (SSBN 734), and USS NEWPORT NEWS (SSN 750).

Mr. Tarsa’s active duty shore assignments included instructor duty at NNPTU Ballston Spa; junior board member of the Nuclear Propulsion Examination Board Atlantic; Deputy Director for Strategic Weapons, Nuclear Policy and Force Protection; and as the Transformation Director at the Naval Safety Center, where he retired in 2019.

While stationed at the Naval Safety Center, Mr. Tarsa led efforts to transform the Safety Center into a modern data analytics organization. These efforts included realignment and expansion of the current staff, fundamentally changing the Safety Center’s approach to data analytics, and hiring of contracted support to pursue data driven models to identify leading indicators of risk.

Over his military career, Mr. Tarsa was awarded the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Navy Commendation Medal (four awards), Navy Achievement Medal (three awards), and various other medals and ribbons.