Vice Admiral Sullivan served the Navy and his country with great distinction for over 34 years of commissioned service. After initial sea duty he transitioned to the Engineering Duty Officer community serving all types of ships at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Following a tour on USS James Madison (SSBN 627) he was assigned to the Naval Sea Systems Command as Deputy Ship Design Manager of SEAWOLF attack submarines. After an instructor duty tour at MIT, he was assigned as the OHIO class and 688 Class Submarine Project Officer at SUPSHIPS Groton where he delivered Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Alexandria. After that tour he again was assigned to the SEAWOLF program as Program Manager where he delivered the first-of-class SEAWOLF. After the delivery he was assigned as Program Manager of the VIRGINIA Attack Submarine Program supervising its design and construction. After being selected to Rear Admiral, he became NAVSEA’s Chief Engineer as Deputy Commander, becoming the Commander three years later. As Commander, he directed all contracting, design, construction, testing, certification, delivery, and life-cycle maintenance of the Navy’s ships and their integrated combat/weapon systems. After retirement in 2008 he joined USEC, a global energy corporation. In 2014 he became the Executive Director of the Applied Research Laboratory at the Pennsylvania State University. He currently serves as the primary consultant and senior advisor on the AUKUS submarine development program.

It is most appropriate that his dedicated service is recognized by the Naval Submarine League as a Distinguished Submariner for 2023.