ECA Update: EM selects Nelson-Jean as Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Field Operations

Published: Wed, 08/12/20

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ECA UPDATE

Aug 12, 2020

FEATURED

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

EM Names Nicole Nelson-Jean as Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Field Operations

DOE| 8/11/2020

EM has selected Nicole Nelson-Jean to serve as EM’s associate principal deputy assistant secretary for field operations, effective at the end of this month.

Nelson-Jean comes to EM from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), where she last served as the NNSA manager at the Savannah River Site (SRS).

At SRS, Nelson-Jean led the site-level effort to establish a plutonium pits capability, surplus plutonium disposition activities, and the operations of the nation’s only tritium plant that supports the nuclear stockpile. Prior to SRS, Nelson-Jean served as the NNSA manager at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Over her 28 years in the DOE complex, Nelson-Jean has served as a U.S. diplomat representing the Department in two posts, the U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Vienna, Austria as the Nuclear Attaché and the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo as Energy Attaché. As a leader in the Global Threat Reduction Initiative and International Material Protection Program, Nelson-Jean led multi-million-dollar international programs to protect, remove, and secure high-risk nuclear and radiological materials, including over 50 nuclear storage sites in Russia. Nelson-Jean has received the Distinguished Presidential Rank Award and the Service to America Medal.

For the past two months, Tom Mooney has served as EM’s acting associate principal deputy assistant secretary for field operations while continuing to serve as chief of staff. During that time, Mooney coordinated and oversaw activities in the field, including EM’s continued response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mooney will continue to support EM’s Office of Field Operations by serving in a new position as chief operating officer. In that role, he will assist Nelson-Jean in managing the Office of Field Operations mission. Mooney will also continue to serve as chief of staff until a replacement is named.

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Monitor DOE spending bills, detailed site budgets, and more.

Find everything you need to know about the DOE budget here!

2020 National Cleanup Workshop

Continuing Success and Overcoming Adversity

Register for the virtual conference today!

Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020

All sessions are listed in Eastern Time.

12:00pm - 12:15pm

Opening Remarks

Ron Woody, County Executive, Roane County, TN; Chair, Energy Communities Alliance (ECA)
Michael Lempke, Energy Facility Contractors Group (EFCOG) Chair; President, Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Technical Solutions Division

12:15pm - 12:30pm

Keynote Address: Mission Progress at the End of President Trump’s First Term

Dan Brouillette, U.S. Secretary of Energy (Invited)

12:30pm - 12:45pm

Legislative Challenges and Opportunities for the EM Program

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN)

12:45pm - 1:45pm

Highlighting EM Success from Across the Complex

Moderator: Tom Mooney, Acting Associate Principal Deputy Secretary for Field Operations, DOE-EM

Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF)
Mike Budney, Manager, Savannah River Site Operations Office, DOE-EM
Frank Sheppard, Project Manager, Parsons

Oak Ridge East Tennessee Technology Park: Vision 2020
Jay Mullis, Manager, Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, DOE-EM
Ken Rueter, President, URS | CH2M Oak Ridge (UCOR)

DFLAW Construction
Brian Vance, Manager, Richland Operations Office; Manager, Office of River Protection, DOE-EM
Valerie McCain, Project Manager, Bechtel National

1:45pm - 2:05pm

Ensuring Continued EM Momentum

Moderator: Seth Kirshenberg, Executive Director, ECA
William “Ike” White, Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for Science, DOE-EM

2:05pm - 2:25pm

EM Acquisition Update

Norbert Doyle, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition and Project Management, DOE-EM

2:25pm - 3:30pm

Panel Discussion: EM Hot Topics

Moderator: Martin Schneider, EFCOG
Elizabeth Connell, Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regulatory & Policy Affairs, DOE-EM
Dae Chung, Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Corporate Services, DOE-EM
Greg Meyer, Senior Vice President, Fluor
Mark Whitney, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Amentum
Karen Wiemelt, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Jacobs
Rick McLeod, CEO, Savannah River Site Community Reuse Organization (SRSCRO)

3:30pm - 4:30pm

The Path Forward for EM’s Strategic Vision

Moderator: Mike Nartker, Chief Strategist, DOE-EM
T.L. Cubbage, Deputy Under Secretary for Science, DOE
Todd Shrader, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, DOE-EM
Michael Lempke, EFCOG Chair; President, Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Technical Solutions Division

David Izraelevitz, Councilor, Los Alamos County Council
Brent Gerry, Mayor, City of West Richland, WA; Vice Chair, ECA

4:30pm - 5:00pm

Closing Remarks: Setting the Stage for Future Accomplishments

Moderator: Rebecca Casper, Mayor, City of Idaho Falls, ID
Paul Dabbar, Under Secretary for Science, DOE

A printable agenda is available here.

NATIONAL LABS

ANS Young Members group spotlight on National Labs: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

American Nuclear Society | 8/12/2020

Today from 1:30 to 3:00PM EDT, the ANS Young Members Group invites you to participate in the next installment of the “Spotlight on the National Labs” webinar series, featuring Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

Why spotlight ORNL? Its very beginnings laid the foundation for world-leading science in multiple disciplines. Established in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project, ORNL is now the largest US Department of Energy science and energy laboratory, employing more than 5,200. Every day, ORNL delivers scientific discoveries and technical breakthroughs needed to realize solutions in energy and national security and provide economic benefit to the nation.

Historical inspiration comes from the lab’s Graphite Reactor, the world’s first continuously operated nuclear reactor. ORNL’s nuclear scientists and engineers draw from the lab’s rich history to help them address compelling challenges in nuclear science and technology—from pursuing economical nuclear energy and groundbreaking fusion energy advances to identifying new applications for radioisotopes.

Panelists will offer insights into the unique nuclear science occurring at ORNL, highlighting how the lab is pursuing the Transformational Challenge Reactor, the world’s first additively manufactured nuclear reactor, as well developing leading modeling and simulation tools, moving reactor technologies forward, discovering new elements, and advancing the long-term vision of viable fusion energy.

Panelists

Thomas Zacharia, ORNL Director
Alan Icenhour, Associate Laboratory Director, Nuclear Science and Engineering
Rose Montgomery, Group Leader, Used Fuel Systems
Kurt Terrani, Program Director, Transformational Challenge Reactor
Tara Pandya, Nuclear Engineer
Dianne Ezell, Electrical Engineer
Clarice Phelps, Nuclear Chemist
Elijah Martin, Plasma Physicist
Moderator Sarah Camba Lynn, ANS Young Members Group Secretary

IN OTHER NEWS

ADVANCED NUCLEAR

Recommendations for advanced nuclear technologies as part of the U.S. climate change response (Good Energy Collective, 8/5)

UPCOMING EVENTS

Sept. 16 National Cleanup Workshop; Virtual

ECA PUBLICATIONS

Read about DOE's High Level Waste Interpretation

Have questions about DOE’s recent high-level waste (HLW) interpretation? Download ECA’s Key Points and FAQs on the issue to better understand what ECA believes are the potential benefits of implementation.

ECA's Key Points on DOE HLW Interpretation

ECA's FAQs on DOE HLW Interpretation

Interested in learning more? Read the ECA report “Making Informed Decisions on DOE's Proposed High Level Waste Definition” at www.energyca.org/publications

ECA BULLETIN

Stay Current on Activities in the DOE World

Read the latest edition of the ECA Bulletin, a regular newsletter providing a detailed brief of ECA activities, legislative news, and major events from across the DOE complex. Have suggestions for future editions? Email bulletin@energyca.org.

View current and previous editions of the ECA Bulletin at www.energyca.org/bulletin

DOE SITE PROFILES

Learn More about Cleanup Sites with ECA's DOE Site Profiles

ECA's new site profiles detail DOE's 13 active Environmental Management cleanup sites and national laboratories, highlighting their history, missions, and priorities. The profiles are a key source for media, stakeholders, and the public to learn more about DOE site activities, contractors, advisory boards, and their surrounding local governments.

Access your community's profile by visiting: www.energyca.org/site-profiles

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