WASHINGTON, DC - The Department of Energy (DOE) today announced leadership changes at its Brookhaven Area Office and Oak Ridge Operations Office and the creation of a team to look for opportunities to simplify and streamline processes within the Office of Science.
Leah Dever, most recently manager of the Oak Ridge Operations Office, will be detailed to the Office of Science at headquarters to head its Office of Laboratory Operations and Environment, Safety and Health. Ms. Dever will be responsible for providing leadership and a central focal point for all the operations, infrastructure, environment, safety and health and construction management activities of the Office of Science.
“Ms. Dever brings to her new position a unique blend of experience from working at many levels of the department, both in the field and at headquarters,” James Decker, acting director of the Office of Science, said. “Her perspective on the issues facing our laboratory system with respect to infrastructure and environment, safety and health will be invaluable to us.
Ms. Dever has over 25 years of DOE management experience. She began her federal career as an environmental scientist at DOE headquarters where she gave guidance to the department’s operations offices on environmental compliance. Prior to becoming manager of the Oak Ridge Operations Office, she served as manager of the Ohio Field Office.
Replacing Ms. Dever will be Michael Holland, most recently manager of DOE’s Brookhaven Area Office in New York. In his new position as interim manager, Holland will be responsible for Energy Department programs in basic research, national defense, environmental management, and uranium and engineering programs at facilities located in Oak Ridge, Tenn., and in four other states.
While at the Brookhaven Area Office, Holland was responsible for contractor oversight including: operation of DOE’s newest nuclear physics facility, the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider; environmental remediation; shipment of spent nuclear fuel; community outreach programs and large facility commissioning and decommissioning. “Mr. Holland has done a great job at Brookhaven,” Decker said. “His experience managing large, complex and high-profile projects involving considerable public interest will serve him well in his new position.”
Mr. Holland has 25 years experience in the operations of large facilities including 12 years related to DOE nuclear facilities operation, construction, environmental remediation and facility decommissioning projects. Another 17 years were spent in the commercial power industry including 15 years in the construction, operation and decommissioning of the Shoreham Nuclear Power Station. Mr. Holland was licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as a Senior Reactor Operator.
Frank Crescenzo, deputy manager of the Brookhaven Area Office will serve as acting manager at the Brookhaven office. Crescenzo has 22 years of federal service in various technical and management positions. He joined the department’s Brookhaven Area Office in 1990. He was promoted to deputy area manager in 1992 and has acted as area manager for a period totaling nearly three years. He has also contributed greatly to several DOE initiatives to improve safety management, contract management and community relations throughout the department’s complex. He played an important role in the selection and transition of the new contractor at the Brookhaven Lab. Prior to joining the department, Mr. Crescenzo worked as a senior inspector with the NRC.
Ed Cumesty, deputy manager of the Oak Ridge Operations office, will also take on new responsibilities. Cumesty will lead a team to look at opportunities to re-engineer processes within the Office of Science to:reflect a more standards-based management approach; adopt, where possible, best business practices; clarify and streamline roles and responsibilities; and lower the cost of providing Office of Science services. He will be detailed to headquarters to lead this effort. Prior to taking the position of deputy manager at Oak Ridge, Mr. Cumesty served as the Operations Office’s assistant manager for laboratories, project director and deputy project director for the Superconducting Super Collider, and deputy manager of the Chicago Operations Office.
These changes will be effective April 1.
Media Contact: Jeff Sherwood, 202/586-5806
