Bechtel National officially announced yesterday that Peggy McCullough, as expected, will be taking over as the new Project Director for the Hanford Waste Treatment Plant, effective July 15. She replaces Frank Russo, who has led Bechtel’s efforts at the WTP since November 2009 and will be leaving to take “take on a new assignment in the UK to provide senior-level leadership as we ramp up our work and business development efforts there,” according to a message from Bechtel Systems and Infrastructure President Craig Albert. McCullough, who WC Monitor reported earlier this month was likely to replace Russo, will be coming to Hanford from the Daunia Coking Coal Project in Australia, where she served as project director. Among her previous positions, McCullough served as deputy general manager of Bechtel SAIC, the former M&O contractor for the Yucca Mountain geological waste repository project. “I am confident that Peggy’s experience and outstanding leadership on complex projects, her commitment to safety in both the design process and field work, her technical expertise, and her dedication to execution excellence will be invaluable assets as she leads WTP forward,” Albert said in his message.
In a message to WTP employees, Russo said the project is gearing up to “embark on a series of strategic decisions,” making now the right time for a leadership change. “We have forged a strong WTP/ORP team to tackle the remaining challenges at WTP. Continuity of leadership during the development of the strategies and through their implementation is essential to establish sustainable ownership and accountability. Therefore, this is an appropriate time to transition the leadership of the WTP to a new project director,” Russo said.
