David Huizenga is returning to the National Nuclear Security Administration today after having headed the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management for approximately three years. Huizenga was tapped to lead DOE’s cleanup efforts after the last Senate-confirmed Assistant Energy Secretary for Environmental Management, Ines Triay, stepped down in early July 2011. Huizenga served as acting Assistant EM Secretary until February 2012, at which point his title was changed to “Senior Advisor for Environmental Management.” This spring, Huizenga went back to serving as acting Assistant EM Secretary after the White House nominated Monica Regalbuto for the position. “As head of EM, Dave successfully led the program through complex technical, regulatory, and fiscal challenges. From day one, Dave made working with stakeholders a priority, which was a key to EM’s continued success over the past three years,” Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz and Deputy Secretary Dan Poneman said in a message to employees yesterday.
At NNSA, Huizenga will serve as Principal Assistant Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation. He’ll still be involved with some of DOE’s cleanup activities, however. “To provide continuity, I have asked that Dave, in his new role, lead discussions with the State of Washington on the path forward for the tank waste mission at Hanford and serve on the Secretary’s Working Group with the State of Nevada,” the message from Moniz and Poneman says.
As previously announced, Mark Whitney will now serve as acting Assistant EM Secretary while Regalbuto goes through the Senate confirmation process. Whitney was named as EM’s number two official, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, in mid-May. “He is a proven leader with an exceptional ability to develop high-performing organizations and teams. Mark has experience leading field operations and a deep understanding of headquarters operations, and we look forward to working closely with him in this capacity,” Moniz and Poneman said.
