The Department of Energy’s cleanup office boss at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico has been selected to lead the National Nuclear Security Administration’s field operations at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, a DOE executive said this week.
Michael Mikolanis, who has led DOE’s cleanup office at Los Alamos since July 2021, will return to Savannah River where oversaw nuclear material stabilization four years before moving to New Mexico, Jeff Avery, the No. 2 headquarters official at the DOE Office of Environmental Management said in a staff email. The email, dated Thursday, was viewed by Exchange Monitor.
“I want to thank Michael for his exemplary leadership, openness, and thoughtful technical decision making as the Manager at [Los Alamos Environmental Management] over the past two years,” Avery said. The announcement did not say when Mikolanis will assume the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) field office post.
An NNSA spokesperson confirmed in a Friday morning email that Mikolanis will be the next field manager at Savannah River, which is expected within the next three months, which would be months before NNSA takes over as landlord of the Savannah River Site from Environmental Management. NNSA will take the reins in fiscal 2025, which starts Oct. 1, 2025, as Savannah River readies itself for plutonium pit production.
Mikolanis is a U.S. Navy veteran and engineer who has worked with DOE in various posts since 1995, according to his LinkedIn profile. Prior to joining DOE, he worked for a time with Bechtel.
“Please join me in congratulating Michael on his new position with NNSA and thanking him for his service,” Avery said. “We will keep you apprised of Michael’s transition as we continue to work with NNSA on the details and provide updates on filling this key leadership position” at the Environmental Management office for Los Alamos.
Mary Helen Hitson is the acting field office manager for NNSA and will remain in that role until Mikolanis steps in, the NNSA spokesperson said. Long-time fed Jeff Allison is currently deputy manager of the NNSA field office at Savannah River, where he has helped lead the transition to NNSA management.
