The Department of Energy’s semi-autonomous National Nuclear Security Administration this week appointed two new deputy managers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory field office in New Mexico.
Jason Saenz will be the new deputy manager for technical operations and Paula “Erika” Wisdom will be the deputy manager for business, security and missions as a new member of the Senior Executive Service. That is according to a staff email distributed Monday by NNSA’s associate administrator for management and budget, Frank Lowery.
Saenz and Wisdom are familiar faces at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lowery said in the email.
Saenz has over 20 years of nuclear safety and emergency management experience. For the past three years Saenz has served as the assistant manager for nuclear safety, engineering, and readiness at Los Alamos. His previous work experience also includes working for private contractors at Los Alamos.
Saenz takes over from Ivan Trujillo, who has been serving in this position for the past several months, Lowery said.
Wisdom’s most recent post was as deputy assistant manager for nuclear safety, engineering, and readiness where she provided technical expertise and leadership for her team’s oversight of Los Alamos National Laboratory’s high hazard and nuclear operations, Lowery said in the email. Wisdom is a senior technical safety manager and the NNSA-Los Alamos Federal Technical Capabilities Panel Agent. She previously worked at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina and the Pantex Plant in Texas.
Wisdom will succeed Dennis Svatos, who has been serving in this position for the past several months, Lowery said.
Ted Wyka will become the new NNSA field office manager for Los Alamos in June, replacing Michael Weiss, who has been the local federal boss since January 2020. Weiss is leaving to take a position with the DOE’s Office of Science.
