NNSA STILL MUM ON BRUCE HELD APPOINTMENT AS ‘INTERIM’ ADMINISTRATOR

On Friday, acting National Nuclear Security Administration chief Neile Miller will leave the agency as expected, but with Miller’s departure only days away, the Obama Administration has remained mum on who will helm in the agency in her absence. NW&M Monitor has previously reported that former DOE Intelligence and Counterintelligence Director Bruce Held, who was brought in as an advisor to Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz earlier this month, will take over as the “interim” director of the agency when Miller steps down. While there are no signs that the Administration’s plans havae changed, there has also been no formal word. The only formal communication about the position came from Miller, who said in May that weapons program chief Don Cook would serve as the acting head of the agency. Those plans, however, have been scuttled, and Miller actually stuck around an extra two weeks to provide more time for Held’s appointment to be approved by the White House. NNSA spokesman Josh McConaha declined to comment on the matter yesterday.