New assistant manager at DOE Oak Ridge Office

Federal officials have selected a new assistant manager for environmental management for the U.S. Department of Energy in Oak Ridge.

Mark Whitney, who has worked in nuclear nonproliferation for the National Nuclear Security Administration, will become an assistant manager at DOE’s Oak Ridge Office effective August 2012.

“Mark is an engaging leader with a broad understanding of DOE-wide programs and policies and has a history of proven success developing and implementing strategies to improve organizational performance,” said David Huizenga, senior EM adviser. “I am pleased Mark has agreed to take on this important role and devote his talents to the nuclear waste cleanup mission in his home state of Tennessee.”

The 34,000-acre Oak Ridge Reservation includes three large campuses, and it is a unique and complex site, the press release said. Each campus performs a diverse set of missions, but all three need environmental cleanup to remove hazards left by research and defense operations during the Manhattan Project and Cold War.

The press release said Whitney has served as the acting principal assistant deputy administrator for defense nuclear nonproliferation at NNSA since July 2011, overseeing the day-to-day operations of a $2.3 billion nuclear security and nonproliferation program. He has been a member of the U.S. Government’s Senior Executive Service since 2005, serving in various positions at DOE headquarters and internationally.

NNSA is a separately organized agency within DOE.

Sue Cange has been the acting Oak Ridge Office assistant manager for EM since Oct. 6, 2011. She will continue in her role as deputy assistant manager, the press release said.

“I look forward to working with Sue Cange and the EM Oak Ridge organization as we continue this important cleanup mission for the community and the nation,” Whitney said.