Shewairy named to top administrative position at DOE’s Oak Ridge Office

John C. Shewairy has been named assistant manager for administration for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office.

In this position, Shewairy is responsible for advising the ORO manager in the determination, approval, and execution of the policies, plans, and programs governing ORO administrative functions, a press release said. He serves as the principal administrative and operating official of the organization, managing a staff of about 50 employees for ORO’s administrative programs including federal and contractor human resources, public affairs, and facilities information and reservation management. He also maintains liaison and working relationships with other federal agencies and state and local governments.

Through this position, Shewairy enters the Senior Executive Service, a corps of executives in the federal government selected for their leadership qualifications.

“John is the right person for this job,” said ORO Manager Larry Kelly. “He has proven himself to be a thoughtful and strategic professional and a valuable member of our management team since his arrival here. I am confident he will continue to improve the critical business functions that he and his organization are responsible for managing.”

Shewairy has served in an acting capacity as the ORO administration manager as well as the DOE senior spokesperson. He began his DOE career in 2005, when he was named director of public affairs for the ORO.

Prior to coming to the DOE, he worked at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where he served in various capacities for two of the department’s immigration component agencies. In his last assignment with DHS, from January 2004 until April 2005, he served as chief of staff for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Miami. In that capacity, Shewairy was the senior advisor to the agency’s district director, providing guidance and recommendations on a wide range of policy, procedural, and operational matters. In addition, Shewairy was responsible for the district’s public relations operations, which included extensive interaction with national and international media organizations.

From January through November 2003, in Washington, D.C., Shewairy served as deputy communications director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the investigative arm of DHS and the second-largest federal law enforcement agency in the U.S. He was responsible for managing the transition of more than 80 public information officers from the former INS and former U.S. Customs Service into ICE, and for developing ICE’s media relations program and overall communications strategy.

Shewairy began his career with the federal government in 1993, serving in Miami as an intelligence analyst with the former U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. From 1997 to early 2000, he was assigned to the INS Office of Intelligence headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he worked as a senior intelligence analyst. From March 2000 to January 2003, he occupied the position of chief of staff for the INS in Florida.

A native of Olean, N.Y., Shewairy received a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Florida International University in Miami. Prior to completing his college studies, he served in the military for more than 12 years as a special agent of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations specializing in counterintelligence and counter-drug operations. His military service includes approximately eight years of duty in overseas locations, such as the Republic of the Philippines, Central America, and the Caribbean.