Contributed by thief:
Since this strikes me as a wagering crowd...or at least one favorably disposed to making wildly exaggerated statements about matters where there is little legitimate information....are we making bets about who the new director will be?
46 comments:
It really depends how much LLNS wants to more LLNL from being seen as just a nuclear weapons lab and to more of a national security/science lab...
1. Bruce Goodwin (if he isn’t given the LANL Director job, which is where the future of nuclear weapons will be and where his interests/skills are a better match... not sure how he and Ed Mosses get along, and Ed ain't going anywhere)
2. Tomas Diaz De La Rubia (LLNL Dep Dir Science & Technology... only other senior LLNL type that could do the job other than Ed Mosses - who won't take a "step down" from NIF Director to head Lab)
3. Steven Koonin (DOE Under Sec for Science... before DOE he was on the UC board overseeing LLNL and knows a lot about the Lab and weapons program... was a JASON too)
4. Steve Younger (President of NSTec, Nevada Test Site operator... lead the NSTec team that bidded against LLNS for the LLNL contract and was the designated LLNL Director if NSTec had won the bid, not sure if the LLNS selection committee will hold this against him, and not sure UC would approve the choice of a former rival)
Dr. Regina Dugan, current Director of DOD's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
What does NNSA want? Should a Director's annual assessment letter be the personal testimonial of a life-long weaponeer, or an executive's assurance that all appropriate assets of the institution have been engaged in reaching a collective assertion?
If the former, bet Goodwin or Verdon. If the latter, the field could get provocatively broader.
I'd bet it would be Goodwin. But then it's like changing captains on the Titanic after it strikes the iceberg.
I fervently hope the new LANL director is Younger. There have been three LANL directors since we had one who understood the Lab. Finally we'd get to stop hearing "At Livermore..." ad nauseum. I only fear that Younger may not want to lead a laboratory he no longer recognizes.
I fervently hope the new LANL director is Younger. There have been three LANL directors since we had one who understood the Lab. Finally we'd get to stop hearing "At Livermore..." ad nauseum. I only fear that Younger may not want to lead a laboratory he no longer recognizes.
May 22, 2011 11:10 AM
I completely agree. Not only will Younger bring some "real leadership" to LANL but he's the only one who has the "stones" to run off Knapp and MacMillan the same way they ran me off. In their arrogance, the one thing that MacMillan and Knapp forgot to recognize is that no one survives leading the U.S. nuclear weapon program. No one! No one has and no one ever will survive this ruthless and vicious program!
UC has had a recent history of picking an "insider" for running LLNL and an "outsider" for LANL. Unfortunately I expect UC to continue this trend.
It does not matter who will be the next director at either Lab. Lief at the Labs will continue to be the same and the next director will be marching to the the same beat. NNSA will call the shots, the LLCs will reach their goals for earning their fee and employees will continue getting either no raise of sub 1% raises!
"UC has had a recent history of picking an "insider" for running LLNL and an "outsider" for LANL."
If what you say is true, then McMillian has a lock on LLNL. He can NOT be in a meeting without saying "at Livermore". The best hope LANL had was for an outsider, but Younger is NO outsider.
The best hope LANL had was for an outsider, but Younger is NO outsider.
May 22, 2011 6:46 PM
Not sure of your meaning, but Younger is both a LLNL and a LANL insider. He ran the weapons program at LANL, and while he made some enemies with his direct and demanding style, he also had many admirers, and a lot of loyalty from his employees. LANL has tried three "outsiders" (Nanos, Kuckuck, and Anastasio), with uniformly awful results. Even the dunderheads at NNSA should start to get the message.
McMillian is not an LLNL insider. He was pretty much unknown at the lab compared to Goodwin. Few at the lab even know his name if it's not connected to LANL.
A. Q. Kahn is looking for safer new digs.
Proven innovator and performer, strong enough to stand up to Congress, good a getting a lot done with a little.
Lucky.
The ghost of John Emmett will lead LANL to greatness. The spectre will drive off Knapp and McMillan with a single scathing insult, and will whip the mesa crew mercilessly until they are again the very best.
After building and deploying 1000 new modern warheads surreptiously in New Mexico, he will snooker Congress into declaring war on France, while he invades Napa in search of the perfect wine press.
Things could be worse. D'Agostino or Przyzbylek could be waiting in line. Or the dreaded Lowell.
Lowell? As in Lowell Wood? Brilliant Pebbles, Brilliant Pebbles, Brilliant Pebbles, Brilliant Pebbles, Brilliant Pebbles, Brilliant Pebbles, Brilliant Pebbles, Brilliant Pebbles.....
All this talk about who will be the next Director is futile. This decision was made 5-years ago when Becthel took over LANL. Bechtel planned the succession plan of Anastasio, MacMillan, and Knapp 5-years ago. Tomorrow the Board of Governors will announce MacMillan as the new Los Alamos National Laboratory Director. The Board is nothing more than a bunch of puppets carrying out Becthel orders from a yacht in the Caribbean Sea. I find it amazing that everyone seems to think otherwise.
I hear that MacMilan will be announced for LANS in next few days. I can not believe that he is worth the $1M plus salary per year that was rumored. I wonder if anyone knows when the agreement was sealed? My bet is that it was complete before the search started. Any takers?
I hear that MacMilan will be announced for LANS in next few days. I can not believe that he is worth the $1M plus salary per year that was rumored.
May 24, 2011 4:18 PM
Don't worry he's not. 5 more years of "at Livermore, at Livermore, at Livermore, at Livermore, at Livermore, at Livermore, at Livermore, at Livermore...." What is fitting will be to see this MIT graduate, weapon designer extraordinaire kissing the feet of the local Pueblo Governors. You couldn't pay me $10M per year to do that. Go for it MacMillan, earn your pay!
I find it sad that LANL will have a Director with such limited experience. He was AD with 200 staff! There were much more experienced choices available and UCOP ran a farce of a search.
If Mcmillan gets the LANL Directorship, it is beyond sad. The Board of Governors had a chance to put LANL back on the path to greatness, but if they chose Mcmillan, that will not happen. Soon after Mcmillan and Mara joined LANL, I was in a meeting with both. Mcmillan kept silent until Mara gave him leave to speak with a wave of his hand. Mcmillan then gave a five-minute speech that convinced everyone in the room he had no idea about the subject and no clue how to address the issues. Mara just smiled and nodded. Both simply ignored objections of the experts in the room who just wanted to save these new top managers from looking like idiots. Another top manager in the room just looked stunned. It was very bizarre. The end result was that LANL came off as misinformed and ignorant in a dispute with another DOE lab, and lost the argument with DOE, although the LANL going-in position was correct. Mara and Mcmillan sabotaged the LANL position in favor of Livermore, out of sheer bias, ignorance, and unwillingness to listen to experts. That's when I decided to retire early. I could not stomach working with such fools.
Mara and Mcmillan sabotaged the LANL position in favor of Livermore, out of sheer bias, ignorance, and unwillingness to listen to experts.
May 24, 2011 9:23 PM
Sheer bias toward Livermore would be the likely explanation. These guys are not ignorant. That's what Livermore has brought to Los Alamos, bias toward Livermore. For example, Knapp and MacMillan just gave the W78 Life Extension Program (LEP) to Livermore. Not only is this bias, but sheer stupidity as well.
For example, Knapp and MacMillan just gave the W78 Life Extension Program (LEP) to Livermore. Not only is this bias, but sheer stupidity as well.
May 25, 2011 4:19 PM
Stupidity is right. If problems turn up with the primary, Livermore can no longer address them. Back to LANL!
But not to worry, if Obama gets reelected, he will be retiring the W78 completely. The land leg of the triad is going away.
Stupidity is right. If problems turn up with the primary, Livermore can no longer address them. Back to LANL!
Sure they can. After doing the technical investigations, call up 'the factory' on The Mesa and place the change order.
For example, Knapp and MacMillan just gave the W78 Life Extension Program (LEP) to Livermore. Not only is this bias, but sheer stupidity as well.
May 25, 2011 4:19 PM
There is more to this story than meets the eye. Actually, Knapp and MacMillan were not even aware that NNSA gave this LEP to Livermore. One thing is for sure, is that they (Knapp and MacMillan) didn't even blink eye nor did the current X-Division or W-Division Leader. No one at the Labs has any courage or compassion to speak out against these poor decisions as they did in the past.
This isn't the first time LEP responsibility for a LANL system was given to LLNL (see W80) as a sop for most (all but one) LLNL weapons being retired. You have to give those Left Coast guys something to do besides NIF. If they can't design, maybe they can maintain.
McMillian will be crowned the next Livermore "king" of LANL and the descent into mediocrity will continue at Los Alamos. Brett Knapp will be handed McMillian's current job -- with a nice healthy pay raise, of course!
Anyone who thinks otherwise is living in denial of what is happening before their own eyes. It's sad to watch this play out.
I sense a ribbon in comments that MacMillian was a bad choice just because he never left Livermore. What will embarrass UC is when it comes out that there were more highly qualified candidates to lead LANL that were passed over just to crown the chosen successor. It dirties the proud history of a once great institution by what a charade the 'search' was.
May 26, 2011
LANS EMPLOYEES
It is our pleasure to announce the appointment of Charles F.
(Charlie) McMillan as Director of Los Alamos National Laboratory
(LANL) and President and Chief Executive Officer of Los Alamos
National Security, LLC (LANS), effective June 1, 2011. Charlie
replaces Mike Anastasio, who is retiring at the end of the month
after an extraordinary 31-year career serving the nation in
leadership roles at both LANL and Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory (LLNL).
Charlie is no stranger to LANL, LLNL and the nuclear weapons
complex. He is an accomplished leader, manager, and scientist in
the NNSA national security laboratory community. He has been a
senior leader in the Los Alamos Weapons Program since 2006, most
recently as Principal Associate Director. Prior to joining LANL,
he had a long and successful career at the Livermore Lab, where he
assumed roles of increasing management responsibility in the LLNL
Weapons Program. Charlie has a Ph.D. in Physics from MIT and a
Bachelors degree in Mathematics and Physics from Columbia Union
College.
We strongly believe that Charlie is the most qualified candidate
to lead the Laboratory at this critical time.
Charlie’s appointment comes after a rigorous, competitive,
national search led by the University of California that resulted
in the receipt of approximately 150 nominations and applications,
representing a broad and diverse array of candidates. The search
committee included participation of senior UC, LANL, and LLNL
scientists and administrators; senior leaders from government,
academia and industry; former national laboratory directors; and
members of the LANS Board of Governors. The search committee was
supported by a screening task force composed of prominent
academic, LANL, and LLNL scientists and engineers, knowledgeable
former Department of Defense officials, and JASONs, all with
knowledge of the Laboratory and the relevant scientific
communities.
Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and NNSA Administrator Tom
D’Agostino have both concurred with Charlie’s appointment.
Please join us in welcoming Charlie McMillan as LANL Director and
LANS President and Chief Executive Officer.
Sincerely,
Norman J. Pattiz
Chairman
J. Scott Ogilvie
Vice Chairman
They just announced mcmillan as the new director at LANL with supposedly 150 nominations/applications. The fix was definitely on.
too bad they didnt name the 150
He has no recognition whatsoever for accomplishments. Sure bet that at least some of the 150 had some recognition. What a charade!
He has no academic experience, no exposure to anything but the weapons program. Guess he must have beat out 149 real loosers? UC are you feeling proud of this bogus search?
The press release claims that he 'lives' in Los Alamos. I call bs on this. It may be legal that he owns a house here, but he 'lives' with his family in Livermore. They refused to move here. Dangerous to be so uncareful with words.
too bad they didnt name the 150
May 26, 2011 2:25 PM
That will not come out. Several were younger and had far more experience in national security.
Am I the only one that noticed that "rigorous and competitive search process" shows up THREE times in the press release. Must be some real bad dirt to hide here if UC lawyers had them put it in that many times.
The press release claims that he 'lives' in Los Alamos. I call bs on this. It may be legal that he owns a house here, but he 'lives' with his family in Livermore. They refused to move here. Dangerous to be so uncareful with words.
Ha, Right now he gets a stipend (UC speak for, here is more $$$$) of 30K to fly between LANL and Livermore to visit his family. His family is still on the LLNL health care plan. Perhaps now that he will be making close to 1 million a year his family will move to Los Alamos. What a toad.
Mcmillan is fit to follow Oppenheimer, Bradbury, Agnew, Hecker, and Browne?? What a joke, he isn't even fit to follow Nanos! Anastasio set the trend and it is downward. I worked closely with Hecker and Browne, and Mcmillan isn't fit to lick their shoes. How can an absolute nobody lead the nation's premier nuclear weapons laboratory? No credentials whatever, and this was a result of a nationwide search??
I don't thinks you dudes really understand. Since privatization, the Lab Directors have had only 3 duties: Say yessir to D'Agostino, lay money at the feet of Riley, and sign the annual certification that the weapons will actually work as advertised. McMillan has 5 years of proven experience supporting these duties. Who else could the board of Governors trust to do this? Certainly not the 150 other esteemed applicants!!
Perhaps now that he will be making close to 1 million a year his family will move to Los Alamos. What a toad.
May 26, 2011 4:20 PM
I would not bet on it. He despises all that is Los Alamos, and his family has sworn to never live here. He is the puppet of a hoax of a search and now we are stuck with him. At least we can sleep well knowing that it was a 'rigorous and competitive search' in the eyes of some UC lawyer.
This charade by the LANS Board makes me sick at my stomach!
What a bunch of $^%&#!!! It demonstrates just how little they think of the staff at LANL by making this choice. It's so typical of the total rot that infects the LANS upper management team.
Am I the only one that noticed that "rigorous and competitive search process" shows up THREE times in the press release. Must be some real bad dirt to hide here if UC lawyers had them put it in that many times.
May 26, 2011 4:16 PM
I caught that also. What was so wrong with the process that they had to get legal to clear the words? Is there some truth that the deal was set before the show interviews were held? I predict a future POGO defense.
LANL,now steeped in mediocrity - all glory is fleeting.
LANL,now steeped in mediocrity - all glory is fleeting.
May 27, 2011 5:37 PM
This is at the feet of UC, bending over for Bechtel. This travesty cannot go unanswered by the LANL employees, who should be staging a work slowdown, stoppage, malicious compliance with safety and security rules, sickout, whatever it takes to show disgust and rejection of this new "leader." This cannot be allowed to stand! Enough with the cronyism garbage! Are you listening, Pattiz, you jerk?
LANL employees, who should be staging a work slowdown
Didn't that start about 15 years ago?
LANL employees, who should be staging a work slowdown
Didn't that start about 15 years ago?
May 27, 2011 9:26 PM
18 years ago, when "stewardship" replaced testing.
Director Brett Knapp -- get ready to hear that name in a few more years!
Director Brett Knapp -- get ready to hear that name in a few more years!
May 31, 2011 10:46 PM
... after an "exhaustive search" of all the more highly qualified applicants for the job by the LANS Board, of course.
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