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More LANS Managers During Budget Cuts at Los Alamos
The Associate Directorate for Weapons (ADW) is being realigned into two directorates to more effectively address performance of LANL's mission, communicate with external customers and partners, and provide more direct access to management.
The Directorate for Weapon Physics (ADX) will be led by Bob Webster as the acting Associate Director and will have responsibility for weapon design and computational physics along with programmatic responsibility for the Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) Program and Science Campaigns (SC). The directorate will consist of X-CP and X-TD Divisions.
The Directorate for Weapon Engineering and Experiments (ADW) will be led by John Benner as the acting Associate Director, and will have responsibility for weapon engineering and dynamic experimentation including Nevada activities along with programmatic responsibility for Directed Stockpile Work (DSW) and Engineering Campaigns (EC). The directorate will consist of WX and W Divisions.
"Bob and John were chosen for these acting assignments because of their demonstrated performance, expertise, and ability to work together as a team to preserve the integration we have achieved between the various components of the program," said Bret Knapp, principal associate director for Weapons Programs.
22 comments:
These highly compensated LANL upper management positions are being created and then handed out like candy by LANS executives. LANS doesn't appear to care about the cost burden these new Directorate and Division put on remaining projects to fund all this managerial excess.
But in this case, doing this new AD creation smack dab in the the middle of a very painful downsizing effort and when the Director is out complaining about the high cost of regular staff labor at the lab is an especially egregious insult!
LANS management has no shame.
"The Associate Directorate for Weapons (ADW) is being realigned into two directorates to more effectively address performance of LANL's mission, communicate with external customers and partners, and provide more direct access to management."
Huh? Is this the best explanation that Bret Knapp can provide on this? Bret Knapp has split and merged Divisions and Directorates so many times it's become a "circus". What the hell does "provide more direct access to management" mean? Why is Knapp so fixated on "reorganizations"? What is Knapp ultimately trying to achieve with all these constant reorganizations? What is his goal?
I am estimating the cost of this new "reorganization" including raises, title changes, office moves, internal and external confusion, etc., will easily cost another $20M. For what? Nothing.
"The Associate Directorate for Weapons (ADW) is being realigned into two directorates to more effectively address performance of LANL's mission." Knapp
The problem is not "effectively addressing the performance of LANL's mission" but rather "finding a mission".
"The Associate Directorate for Weapons (ADW) is being realigned into two directorates to ..... and provide more direct access to management." Bret Knapp
Bret's been watching too much cable TV, i.e., Direct Access.
"The Associate Directorate for Weapons (ADW) is being realigned into two directorates to ..... and provide more direct access to management." Bret Knapp
Bret's been watching too much cable TV, i.e., Direct Access.
March 23, 2012 2:56 PM
I hear Bret is going to provide Direct Access TV in everyone's office at LANL. He'll be broadcasting a 24-hour a day camera following his hero Mike Anastasio going about his current daily chores and "duties" and live broadcasts of the panorama of LLNL, the "real" Lab.
While Knapp has glowing comments on Benner, the only thing that Benner has accomplished is his willingness to "protect" Knapp's sinister and corrupt actions. Beyond this, Benner was an average engineering analyst with average academic credentials from California, much like Knapp. In fact, prior to becoming the W-Division Leader, Benner had NO core weapon experience or accomplishments in Systems, Surveillance, Production, Safety, Military Liaison, Weapon Testing (e.g. NTS) or any core weapon areas that he was asked to lead. How do you spell "fluke".
Knapp is on the highest-level (PAD) cost-cutting committee at LANS (LISC) and another committee responsible for finding other cost-cutting initiatives (e.g. paper) and he installs two new Associate Laboratory Directors who will make more than $250,000 per year, totaling $2,000,000 with overhead. This does not include all the support that is required to decorate their offices, new maple furniture, leather chairs, flat-screen TVs, new gold-plated plates with their grandiose titles, new business cards, new staff support, etc. Where's the DOE-IG where you need them? if this isn't the most clear-cut example of waste, fraud, and abuse, unbelievable!
The problem is not splitting these Directorates. They are large and complex and this is the way it used to be. The problem was merging them together in the first place for Knapp.
The problem is not splitting these Directorates. They are large and complex and this is the way it used to be. The problem was merging them together in the first place for Knapp.
March 24, 2012 6:19 AM
Agreed, but the second problem is that he's created and elevated the X and W-Division Leaders to the AD level. He's added another layer of Management. Knapp does not know what he's trying to achieve, let alone what he's doing. This guy is a nut case!
Knapp does not know what he's trying to achieve, let alone what he's doing.
March 24, 2012 6:28 AM
But he's wonderfully generous with the fixed bonus pool, sharing his with his new appointees like that.
These people are just acting. Knapp is going to bring in more LLNL people for the permanent positions.
These people are just acting. Knapp is going to bring in more LLNL people for the permanent positions.
March 24, 2012 11:30 AM
One guy who has slipped through the radar is Craig Leasure, Knapp's Deputy Principal Laboratory Director. Did anyone notice that Knapp surrounds himself with worthless people? Knapp doesn't want anyone working for him that knows more than him, which is effectively everyone in the Weapons Directorate, except Craig Leasure.
Does anyone know if these two new Associate Director's (ADs) will also get bonuses (e.g for every hydro shot) ,PBI money, and free round trips back to Livermore (sounds like they'll be from LLNL)? I expect the Lab Fee will have to go up because I'm sure existing ADs and PADs are NOT going to tolerate any less money coming from the the fee or bonus slush fund for these new ADs. I fully expect for LANS to increase their fee soon. More burden on the taxpayers for unneeded LANS "heads" and titles.
Regardless of how many LANL people take the VRP, the reality is that LANS still needs more money, more money, and more money for the increasing number of LANS Managers. I guess DOE/NNSA doesn't give a rats ass about how their money is being spent? DOE/NNSA come to meetings wearing cheap second-hand Sears suits, while McMillan, Knapp and crew only wear the best Armani suits. Hello, DOE-IG, anyone home?
DOE/NNSA come to meetings wearing cheap second-hand Sears suits, while McMillan, Knapp and crew only wear the best Armani suits. Hello, DOE-IG, anyone home?
March 25, 2012 6:07 AM
All you have to do is compare the DOE parking lots against the NSSB parking lot. DOE lots look like wrecking yard with older model Fords and Chevys, while the NSSB has fine Porsches (i.e. Knapp), Land Rovers (McMillion), etc. AND it's covered. This is why the Labs were commercialized!
LANS "cleared the way" for these two Associate Directors by freezing all jobs and by requiring "exempt" workers to remain in their positions for at least 9-months. This will ensure that workers in the LANL Personnel and Hiring Office (both of them) are working overtime and weekends to get these two new ADs hired from LLNL NOW! I'm sure the Personnel and Hiring Office at LLNL is also supporting this URGENT Directive. Knapp couldn't even wait until we found out how many people are taking the VRP. Why? Because it doesn't matter, they'll fire people to make sure they will have funds for these two ADs.
DOE/NNSA come to meetings wearing cheap second-hand Sears suits, while McMillan, Knapp and crew only wear the best Armani suits. Hello, DOE-IG, anyone home?
March 25, 2012 6:07 AM
Oh come on. Pretty thinly veiled envy, there. I would think people are free to spend (or waste) their personal money any way they like. Ostentatious displays of wealth are for classless amateurs, and "McMillan, Knapp and crew" are just demonstrating the extent of their amateurism. Complaining about how they got the money is legit. Complaining about how they spend it isn't. Laughter is a better, and healthier, response to that. The richest people I know are very frugal. That's how they got that way and stay that way.
"...and he installs two new Associate Laboratory Directors who will make more than $250,000 per year" (6:01 AM)
Are you kidding? ADs at LANS are now making much more than a quarter million in lab compensation. Try a salary + bonus of around $600k+ for these choice positions. That's why everyone in the know is stomping on the competition to get to the top of the 'dung pile' LANS management has created at LANL!
Meanwhile, the regular staff -- who McMillan declares are too expensive and are causing the current budget problems -- well, those highly skilled people who accomplish the real work at LANL have to go.
This is truly sick!
a decade ago, Director Browne (an honest and good man, in my view) was paid $220 or so, with no bechtel style bonuses. now, there are over 100 making 200K, and that doesn't include the thousands in bonuses for the phony "reductions" in incidents stuff (PBIs). Yet the rank & file employees are told that increases have been limited for many years, because of the general economy and the "market" data. What a crock!
So McMillan has the LISC Team (Principal Associate Directors led by Marquez) approving or disapproving any purchase over $100K and forms PAD led committees to identify places and opportunities for saving money. LANLs also sets up a Web asking employees for input and has Carolyn Zerkle prioritize all this ideas for feedback to the PADs. Then, Knapp goes out and spends a "wad" for these new ADs which will cost 100-times the combined cost of all the cost cutting initiatives and smack dab in the middle of downsizing? Given this, it appears like all the cost-cutting and VRP was to purchase two new ADs. What a trade-off LANS, good job!
It took awhile but it looks like LANL has finally made it to the new American corporate world.
The greedy, over compensated "1%-ers" people talk about have finally arrived at LANL to plunder the goods and beat the regular employees into submission with reduced pay and benefits.
The greedy, over compensated "1%-ers" people talk about have finally arrived at LANL to plunder the goods and beat the regular employees into submission with reduced pay and benefits.
March 26, 2012 8:16 AM
They haven't "finally" arrived, they rolledd in with their carpetbags the day after D'Agostino an Tyler the Liar sold us down the river
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