It seems like its taking a very long time to find a new head of NNSA. I
wonder if the delay in confirming Moniz as DOE Secretary has held up the
NNSA job or are they just having trouble finding someone to volunteer
for this kamikaze mission.
Here are some people I'd be okay with at the top of NNSA:
Aston Carter (DOD Deputy Secretary)
Steven Koonin (former DOE Undersecretary for Science, current Jason and LLNS Board member)
Andrew Weber (DOD Asst Sec for Nuclear, Chemical, Biological Programs)
Michele Flournoy (former DOD Undersecretary for Policy)
Bruce Goodwin
14 comments:
Either someone is posting this to see what the bait will catch, or they are clueless in the ways of Washington. Most of the names on the list already had a higher level position and are not going to be interested in a lower level job. The idea makes about as much sense as asking George to be a new AD.
Donald Cook would be the natural choice. NA-10 has been the springboard to NA-1 in the past. He has the education, lab experience, and political pedigree for the job. He has already committed to staying in NNSA for another term so the Administrator/Under Secretary position would be a step up. I would expect SNL to see more benefits with a Cook selection though. He is a Z-machine guy, and has no love for NIF. He also spent time as the head of AWE, and is keen on the idea of consolidating Physics/Engineering DA missions.
Madelyn Creedon, Patricia Falcone, Anne Herrington, and Rebecca Hersman each should be considered above Cook.
NA-10 has been the springboard to NA-1 in the past.
May 13, 2013 at 7:15 AM
While this may have been the path for D'Agostino, Brooks came out of NA-20 and Gordon moved over from CIA. Hard to see much of any trend in that history.
Madelyn Creedon, Patricia Falcone, Anne Herrington, and Rebecca Hersman each should be considered above Cook.
May 13, 2013 at 8:35 AM
Quite the feminist poster here, aren't we? Of the 4 ladies listed above, Dr. Falcone is the only one that has the proper technical background. The other 3 are policy wonks.
"Of the 4 ladies listed above, Dr. Falcone is the only one that has the proper technical background."
May 13, 2013 at 11:39 AM
Intellectual snob, perhaps? Do not know what would be considered the 'proper' technical background, but since NNSA was created, do know that no insider from the lab clan has made it all the way to NA-1. Falcone is an insider through and through, and has slim chance to be given serious consideration for the slot.
Anyone smart enough to be the Administrator would not be dumb enough to take the job.
5/13 8:35 AM and 5/13 4:46 PM are likely the same poster, and most likely an NNSA staffer. Comments like those is why the NNSA is viewed as incompetent by both the Lab and DoD communities.
OK, Mr. blog forensics expert. No chance you are "likely" wrong? Didn't think so. All comments you don't agree with are "incompetent"? My forensics indicate you are a disgruntled labbie with a PhD and no job on the horizon, and no means by which to convince your bosses you are worth a job.
One name you will not see on such lists is Neile Miller. When she overturned the career civil service employee decisions not to award contract year extensions to M&O contractors (including LLNS) that had failed to earn them, politics was introduced into the process. When she inserted herself into the Y-12 contract re-bid at the absolute last moment, and overruled the source selection process, her future in DC was limited. In the strange way that politics works, it is less the fact that both of these were lousy decisions and more that she permitted both of them to get out in the public in a smelly state.
Neile has obviously done as much as she can to ensure a lucrative position after she is shown the door.
It is really a conundrum to fill the Job of NNSA Administrator. First of all the pay is not too substantial at ~$180k. That salary is within the reach of lab staff, and typical of lab first tier managers/group leaders. Sure, one can live modestly in DC on that salary, but most people who have the credentials and competencies for the job (lab and industry executives) are making 3-5 times that salary, with the exception of Flag Officers/Federal SES (and only a small handful of Federal SES members would be strong candidates). Which narrows the field of candidates down to someone that is independently wealthy or so eager for power that they would commit financial suicide.
Money aside it is really a thankless position, as congress has so little trust for the NNSA that most it’s budget line items are constrained, so the NNSA really has a very narrow management space to operate in, and can really only “fine tune” budgets and programs. The policy and requirements flow out of the DoD and the Whitehouse, not the NNSA. In such an over constrained environment even an excellent technical leader would have his hands tied. NNSA is really just a mechanism to divert money to the labs and plants and the administrator ends up being a lightning rod for when something goes wrong.
Good analysis.
Don Cook named acting NNSA administrator: http://blogs.knoxnews.com/munger/2013/05/neile-miller-announces-her-dep.html#more
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