President Donald J. Trump today announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key positions in his Administration:
Rita Baranwal of Pennsylvania, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (Nuclear Energy) at the Department of Energy.
Dr. Baranwal currently serves as the Director of the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative at the U.S. Department of Energy. Previously, she served as
Director of Technology Development & Application at Westinghouse and was a manager in Materials Technology at Bechtel Bettis, Inc., where she led Research and Development in nuclear fuel materials for U.S. naval reactors. Dr. Baranwal earned her B.A. in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. She serves on Advisory Boards for MIT’s Materials Research Laboratory and UC Berkeley’s Nuclear Engineering Department.
Bernard L. McNamee of Virginia, to be a Member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, for the term expiring June 30, 2020.
Mr. McNamee currently serves as the Executive Director of the Office of Policy for the U.S. Department of Energy. Previously, he served as Deputy General Counsel for Energy Policy at the U.S. Department of Energy and practiced energy law with McGuireWoods LLP. Additionally, Mr. McNamee served four Attorney Generals in two states (Virginia and Texas), was a policy advisor to a Virginia governor, and served as a senior domestic policy advisor to a United States Senator. He earned his B.A. from the University of Virginia and J.D. from Emory University School of Law.
Benjamin Hovland of Maryland, to be a Member of the Election Assistance Commission for the remainder of a four-year term expiring December 12, 2019.
Mr. Hovland currently serves as Acting Chief Counsel with the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. Previously, he worked as the Deputy General Counsel for the Missouri Secretary of State’s office. He earned his J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law.
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President Donald J. Trump today announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to be Members of the Board of Directors of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board for remainders of five-year terms:
Joseph Bruce Hamilton of Texas, term expiring October 18, 2022, to be a Member and upon appointment designate Chair.
Dr. Hamilton previously served on the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board in 2015. Prior to his appointment, he was the president of a nuclear fuel procurement company and an engineering director at a commercial nuclear power plant. Mr. Hamilton is a retired U.S. Navy officer. He earned his B.S. from Texas A&M University, M.A. from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, and Ph.D. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
Lisa Vickers of Texas, term expiring October 18, 2021, to be a Member and upon appointment designate Vice Chair.
Dr. Vickers, PhD, PE, CHP, CSP, currently serves as a Facility Representative for the U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Production Office (NPO) at the Pantex Plant, in Amarillo, Texas. She is a licensed Professional Engineer (nuclear engineering) in Texas and South Carolina, Certified Health Physicist, and Certified Safety Professional. Dr. Vickers is a plenary member of the American Nuclear Society and the Health Physics Society. She earned her B.S. in Nuclear Engineering Sciences from the University of Florida, M.S. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.
Jessie Hill Roberson of Virginia, term expiring October 18, 2023.
Ms. Roberson previously served as Assistant Secretary of Energy for the Environmental Management Program at the Department of Energy’s Defense Nuclear Complex. Over the course of her career, she has served in management roles at commercial nuclear facilities with responsibilities including plant engineering, regulatory, licensing and compliance, nuclear operations, public interface, and emergency management. She earned her degree in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Tennessee.
