Jay Mullis, the acting manager of the Energy Department’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) in Tennessee since October 2016, is now the permanent manager.
A 30-year federal employee, Mullis had since February 2015 been deputy manager for the DOE office that oversees cleanup of former uranium enrichment activities at the Oak Ridge Reservation.
The Oak Ridge Reservation encompasses the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Y-12 National Security Complex, and the East Tennessee Technology Park.
“I know Jay’s experience and deep knowledge of the site, combined with his goal-focused leadership, will enable Oak Ridge to continue its impressive progress as it works to complete cleanup at ETTP and begins new phases of cleanup at Y-12 and ORNL,” acting Assistant Energy Secretary for Environmental Management James Owendoff said in a Wednesday DOE news release.
Mullis began his federal government career with a nine-year stint as a nuclear engineer with the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program at the Charleston, S.C., Naval Shipyard. The Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program is a joint effort by DOE and Department of Navy that deals with all aspects of naval reactors.
Mullis has held a variety of posts with DOE over the years, including director of engineering, safety, and quality at Oak Ridge. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from The Citadel in South Carolina. He is a licensed professional engineer in South Carolina.
The last manager of the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management was Sue Cange, who went on to serve as principal deputy assistant secretary for environmental management at DOE headquarters and briefly as acting assistant secretary.
