While he is no longer acting assistant secretary, career fed William (Ike) White remains the top boss at the Department of Energy’s $7-billion-plus Office of Environmental Management as he has been for about two-and-a-half years, an agency spokesperson confirmed before Thanksgiving.
The latest DOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) organizational chart dated Nov. 17 shows White as senior adviser for the nuclear cleanup office but still is the top executive or EM-1. The changed title is also reflected in White’s updated online bio for DOE.
“He is still the #1 person leading the organization,” a DOE spokesperson said in a Nov. 22 email. White has been leading operations at the nuclear cleanup office since mid-June 2019 and has held the title of senior adviser for most of the time. When President Joe Biden took office Jan. 20, White was promptly given the title of acting assistant secretary for Environmental Management and his 300-day period for holding the title ended last week.
Likewise, the principal deputy assistant secretary or EM-2 post, continues to be held by Todd Shrader.
As for White, he assumed the leadership reins at EM in June 2019 after the resignation of the last Senate-confirmed assistant secretary for Environmental Management, Anne Marie White (no relation).
Before coming to EM, Ike White served stints as chief of staff and associate principal deputy administrator for the semi-autonomous National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). During his federal career, White has also held various posts at the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board. During his watch, White has witnessed the startup of the Salt Waste Processing Facility at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, completion of the building demolition at the K-25 uranium enrichment plant complex, known now as the East Tennessee Technology Park, at the Oak Ridge Site, and he has also overseen EM’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
There has been scant industry speculation in recent months on who the Biden administration might nominate to be assistant secretary for Environmental Management.
