Tom Baudendistel
Contracting Officer
Nevada National Security Site
Tom Baudendistel is a Contracting Officer at the DOE Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center (EMCBC) in Cincinnati, Ohio. Tom has worked for the DOE since 2022 and has a total of twelve (12) years of government contracting experience. He currently is serving as the Contracting Officer for the Nevada Environmental Program Service (Nevada EPS) Contract supporting the environmental remediation & clean-up efforts at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) and for several other administrative support contracts. Tom holds an undergraduate degree in Finance from the University of Cincinnati and an J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law.
Melody Bell
Deputy Director
Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center (EMCBC)
Melody Bell is an experienced Senior Executive at the US Department of Energy with over 35 years of combined civilian and military service. Ms. Bell is currently the Deputy Director for the Consolidated Business Center for the Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EMCBC). The EMCBC is responsible for developing innovative business strategies; deploying cost effective contracting solutions; and executing field cleanup operations to enable the Environmental Management (EM) mission. Prior to that she was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Resource Management in EM providing leadership for the integration of budget and planning; budget formulation; budget execution; oversight of information systems and cybersecurity; workforce management activities enabling the effective execution of the mission.
Other notable positions included: DAS for Business Administration and the Director of Program Execution Support in the Office of DOE/Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Additionally, Ms. Bell served as the Procurement Deputy Director of the Office of Transformation for the National Nuclear Security Administration, Assistant Manager for Contracts and Business Management, at the NNSA Nevada Site Office (NSO), and Director of Contracts and Property Management Division for the Nevada Operations Office (NVO) where she provided leadership, management and guidance in the development, planning, coordination, and administration for all acquisition strategy, financial assistance, contracting and personal property management for NVO.
Ms. Bell began her career as an Officer in the United States Air Force, where she managed several projects and contracts in support of major Air Force weapon systems. Ms. Bell has a Master of Science in Environmental Sciences from the Colorado School of Mines, a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University, and a Bachelor’s of Science in Engineering Mechanics from the United States Air Force Academy. She is also a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School Senior Executive Fellows program.
Ms. Bell is a lifetime member of Girl Scouts and volunteers as a Troop Leader enabling the transformation of girls into leaders, and a member of the National Society of Black Engineers. She is dedicated to mentoring others and reinforcing the benefits of being a life-long learner.
Dutch Conrad
Project Manager
Mid-America Conversion Services
With over 33 years of experience in senior management, Dutch Conrad has a proven track record in leading large organizations within the nuclear industry. His expertise spans all aspects of nuclear facility operations, including engineering, operations, radiation control, training, and procedure development.
Dutch has extensive hands-on management experience in the start-up and operation of Hazard Category 2 and 3 facilities, successfully achieving performance-based incentive milestones at multiple DOE sites. Dutch spent 18 years the Savannah River Site, with areas of increasing responsibilities from the Tank Farms to the highly successful Ship to WIPP program. In 2008, Dutch was asked to lead a Business Unit of AtkinsRealis that had both commercial nuclear contracts, as well as DOE contracts at sites such as Y-12, Idaho National Lab, and the Oak Ridge National Lab.
Since June 2021, Dutch has served as the president and project manager at DUF6, leading a team of over 500 professionals through operational readiness protocols to resume stable conversion operations at the DUF6 plants. He supervises all activities at the facilities located in Portsmouth, Ohio, and Paducah, Kentucky, overseeing a $1 billion contract and generating an annual operational revenue of $140 million. His responsibilities encompass the entire scope of operations, including cylinder storage management, conversion processes, plant modifications, regulatory compliance, and waste stream management.
Dutch’s areas of expertise include the management of nuclear operations, leadership of diverse teams, achievement of complex project milestones, and the oversight of nuclear waste management and transportation. He is adept at building and maintaining business relationships.
He holds a B.S. in Geology from the University of Tennessee.
Angela Cooney
Supervisory Contracting Officer
Legacy Management
Angela Cooney is a Supervisory Contract Specialist Division Chief and a Contracting Officer at the Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center (EMCBC) in Cincinnati, Ohio. Angela has worked for the DOE since 2005 and has a total of 24 years of government contracting experience. Angela currently oversees the Contracting support which is provided by the members of her team under the EMCBC for the DOE Office of Legacy Management (LM). Angela has Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management with an emphasis on Equestrian Studies from the University of Findlay.
Aaron Deckard
Procurement Director
Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center (EMCBC)
Aaron Deckard is the Procurement Director at the DOE Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Aaron leads the EMCBC, Office of Contracting to acquire, manage, and direct the procurement of supplies and services needed to support the EM mission, including major contracts to further DOE-EM environmental clean-up efforts. Aaron holds an undergraduate business degree from the University of Cincinnati and an MBA from Xavier University.
Michael Forsgren
Contracting Officer
Moab
Michael Forsgren is a Contracting Officer (CO) at the DOE Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mike has worked for the DOE since 2018 and has a total of 16 years of government contracting experience, having previously held warrants as a Divisional (Corporate) Administrative CO, and as an Administrative Grants and Agreements Officer. He currently is serving as the Contracting Officer for the Moab Remedial Action Contract (Moab RAC) and Moab Technical Assistance Contract (Moab TAC) supporting the environmental remediation & clean-up efforts at the Moab and Crescent Junction, Utah sites. Mike holds an undergraduate degree in Construction Management from The Ohio State University.
Kenneth Johnson
Small Business Program Manager
Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM)
Ken Johnson is the Small Business Program Manager for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM). As Small Business Program Manager, Ken engages with contractors and advises on policy and procurement matters to sustain and increase small businesses’ participation in DOE-EM’s mission of cleaning up the Cold War nuclear weapons production legacy at sites across the nation. Ken earned his bachelor’s degree from Berea College and his law degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law.
Reinhard Knerr
Deputy Manager
Department of Energy’s Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office (PPPO)
Reinhard Knerr is the Deputy Manager of the Portsmouth Paducah Project Office (PPPO) in Lexington, Kentucky. In this role, he assists the PPPO Manager in overseeing the deactivation and demolition of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) former gaseous diffusion plants and ongoing Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride (DUF6) conversion operations at both the Portsmouth, Ohio, and Paducah, Kentucky, sites. He is also responsible for managing the support functions for PPPO including security, information technology, cybersecurity, budget and finance, emergency response, nuclear safety and procurement.
He returned to PPPO in 2023 after serving as DOE’s Carlsbad Field Office Manager since July 2020 where he safely increased transuranic waste shipments and emplacement to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) to pre-shutdown levels. Mr. Knerr also led the recovery of the Safety Significant Confinement Ventilation System and the Utility Shaft Capital Asset projects. Further, he led the development of the strategic approach to align regulatory and operational activities to safely and compliantly mine the access drifts and panels need to support transuranic waste emplacement operations into the future, including completion of several key mining milestones.
At PPPO, he was previously the DUF6 Federal Project Director and held several leadership and strategic planning roles at the Paducah Site starting in 2004. At Paducah, he managed environmental remediation and deactivation and demolition work at the site, returning the former gaseous diffusion plant from commercial enrichment operations back to DOE and led several critical utility and infrastructure optimization projects, significantly reducing costs at the site.
Since joining DOE in 2001, Mr. Knerr has also served as the transuranic waste certification team leader at WIPP and led a project team of DOE waste management experts in resolving multiple complex-wide radioactive waste management issues. Mr. Knerr also has more than nine years of experience as a nuclear criticality safety engineer supporting contractor operations at DOE’s Pantex Plant, Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant and Y-12 Plant.
His background includes nuclear facility decontamination and decommissioning, environmental regulations, project management, strategic planning, baseline management, radioactive and hazardous waste management, nuclear criticality safety, nuclear safety, transuranic waste characterization.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in nuclear engineering from Penn State University.
Tad Lyons
Contracting Officer
Office of Naval Reactors
Tad Lyons is a Contracting Officer (CO) at the DOE Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Tad has worked for the DOE since 2022 and has a total of 12 years of government contracting experience. He currently is serving as the Contracting Officer for the Naval Reactors Deactivation, Decommissioning, and Removal (DD&R) task order supporting the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory and Kesselring Sites in eastern New York State, with possible future expansion to the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. Tad holds an undergraduate degree in Business Management from the University of Maryland and an MBA from Angelo State University.
Tamara Miles
Principal Deputy Director
Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU)
Tamara Miles is the Principal Deputy Director for the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). She has a heart for small business concerns and is charged with maximizing small business opportunities and contract awards.
Prior to joining OSDBU, Tamara served as Assistant Director and Procurement Director at the DOE Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center leading a team of 40+ geographically dispersed contracting professionals in the acquisition and management of multi-billion dollar environmental clean-up contracts nationwide.
Tamara believes that teamwork, resiliency, and hard work are cornerstones for success. Her favorite quote is, “Find the good and praise it” – Alex Haley.
Tamara has nearly 25 years of acquisition experience and is Level III certified under the Federal Acquisition Certification Program in Contracting. She attended the University of Cincinnati for undergraduate and graduate studies earning a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with honors in Finance and a Master of Business Administration degree.
Tamara is married to a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, and they have three children.
Mike Pearson
Assistant Director
Office of Information Resource Management (IRM)
Mike has over 20 years of IT and cyber experience, prior to joining the EMCBC he served multiple contractor positions with the Department of Energy. He has a bachelors degree in Computer Information systems from Clarion University of Pennsylvania and is a Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP).
Myrna Redfield
Program Manager
Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership
Myrna Espinosa Redfield serves as the President/CEO and Program Manager for Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership’s (FRNP) 10-year, $1.6 billion Deactivation and Remediation Project at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Kentucky.
Ms. Redfield has over 32 years of experience in the leadership of complex projects as a program director, project manager and regulatory affairs director in the nuclear industry. In her current position, she is responsible for the contract performance and safety of more than 1,000 personnel, including two supporting labor unions.
Prior to FRNP, Ms. Redfield served in various technical and leadership roles on multi-million-dollar U.S. Department of Energy contracts. She also worked for the Department of Energy twelve years in various safety, technical and management roles. She is a recognized leader in establishing strong client relationships while implementing programs and strategies to address difficult technical challenges.
Ms. Redfield holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico.
Jennifer Splitt
Contracting Officer
West Valley
Jennifer Splitt is a Contracting Officer at the Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center (EMCBC) in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 2018, Jennifer joined the DOE. She previously worked as a Contracting Officer for the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and as an intellectual property attorney in private practice. She currently serves as the Contracting Officer for the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) site located in western New York state. She administers the WVDP Phase 1B Contract supporting the site’s Deactivation and Demolition (D&D) and Soil Remediation activities as well as several other services contracts for the WVDP. Jennifer holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in English Literature and Psychology from The Ohio State University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Cincinnati College of Law.
Joe Werbrich
Supervisory Contract Cost/Price Analyst
DOE Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center (EMCBC)
Joe Werbrich is the Cost/Price Branch Chief at the DOE Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Joe is involved with approving business systems, reviewing competitive and sole proposals and reviewing/approving indirect rates. Aaron holds an undergraduate business degree from the Wright State University. DCAA 11 years and DOE 25 years.
Greg Wilkett
Program Manager
Fluor/BWXT at Portsmouth Site
Greg Wilkett is the Site Project Director and President and CEO for Fluor-BWXT’s Portsmouth, Ohio, ~6B contract with the Department of Energy (DOE). He has over 35 years of project management experience, approximately 25 years in the nuclear industry in a variety of leadership roles in engineering, construction and management.
Prior to his current position, Mr. Wilkett served as the Deputy Site Project Director and Chief Operating Officer for the Portsmouth project and was responsible for strategic planning and tactical operations.
Mr. Wilkett has been instrumental in leading the deactivation and demolition progress as well as spearheading the site’s safety culture initiatives, enabling the Portsmouth Site to be one of the safest sites in the DOE complex.
He has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Management and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Findlay. He is also a certified Project Management Professional from the Project Management Institute.
Jack Zimmerman
Director
Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center (EMCBC)
Jack Zimmerman is the Director of the Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center. For the past five years he served as the Manager of the Idaho Cleanup Project. He provided leadership and direction for all aspects of execution of the Idaho Cleanup Project mission involving the safe, cost-effective and expeditious accomplishment of environmental remediation and restoration and hazardous and nuclear waste programs involving high level radioactive waste, low level and transuranic radioactive waste, and spent nuclear fuel. This includes the operation of the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project and the commissioning and operation of the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit. Mr. Zimmerman was responsible for an annual budget of ~$400M and a workforce of ~1,500. Previously, he served as the Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride Federal Project Director providing leadership and direction for the design, construction, commissioning and initial operation of government owned contractor operated nuclear chemical processing facilities at two sites (Portsmouth, Ohio and Paducah, KY). In a prior role he was the Associate Director of the Mound Closure Project in Miamisburg, Ohio and provided key leadership in successful remediation, closure and the ultimate transition of the former DOE facility for community reuse. Mr. Zimmerman is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Ohio. He has 30 years of experience in many aspects of nuclear facility construction, operation and environmental remediation. He is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a Master’s degree in Radiological Engineering and Bachelor’s in Nuclear Engineering.