Edwin DeShong

US DOE Savannah River Operations Office (DOE-SR)

Mr. Edwin R. Deshong, III serves as the Manager for the United States Department of Energy, Savannah River Operations Office (DOE-SR) where he oversees the organization’s $1.8 billion-dollar cleanup operations. DOE-SR’s missions include tank farm waste cleanup, nuclear material disposition, environmental restoration, and oversight of the Savannah River National Laboratory operations. Mr. Deshong has over 33 years of experience providing leadership and direction to federal and contractor staff responsible for the oversight and operation of nuclear facility operations within DOE-SR and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) complex.
At DOE-SR, Mr. Deshong served as the Deputy Manager for three years and as the Site Chief Engineer where he was the the principal technical advisor to senior management for all Savannah River Site (SRS) issues associated with nuclear safety and engineering. In addition, Mr. Deshong was the Site lead for all interactions with the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board and a key leader implementing the transition of primary authority for SRS from DOE’s Office of Environmental Management to NNSA by 2025. He also served as the Acting Deputy Field Office Manager, Assistant Manager for Programs and Senior Facility Representative for NNSA’s Savannah River Field Office (SRFO). Mr. Deshong was responsible for integrating nuclear operations, weapons quality assurance, weapons stockpile commitments, business management, nuclear security, and environment safety and health activities. Mr. Deshong supervised a staff of about 40 federal employees and provided oversight of more than 600 contractor employees responsible for executing the tritium mission. Specific areas of emphasis were project management, integrated safety management, startup/restart, public relations, staffing, and authorization basis programs. Mr. Deshong also served as the Defense Programs Action Officer and Liaison for the proposed Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility where he focused on integrating program funding, National Environmental Policy Act implementation, and Critical Decision activities.
Prior to serving as the SRFO Deputy Manager, Mr. Deshong was the Assistant Manager for Project and Programs where he was responsible for the entire small projects and maintenance program portfolios for the tritium facilities with an annual budget of $60 million. Prior to that, Mr. Deshong served as the Assistant Manager for Mission Assurance for SRFO in 2016, ensuring that the weapons stockpile mission was accomplished safely to meet Defense programs requirements. In this role, Mr. Deshong managed a diverse staff that is responsible for operations, weapons quality assurance, safety systems oversight, nuclear safety, maintenance, and the Directed Stockpile Work Program.
Since joining DOE in 1991, Mr. Deshong has worked at numerous DOE facilities and completed the Nuclear Executive Leadership Training requirements. Mr. Deshong is currently qualified under the DOE Technical Qualification Program as a Senior Technical Safety Manager. Mr. Deshong received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering Technology from South Carolina State University (1992) and a Master of Science degree in Computer Systems Management from the University of Maryland (2000).

Curtis Easler

Executive Project Manager, Fluor

Curtis has worked in a wide variety of projects in the Engineering, Procurement & Construction industry over the last 24 years with roles in Construction, Engineering, Operations, Business Development, Project Controls and Project Management globally across a variety of sectors including Power, Advanced Technologies & Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Energy & Chemicals and Government. Currently he is the Construction Director for the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility (SRPPF), he is responsible for the strategy, setup, initiation, and oversight of the highly complex, multi-billion dollar, 10-year construction project – establishing the core strategies underlying the execution and acceleration of the mission-driven project.

Bret Evans

Chief Administrative Officer, SRMC

As Chief Administrative Officer for Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC), Bret Evans is responsible for the accounting and finance, supply chain management, contract management and administration, human resources, and property management programs.
Mr. Evans has more than 40 years of progressive experience and leadership, with a demonstrated ability to plan, develop, coordinate, and direct detailed phases of business administrative functions. He’s also experienced in performing work requiring advanced management experience and knowledge of business; and administration principles and procedures. Mr. Evans leads and directs skilled business management competencies in the areas of financial analysis, budget development, rate development, strategic planning, financial reporting, business systems, and proposal development.
Prior to his current position, Mr. Evans was the Director of Business Services for SRMC. Before that role, he was the Manager of Business Services for Savannah River Remediation, Senior Business Manager with AECOM – Nuclear and Environment Division, and Principal Financial Analyst for Westinghouse Savannah River Company in the Projects Engineering and Construction Division.
Mr. Evans and his wife, Lisa, have two daughters and live in Aiken, South Carolina.

Johney Green, Jr.

Laboratory Director, SRNL

Johney Green Jr. serves as the director of Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), and is president and CEO of Battelle Savannah River Alliance, LLC (BSRA). Green is responsible for the management, operation and strategic direction of the laboratory. SRNL is a multi-program national laboratory with an annual operating budget of about $400 million, and the lab is leading research and development institution for the Offices of Environmental Management and Legacy Management at the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Weapons and Nonproliferation programs for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
Green formerly served as the Associate Laboratory Director for Mechanical and Thermal Engineering Sciences at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, where he was responsible for research and development to enable technology innovations in energy efficiency, sustainable mobility and renewable power. Green created NREL’s Flatirons Campus, building a premier multi-program research campus. Green also spearheaded development of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems.
Prior to his 8-year tenure at NREL, Green held several leadership roles during a 21-year span at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) including Director of the Energy and Transportation Science division and Group leader for Fuels, Engines and Emissions Research. During his tenure ORNL developed the Additive Manufacturing Integrated Energy demonstration project, a model of innovative vehicle-to-grid integration technologies and next generation manufacturing processes.
Green is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and an SAE International fellow. He serves on the Defense Science Board and several advisory boards including those at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Memphis. Green was the recipient of a National GEM Consortium Fellowship and previously served as chair of the board for the National GEM Consortium. He previously served on the advisory board at the University of Tennessee. Green holds two U.S. patents in combustion science and has an h-index of 34 with more than 4,540 citations.
Green holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Memphis. He earned a master’s and doctorate in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Jeff Griffin

President and CEO, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC

Dr. Jeffrey (Jeff) C. Griffin is the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC (SRNS), responsible to the Department of Energy (DOE) for safe, effective and efficient management and operations of the Savannah River Site (SRS). SRS is one of DOE’s largest production sites, performing activities ranging from environmental cleanup and protection, to nuclear materials storage and disposition, including operation of the only U.S. tritium plant and design and construction of the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility. His responsibilities include providing vision, leadership, mission growth, technological advancement, and a performance-based culture of safety, security and operational excellence at the Site.
Before being named President and CEO, Jeff served as the Senior Vice President for Plutonium Disposition Operations and Programs for Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS). He was responsible for the safe execution of K Area Facility Operations, the Nuclear Nonproliferation Program and the Surplus Plutonium Disposition Project.
Jeff has more than 30 years in leading multimillion-dollar research and development programs, nuclear operations support, and technology development initiatives in a highly regulated environment.
Jeff’s most recent position was as Vice-President of Science & Technology for Canadian Nuclear Laboratories where he managed an organization conducting work in nuclear power, environmental remediation and nuclear medicine.
Prior to joining CNL, Jeff led field operations for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) where he implemented a risk reduction campaign to accelerate the closure of DOE EM sites. Preceding the DOE-EM assignment, Jeff served as the Associate Laboratory Director at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), the U.S. DOE’s lead environmental cleanup laboratory.
Jeff is a demonstrated leader in directing multi-functional teams through major initiatives while optimizing resources and enhancing customer satisfaction.

Freddie Grimm

Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning and Integration, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC (SRNS)

Freddie Grimm is the Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning and Integration for Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site (SRS) near Aiken, S.C. His responsibility in this role is to assist in adapting to changing priorities and provide direction to several high-level initiatives, including landlord transition and the development of a master campus plan for SRS.
Prior to his current assignment, Grimm served as the Director for Business Planning and Integration, responsible for SRNS Project Controls, Risk Management, Continuous Improvement, Program Integration and other strategic initiatives.
Grimm also served as the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) Facility Maintenance Manager, the SRNL Facility Manager and as the Deputy Manager and Program Integration Manager for the Research Operations Department. He was the Engineering Department Manager for the Facility Support Services Division which provided engineering, waste and environmental, and project management services for SRNL as well as the SRS Central Analytical Laboratory. Grimm also served as the SRNL Chief Engineer. Most recently, he served as the Director of Research Operations for SRNL, where he had overall leadership responsibility for all nuclear as well as nonnuclear
laboratory operations.
Grimm began his career in the SRS utility and production nuclear reactor programs where he served as a manager in the engineering and maintenance organizations.
He currently serves on the Board of Directors for North Augusta Forward and on the North Carolina State University Nuclear Engineering Undergraduate Advisory Board.

Ashley Hannah

Small Business Program Manager, SRMC Supply Chain Management

Ashley Hannah manages the Small Business Program at Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC), a prime contractor at the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site (SRS) in Aiken, South Carolina. Her responsibilities include strategic planning and direction of SRMC’s Small Business Program, and developing a diverse, qualified supplier base for the SRMC mission.
Prior to her role at SRS, Ashley spent 15 years working with small business in technology-development organizations that produced advanced processes and applications for the Department of Defense, bioscience sector, and other industries. She assisted in the start-up of an incubation program and supported a start-up company investment initiative for the growth of bioscience and technology-based small business development in the state of South Carolina. During this time, she supported the
establishment of a biotechnology agreement with sister-state Queensland, Australia, and the expansion of a statewide industry association where she served on the Executive Board. She led a coalition representing the state of South Carolina with bioscience industry leadership and supported the establishment of an Industry Advisory Board to support small business expansion across the state.

David Hepner

APEX Procurement Counselor, Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute

Mr. Hepner is an APEX Procurement Counselor in the Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute. He advises Georgia businesses on strategies for identifying and applying for contracting opportunities with Government agencies and other prime contractors.
Previously Mr. Hepner served as a Senior Account Executive with Acuity International focusing on the Department of Energy nationwide and their contractors. He was successful in obtaining several opportunities during his tenure.
Prior to that, Mr. Hepner was with AWD Management Systems and VMX Management Solutions as the VP of Contracts and Business Development.
Mr. Hepner spent 37 years with the US Department of Energy. He was the Director of Acquisition Operations in the Office of Acquisition Management. His organization developed, implemented, and managed local policies and procedures, performed contract review of procurements, managed property, and oversaw contractor human resources functions as part of DOE’s contract administration. He served as the primary advisor on business and community diversification programs and technology management. His organization coordinated with stakeholders on issues of worker and community transition, public and private educational institutions, local, state, and regional planning boards/commissions, chambers of commerce, and economic development organizations. He also interfaced with Federal, state, and local agencies, elected representatives, public interest groups, and concerned citizens on issues involving the Savannah River Site.
Mr. Hepner was a warranted FAC-C Level III Contracting Officer awarding and administering contracts and financial assistance instruments (grants and cooperative agreements) for DOE. He had responsibility for Liquid Waste, Paramilitary Security Services, as well as numerous support services contracts. He has participated in several contracting activities through the years using innovation and strived to break down barriers to accomplishing work and win-win solutions. Mr. Hepner received the Secretary of Energy’s Gold Award, the Department’s highest honor, and he remains the only Savannah River Site employee to receive this honor.
He currently resides in Appling, Georgia with his wife, Karen.

Jerome Hicks

Procurement Manager, Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC)

Jerome Hicks is the Procurement Manager for Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC). He oversees the Supply Chain Management Buying team awarding over $200 million subcontracting opportunities annually.
Prior to his role at SRMC, he worked as Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Contracts Division Director and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Contracts Division Director.
Jerome has more than 40 years of experience as a procurement professional. He began his career as a Contracts Specialist in the United States Air Force, has worked as a Procurement Specialist in support of the U. S. Naval Nuclear Reactors Program and as a Procurement Administrator in support of Facility Operations and Maintenance Services for the U. S. Department of Energy Savannah River Site.
Jerome has received numerous honors and awards throughout his procurement career including the Midwest Research Institute/Battelle/Bechtel Chairman’s Award, the DOE Secretary of Energy Award for Reduction of GSO Balances, U. S. Air Force Pricing Achievement Award, U. S. Air Force Commendation Medal, U. S. Air Force Achievement Medal, and U. S. Air Force Good Conduct Medal.

Jay Johnson

Deputy Senior Vice President, Business Services and Chief Contracting Officer, SRNS

Jay Johnson serves as the Deputy Senior Vice President of Business Services & Chief Contracting Officer responsible for Contracts, Supply Chain, Finance & Accounting, Project Controls, Strategic Improvement & Innovation, with a workforce exceeding 700 personnel for the Management and Operations contract at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Savannah River Site. He serves as the Chief Contracting Officer with oversight of the $28B prime contract, $1.7B in annual acquisitions, and $2B in material assets. Prior to this role, Jay served as the Deputy Vice President of Contracts & Supply Chain, Senior Director of Contracts, Director of Supply Chain Operations, Director of Procurement, and Senior Manager of Programs Integration. Jay led SRNS to receive 20 national and regional awards for small business advocacy and development. He navigated the company through a myriad of complex contractual issues and negotiated a $10B prime contract extension with the federal government and awarded a $11B subcontract for the engineering, procurement, and construction of the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility.Prior to joining SRNS, Jay served in increasing roles of responsibility to include Sourcing Manager and Material Operations Manager for Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), the nation’s largest military shipbuilding company. His organization executed $1.2B in procurements including $600M in capital construction subcontracts. He led supply chain operations, delivering complex technical and engineered service subcontracts for construction, research and development, and design equipment for the nuclear-powered Nimitz and Ford Class aircraft carriers and Virginia Class submarines for the U.S. Navy. Jay has been recognized with awards for innovative leadership: DOE HQ’s FMC Procurement Director of the Year for three consecutive years (FY17-19); Georgia MSDC Supply Chain Advocate of the Year (2018-19); HII’s Contracts, Pricing & Supply Chain Management Leadership Award; and recognized as a Virginia Hampton Road’s Top 40 Under 40 Business Leaders. Jay is a Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM), a member of the National Contracts Management Association, and chairs the EFCOG Supply Chain Working Group. Jay serves as a Board member for the United Way of the CSRA and the First Tee of Augusta. He honorably served his country as an U.S. Air Force officer.

Ajay Joshi

Supply Chain Director, Fluor

Ajay currently serves the Supply Chain Director for Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility (SRPPF).  He has been with Fluor since 2003 where he worked in various roles and responsibilities – from Project Engineer on Power Projects to Fabrication Manager overseeing work at Fabricators Shop, to Regional Director of Supply Chain in Asia-Pacific.  Prior to Fluor, he served in the United States Navy as Civil Engineer Corps (CEC) and worked for consulting firms specializing in Geotechnical Design and Materials Testing. He carries a BS and ME in Engineering and an MBA as well as various professional accreditations.
One of the proudest moments was his service during combat operations for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. This intense experience of war taught him invaluable lessons about resilience, teamwork, and prioritizing what truly matters.

Andrew Lively

Lead Procurement Specialist, Battelle Savannah River Alliance,LLC at Savannah River National Lab (SRNL)

Andrew has been at the Savannah River Site for over 15 years employed first as a subcontractor, then for SRR (Savannah River Remediation-Liquid Waste Contractor), before shifting to Savannah River National Laboratory (first for SRNS and now for BSRA).  While at SRS he has served in various capacities from Materials Management, Field Procurement, as well as Procurement Specialist focusing on design components and various services.  For the last 2+ years he has led the Procurement Workstream on Project Mustang (SRNL’s implementation of Oracle Cloud ERP).

Hector I. Lopez-De Jesus

Procurement Director of SRPPF, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC

Education:
Southern Wesleyan University
Bachelor of Science, Business Administration

Experience:
Hector has 25 years of progressive experience in federal government procurements. For the last 16 years he has served in increasing roles of responsibility at the Savannah River Site. He currently serves as Procurement Director for the NNSA Savannah River Pit Production Facility (SRPPF). Hector is responsible for purchasing services and materials, creating, and implementing procurement policies and maintaining vendor relationships.
Previously he served as Compliance and Systems Manager for the Liquid Waste Contractor, Construction Procurement Manager for SRS M&O Contractor, and Senior Procurement Manager for the NNSA MOX Project. Before moving to Aiken SC, Hector served 10 years on active duty in the US Air Force at various military facilities, where he served as a Contract Specialist/Contracting Officer.

Doug McCrary

Director, Supply Chain, SRMC

Doug McCrary is the Supply Chain Management Director for Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC). As Director, he oversees all supply chain activities including Field Procurement Engineering & Materials Access Center, Procurement Management, Subcontract Management, Property Management, Compliance & Procurement Systems, and Small Business Program efforts. SRMC’s Supply Chain team manages over $200 million annual spend in support of SRMC operations and the liquid waste mission at the Savannah River Site.
Doug has over 40 years’ experience in supply chain at both DOE contractor sites and commercial industry. He has served as Supply Chain Director at four DOE contractor sites: Kansas City, Pantex, Los Alamos National Laboratory and Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC). Also, he has been co-chair of the Supply Chain Management Center (SCMC) advisory council and vice-chair of DOE’s Contractor Supply Chain Council (CSCC). He has maintained various roles in commercial industry with Honeywell International and BWX Technologies, Inc. in supply chain operations.

Michael Mikolanis

Manager, NNSA Savannah River Field Office (SRFO)

Michael A. Mikolanis is the Manager of NNSA’s Savannah River Field Office (SRFO), a position he has held March 2024. As the SRFO Manager, he leads a team of approximately 50 Federal employees in managing and operating contracts with an annual budget of $2.9 billion, and a contract workforce of over 5,000 people. He is responsible for the implementation of national security and nonproliferation missions by providing oversight of program management, nuclear operations, security, quality assurance, environment, safety and health, and the overall execution of key mission deliverables. He is a member of the Senior Executive Service.
Before coming to SRFO, Mr. Mikolanis served as the Manager of the Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office (EM-LA) from August 2021 to March 2024. His primary responsibility was to oversee the safe, efficient legacy waste cleanup from the Manhattan Project and Cold War-era operations at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). This included the shipment of transuranic waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in Carlsbad, New Mexico, and soil and groundwater remediation programs. Additionally, he led the planning and preparation for future below-ground waste remediation at LANL with the EM-LA team and legacy waste cleanup contractor. Stakeholder, community, and pueblo engagement was a top priority for Mr. Mikolanis, and under his leadership, EM-LA has enhanced and increased outreach and public participation opportunities.
Previously Mr. Mikolanis served as Assistant Manager for Nuclear Material Stabilization at the Savannah River Site (SRS) for four years. In this capacity, he was responsible for providing overall leadership and direction of activities related to the receipt, storage, stabilization, and disposition of nuclear materials, spent nuclear fuel, byproducts, and activities associated with the Savannah River National Laboratory and multiple SRS analytical laboratories.
Mr. Mikolanis has held other leadership positions at SRS, including Assistant Manager for Infrastructure and Environmental Stewardship, Site Chief Engineer, and Waste Disposition Engineering Division Director. Prior to SRS, he served as a Departmental Representative Issue Lead in the Office of the Undersecretary of Energy, where he was responsible for overseeing engineering and nuclear safety activities at facilities that treat and dispose of legacy transuranic waste and liquid high-level radioactive waste.
He has held leadership positions with Bechtel Power Corporation and the U.S. Navy. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering from Purdue University and a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is a professional engineer, licensed in the state of Maryland.

Siva Nadarajah

Deputy Project Director for the EPC delivery of the SRPPF Project

Siva Nadarajah is a Vice President, Project Director of Fluor Corporation’s Mission Solutions business line. He has been assigned to the Savannah River site since September 2022 and is presently Fluor’s Deputy Project Director for the EPC delivery of the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility (SRPPF) Project.  Siva has been with Fluor for 28 years and has more than three decades of experience in delivery of capital projects in the Government sector, as well as Oil & Gas, Mining and Infrastructure industries.  He has a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Rice University in Houston and a Master’s degree in International Construction Management from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in Texas and a PMI-certified Project Management Professional.

Nicola Ohaegbu

Senior Small Business Advocate, OSDBU

Nicola Ohaegbu is a Senior Small Business Advocate within the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. Nicola analyzes and interprets contracting policies and directives and provides guidance and assistance to program offices across the Department of Energy (DOE). One of Nicola’s principal duties is to advocate and negotiate for maximum prime and subcontract procurement opportunities for all small businesses.
Prior to DOE, Nicola worked for the U.S. Army Medical Research Material Command – Office of Small Business Programs. Her dedication earned her the Army’s FY 2015 Small Business Specialist of the Year Award for Exceptional Service.
Nicola has a Master of Arts in Pastoral Counselling from Liberty University, a Master of Business Administration from Mount St. Mary’s University, and a Bachelor of Science in General Studies from Northwestern University. Nicola is Level III certified in the Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting Program.
Finally, Nicola served honorably in the U.S. Navy.

Miguel Ortiz

Director of Procurement, Battelle Savannah River Alliance (BSRA)

Miguel Ortiz currently serves as the Procurement Director for Battelle Savannah River Alliance at the Savannah River National Laboratory. Before this, he was a Procurement Manager at Los Alamos National Laboratory, overseeing strategic procurement actions worth $200 million annually . Miguel began his procurement career as an enlisted Contract Administrator for the U.S. Air Force in 2005, earning several awards . He holds an A.A.S. in Contract Management from the Community College of the Air Force, a B.A. in Psychology from the College of Santa Fe, and an M.P.S. in Legal Studies from George Washington University.

Cristina Paredes

Executive Director, SC Nexus

Cristina Paredes is the Executive Director of SC Nexus, South Carolina’s TechHub for Advanced Resilient Energy. SC Nexus leads technology-driven economic development, advancing energy innovation to build a resilient energy value chain that enhances national security and global competitiveness. Under Cristina’s leadership, SC Nexus drives lab-to-market solutions, attracting cutting-edge companies and research to South Carolina.
With over 20 years of experience in economic development, Cristina is a nationally recognized leader in fostering partnerships, securing funding, and implementing policies that accelerate innovation. She has successfully guided major projects, including regional innovation labs and advanced manufacturing facilities, earning accolades for her ability to deliver impactful results. Her achievements have been highlighted through multiple awards, including recognition as one of North America’s Top 50 Economic Developers.
Cristina holds a Master’s in Public Administration and is pursuing a Master of Legal Studies in Environmental and Energy Law. In her free time, Cristina enjoys running, playing golf, and cheering on her alma mater, the Florida State Seminoles. Go Noles!

Myra Reece

Director, S.C. Department of Environmental Services

Myra Reece serves as Director of the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES), overseeing bureaus of Air Quality, Coastal Management, Land and Waste Management, Regional and Laboratory Services, and Water. As Interim Director, Myra works collaboratively with state and federal agencies, local governments, businesses and communities to ensure protection of South Carolina’s natural resources while balancing the state’s economic and environmental interests.
Myra served in leadership roles with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) for more than 30 years. She was Regional Office Director and Chief of the Bureau of Air Quality prior to becoming DHEC’s Director of Environmental Affairs.
She currently serves as the Chair of WaterSC, as SCDES is the lead coordinating agency for that statewide water planning initiative. In the summer of 2022, Myra was named president of the Environmental Council of States (ECOS), the national non-profit, non-partisan association of state and territorial environmental agency leaders. ECOS plays a critical role in facilitating a quality relationship among federal and state agencies across the country. Myra previously served in leadership roles with ECOS as Planning Committee Chair, Secretary-Treasurer, and Vice President. As “past-president” of ECOS, she continues to be a part of important national conversations about successes and challenges of protecting human health and the environment.
Myra received a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Clemson University and a master’s degree in public health from the University of South Carolina. She is also a graduate of the Management Academy for Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a graduate of the Southern Center of Excellence in Environmental Health at Emory University and has obtained professional certification as a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager.

Lisa Tanner

Senior Manager, Supply Chain Excellence, Small Business Liaison Officer, SRNS

Supply Chain Senior Manager at SRNS. 30+ years of Supply Chain Management experience. BA from Averett University and MBA from Saint Leo University. Prior to SRNS worked in the commercial manufacturing sector. Served 10 years active duty in the U.S. Navy. Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), Certified in Planning and Inventory Management (CPIM), Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM) and Certified Six Sigma Green Belt.

Daren Timmons

Director, Industrial and Strategic Partnerships, SRNL

Daren Timmons is the director of Industrial and Strategic Partnerships at Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL). In this role, Timmons works directly with SRNL staff, industrial partners, and the Department of Energy (DOE) to identify SRNL innovations that will advance the economic, energy and national security interests of the nation. He works to accelerate the transition of those innovations into deployment by industry and eventually into the marketplace.
Timmons has held multiple positions within academia, including as the provost and executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of South Carolina Aiken (USC Aiken) and as the dean of the College of Sciences and Engineering. During his seven years at USC Aiken, he helped strengthen the university in a variety of areas by providing critical support and impactful leadership, enhancing the university’s academic portfolio and industry connectivity. Prior to USC Aiken, Timmons was the John C. Allen ’62 Institute Professor and head of the chemistry department at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), where he developed new liquid crystal materials and metal-organic frameworks. While at VMI, he received the VMI Meritorious Service Medal.
Timmons also sat on the Academic Program Advisory Committee for the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, the Chief Academic Officers Board, and the Council on Public Liberal Arts Colleges Finance Committee. He also served as a chair of the board for Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness.
Timmons has a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Duke University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in chemistry from Texas A&M University.

Debby Whitehead

Sr. Manager, Small Business Program Manager, SRPPF Project

Debby Whitehead is the Small Business Program Manager for the SRPPF Project. She has over 25 years of experience at DOE sites, with a background in Procurement, Project Controls and Communications. She has 16+ years of experience in Supplier Diversity and Small Business Programs in support of contract requirements and FAR Regulations.
Debby has previously been located at the Idaho National Lab, Idaho Cleanup Project and the Strategic Petroleum Reserves. She has worked on Fluor projects for 10 years.
Debby has a passion for Community Advocacy and has been on the boards of many different charities and cultural organizations, such as the Salvation Army and Big Brothers/Big Sisters as well as art’s councils and museums.
She grew up in Idaho and loved outdoor sports of all kinds but is enjoying the southern climate and the opportunity to not have to wear 4 layers of clothing for 9 months of the year.