Executive Council Directory

Peggy McCullough is a Senior vice President of Bechtel Group responsible for a portfolio of nuclear security sites and projects executing more than $5 billion in work annually including management and operation of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Y-12, Pantex and Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc. She is also President of Bechtel power with responsibility for Bechtel’s commercial nuclear power business world-wide.

Projects within her Nuclear Security and Operations business line are responsible for safely disassembling U.S. nuclear weapons while ensuring the remaining stockpile is safe, secure, and effective. They apply national security science to a broad spectrum of endeavors from basic science to advanced research and development while modernizing aging, Cold War-era infrastructure for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration.

McCullough has more than three decades of engineering, procurement, construction, startup and commissioning, and operations experience. She became a Bechtel senior vice president in 2014 and was named general manager of Nuclear Security and Operations in December of 2017.

She joined Bechtel in 1988 and has successfully taken on leadership roles on a number of Bechtel projects covering environmental remediation, demilitarization, nonproliferation and global security.

From 2003 to 2006, McCullough was deputy general manager of Bechtel SAIC, the management and operations contractor on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Yucca Mountain Project. She then served as manager of Functions for the Bechtel division handling government work.

McCullough then served in Australia as project director of the $1.5B Daunia Coking Coal Project in Queensland where she took the project to greater than 95 percent completion under budget and ahead of schedule.

Most recently, McCullough was project director for the $16.8 billion Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant at the Department of Energy’s Hanford site in Washington state, the nation’s most complex radioactive waste treatment plant, leading the team that made significant progress toward construction completion and startup of the plant’s first phase.
Peggy holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from San Francisco State University.

Jeff Stevens is Vice President of Operations for BWX Technologies, Inc., where he oversees operations for the Technical Services Group at 14 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sites.

Mr. Stevens has 30 years’ experience in managing government and commercial delivery organizations. He has led complex nuclear programs, including the decommissioning of DOE’s three gaseous diffusion facilities in Oak Ridge, Tenn., which spanned 4.9 million square feet and housed more than 328 million pounds of radioactively-contaminated material; the

Savannah River Site’s Waste Management organization; and the Rocky Flats decommissioning program. Jeff has implemented cultural change, overhead reductions, corporate restructuring/integration and infrastructure development.  During his career, Mr. Stevens has led more than 100 decontamination and decommissioning, waste management and remediation projects at more than 60 nuclear/radiological sites, integrated decommissioning programs in 400 facilities, decommissioned more than 150 facilities, remediated 65 sites, and made more than 12,000 waste shipments.

A graduate of the Colorado School of Mines, Mr. Stevens holds a Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering, with minors in Metallurgical Engineering and Mineral Economics. He served as Lieutenant in the United States Navy, where he was selected for the elite Navy Nuclear Propulsion Program, earning engineering officer certification from the Navy and the Department of Energy.

Michael Lempke is president of the Nuclear and Environmental Group at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Technical Solutions division. He is responsible for HII’s work in nuclear operations; nuclear engineering and design; project management; environmental services; nuclear production facilities; site remediation and waste management; infrastructure, ecological and health and safety support; records management; and fabrication services.

 Lempke previously served as vice president of energy programs at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division, where he was responsible for overseeing Department of Energy programs, as well as commercial nuclear and industrial products businesses, and formulating strategy to yield new energy and inorganic growth markets.

 Before joining Newport News Shipbuilding in June 2016, Lempke was vice president of Integrated Strategic Decision Support at Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc., and held positions of increasing responsibility within the Department of Energy. In 2012, he was named associate principal deputy administrator for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and the associate administrator for infrastructure and operations. Prior to that, he had a long and successful career at Naval Reactors, where he held senior leadership positions including manager of the Naval Reactors Laboratory Field Office, and director of Acquisitions at Naval Reactors Headquarters. Lempke also served as a Navy Supply Corps officer in the United States Navy.

 Lempke earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Arizona State University and a master’s degree in acquisitions management from The George Washington University. He holds certificates in negotiation and influence and international business strategy from Georgetown University. Upon retirement from government service in 2014, he was awarded the NNSA Gold Medal of Excellence for Distinguished Service.

 Huntington Ingalls Industries is America’s largest military shipbuilding company and a provider of professional services to partners in government and industry. For more than a century, HII’s Newport News and Ingalls shipbuilding divisions in Virginia and Mississippi have built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder. HII’s Technical Solutions division provides a wide range of professional services through its Fleet Support, Integrated Missions Solutions, Nuclear and Environmental, and Oil and Gas groups. Headquartered in Newport News, Virginia, HII employs nearly 37,000 people operating both domestically and internationally.

Eric Freeman is the Operation Manager for the $900 million Integrated Missions Operation providing critical mission infrastructure, scientific, engineering, construction, logistics, and other support functions and services for the Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), and National Science Foundation (NSF). For the DOE and NNSA, Mr. Freeman manages the Leidos joint venture partnerships that execute environmental and national security missions for the Mission Support Alliance in Hanford, WA and the Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC at the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, TX and the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, TN. His portfolio includes the NSF Antarctic Support Contract, which provides all NSF construction and mission support in Antarctica. Mr. Freeman’s organization supports hundreds of energy and environmental contracts for nearly 20 customers across Federal, Department of Defense (DOD), and Civil departments.

In his previous position, Mr. Freeman was the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Operation (C4ISR) Manager, for a $750 million business that built solutions for the DOD. He led a 3,000-member organization across four divisions, ranging from $100 million to $300 million each. The C4ISR Operation had multiple programs of record in the maritime, command and control, training and analytical domains.

Mr. Freeman also served as the Deputy President for the $1.3 billion Advanced Solutions Group at Leidos. The group included more than 4,000 technical specialists – a large fraction with advanced degrees – in areas including multi-spectral, airborne, ground, and maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance collection and processing systems; advanced processing and sensor design; and associated training, command and control. Additionally, Mr. Freeman was the Vice President and Deputy Operations Manager for the National Intelligence Solutions Operation. As the deputy, he shared responsibility for the business area supporting the National Security Agency, the National Reconnaissance Office, and other members of the Intelligence Community. Mr. Freeman has been with Leidos since 2008.

Mr. Freeman retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the United States Air Force, where he was the Deputy Director for Systems Engineering, Ground Systems Program Office, National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). He held a variety of engineering, management, and intelligence officer positions in the Air Force. Mr. Freeman holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Arkansas and a master’s degree in systems management from the University of Southern California.

Dr. Kelly Beierschmitt serves as the Deputy Laboratory Director for Operations at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The Laboratory is a principal contributor to the U.S. Department of Energy mission to maintain the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile. Los Alamos uses innovative science and technology to enhance global nuclear security and protect the world. Los Alamos has an annual operating budget of approximately $2.7 billion, roughly 12,000 employees, and a nearly 40-square-mile site featuring some of the most specialized scientific equipment and supporting infrastructure in the world.

Kelly has worked more than 30 years in the service of critical DOE missions. Most recently, he was the Deputy Laboratory Director for Science and Technology and Chief Research Officer for Idaho National Laboratory (INL) where he had responsibility for setting the scientific and engineering agenda and overseeing the research, development, demonstration and deployment of the critical missions for the laboratory.

Prior to joining INL, Kelly worked at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for 13 years where he served as Associate Laboratory Director for both the Neutron Sciences and the Nuclear Science and Technology Directorates. He also served as ORNL’s Director of Environment, Safety, Health and Quality. Kelly moved to Oak Ridge from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory where he held several roles both in the sciences and support functions.

Kelly began his career at the Pantex Plant, where he served as a nuclear explosives engineer, developed some of the earliest Safety Analysis Reports, retooled high explosives operations and developed one of the earliest Master Safeguards and Security Agreements. Kelly’s entire career has emphasized the synergistic integration of science, technology and engineering with operational excellence to ensure effective mission delivery in a wide array of research and development environments – ranging from forefront experimental research in physical sciences to developmental engineering requiring hazardous nuclear operations.

Kelly has a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering (Risk, Reliability Engineering) from Texas Tech University and a BSc in Engineering Mathematics from West Texas A&M University. He is a registered Professional Engineer, Certified Safety Professional in Comprehensive Practice, and a member of the American Nuclear Society, Materials Research Society, and other professional societies.

Misty D. Mayes, the CEO of Management Solutions (MSLLC), has more than 30 years’ experience in energy, national defense, and various other industries in the areas of mission assurance, project delivery, and independent assessment in various programs. Unique strengths and experience include improving operational effectiveness via implementing performance assurance programs tailored to each mission and strengthening portfolio execution in project organizations.

Additional Professional Highlights

Served as the Program Manager for various USACE Headquarter, Division and District
initiatives. Portfolio Manager for various DOE (Office of Science, NNSA and EM)
programs/projects. Account Manager for all Healthcare projects within the portfolio for state and commercial clients. Executive Vice President for Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) and was responsible for Project Management/Controls.

Community Outreach Highlights

University of Tennessee College of Engineering – Has served as chair of the college’s board of advisors, since the fall of 2018. Misty has also co-chaired a new program that brings together female engineering students, female engineering faculty members and female engineers from industry to help the university attract and retain top female students and faculty.

Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) – Misty serves on the Board of Directors as well as chairing WIPP’s Leadership Advisory Council. Additionally, she is the co-chair of WIPP’s healthcare committee that is on the forefront of working with the Trump administration on trying to make sure all women business owners have a voice in the changes being made to the Affordable Care Act. She has been fortunate to be able to testify before Congress on various topics impacting woman owned businesses as well as entrepreneurship.

Restoration House of East Tennessee – On the Board since 2010, and she became the chair in 2014, Misty and her team continue to volunteer their talents and time to this worthwhile organization that provides temporary housing and a hand-up to single mothers and their children.

Personal History

Misty received her Bachelor of Science, with academic honors, from the University of Tennessee. Misty has served as a member of the University of Tennessee Tickle College of Engineering Board of Advisors. Ms. Misty is a member of the Project Management Institute and is a certified Project Management Professional. Additionally, she is a certified Lean Six Sigma professional and a Certified Change Management Professional. Misty holds an active DOE Q clearance.

As the MSTS President, Mark Martinez provides leadership and management direction for the effective and efficient execution of all operations at the Nevada National Security Site and leads development of a visionary and executable strategic plan.

Martinez has 30 years of experience managing complex and multidisciplinary nuclear, technical, business, operational and site services. He spent the past 23 years at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), most recently leading as Vice President and Principal Associate Director for Operations and Business, working to implement key strategic initiatives and operations and infrastructure improvements.

While at LLNL, Martinez gained both programmatic and operational expertise through diverse assignments and developed key relationships with employees and external stakeholders. He was a senior Test Director, responsible for executing LLNL experimental activities at the Nevada National Security Site, which encompassed comprehensive oversight of complex technical; construction; environment, safety and health; quality assurance; security; external communications; and other management functions for large-scale projects.  He also served as the Program Leader for the Nuclear Materials Technology Program, the Nevada Experiments and Operations Acting Program Leader, and the Deputy Principal Associate Director in the Weapons & Complex Integration.

Martinez has a strong background leading transformations. At LLNL’s Weapons and Complex Integration, he strengthened the rigor and changed the culture to a high-performing team. In addition, the National Nuclear Security Administration requested Martinez’s leadership in leading improvements in multi-nation nuclear defense experiments in Nevada.

William J. (Jim) Vosburg, Ed.D., serves as Director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE). He leads a multifunctional mission implementing all elements of the ORISE performance areas, including STEM workforce development, scientific and technical resource integration, human subject health and protection surveillance, independent environmental assessment and verification and operations of the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site. Vosburg also serves as a Senior Vice President/Corporate Officer of ORAU, the managing contractor for ORISE.

Prior to leading ORISE, Vosburg served as a Senior Manager for the DOE National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Secure Transportation. He was responsible for all corporate workforce development and education for multiple operational sites nationwide. He established core international and interagency partnerships with the United Kingdom Royal Marines and with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.

Vosburg holds a bachelor of science degree in Workforce Education and Development from Southern Illinois University and a doctor of education degree in Human Resource Development from Vanderbilt University. He serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management and the University of Tennessee’s Haslam College of Business.

Vosburg is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force having served as a security forces officer within the Pacific Air Forces Command and the Air Force Materiel Command.

As Business Manager and Chief Financial Officer for Savannah River Remediation LLC, Sandra Fairchild is responsible for all aspects of financial, procurement, contract, information technology and budget management affecting SRR, the Liquid Waste Contractor located at the Savannah River Site (SRS). The current contract value is $3.1 billion.

Ms. Fairchild has over 28 years of diversified experience in the fields of technical planning and controls management, procurement, contracts administration, accounting, earned value management, pension and benefits administration, information technology including cyber security, risk management and governmental negotiations. She is licensed by the state of South Carolina as a certified public accountant.

Prior to her current position, Ms. Fairchild was Chief Financial Officer for Washington Savannah River Company (WSRC) Liquid Waste contract and Management and Operations organizations. In these positions, her responsibilities involved the oversight of $1 billion annual operating programs with highly diverse missions.

During her career, she has held positions of increasing financial management responsibilities, including WSRC Operations Business Unit controller, with responsibilities for financial oversight of $500 million construction projects, and WSRC Closure Business Unit controller, where she had responsibilities for financial oversight of Environmental Management and National Nuclear Security Administration programs.

Prior to working at SRS, Ms. Fairchild was senior auditor for the South Carolina State Auditors Office. In that capacity, she had responsibility for oversight of companies receiving federal or state funding.

Ms. Fairchild is an honorary lifetime member of the Aiken Junior Women’s Club, a member of the Aiken High School Booster Club and serves as Treasurer for the Aiken Technical College Foundation.

Education

• College of Charleston Bachelor of Science, Business Administration
• Certified Public Accountant

As Business Manager and Chief Financial Officer for Savannah River Remediation LLC, Sandra Fairchild is responsible for all aspects of financial, procurement, contract, information technology and budget management affecting SRR, the Liquid Waste Contractor located at the Savannah River Site (SRS). The current contract value is $3.1 billion.

Ms. Fairchild has over 28 years of diversified experience in the fields of technical planning and controls management, procurement, contracts administration, accounting, earned value management, pension and benefits administration, information technology including cyber security, risk management and governmental negotiations. She is licensed by the state of South Carolina as a certified public accountant.

Prior to her current position, Ms. Fairchild was Chief Financial Officer for Washington Savannah River Company (WSRC) Liquid Waste contract and Management and Operations organizations. In these positions, her responsibilities involved the oversight of $1 billion annual operating programs with highly diverse missions.

During her career, she has held positions of increasing financial management responsibilities, including WSRC Operations Business Unit controller, with responsibilities for financial oversight of $500 million construction projects, and WSRC Closure Business Unit controller, where she had responsibilities for financial oversight of Environmental Management and National Nuclear Security Administration programs.

Prior to working at SRS, Ms. Fairchild was senior auditor for the South Carolina State Auditors Office. In that capacity, she had responsibility for oversight of companies receiving federal or state funding.

Ms. Fairchild is an honorary lifetime member of the Aiken Junior Women’s Club, a member of the Aiken High School Booster Club and serves as Treasurer for the Aiken Technical College Foundation.

Education

• College of Charleston Bachelor of Science, Business Administration
• Certified Public Accountant