ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sandia President and Laboratories Director Paul Hommert announced to employees today that he plans to retire in mid-summer, five years after becoming Sandia’s 13th director.
Under Hommert’s leadership, Sandia has delivered on a wide variety of national security work and increased its already large economic and community impact on Albuquerque and the region through the labs’ technology transfer, small business programs, employee volunteerism and donations.
“The technical performance of our institution on a range of products in the nuclear weapons program has been outstanding,” Hommert said. “Sandia has made game-changing technical contributions to a wide range of national security programs, as well as diverse and sustained contributions to international security. Sandia has continued to bring its scientific and engineering depth to solving dynamic challenges in energy security. All these accomplishments and others form the basis of the laboratories’ future.
“The process to name my successor is well underway and will be complete in time to support a smooth leadership transition,” he said. “The timing for my retirement is consistent with commitments made to the Sandia Board of Directors and my family when I accepted this position some five years ago.”
Hommert also noted that Sandia has met budget and schedule goals for an unprecedented three major nuclear weapons update projects, including the B61-12 Life Extension Project.
“Under Paul’s leadership, Sandia has excelled in carrying out research and development to ensure America’s economic and technological competitiveness while advancing key initiatives across the nuclear security enterprise,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz. “Paul has promoted innovative approaches to new and challenging scenarios. I want to thank Paul for his many years of service to Sandia and dedication to our nation.”
In an internal memo to employees today, Hommert reflected on his years of service at Sandia.
“As I look back on my career, I have been truly blessed to spend so much of it at this great institution, among such talented and dedicated people,” Hommert wrote. “Preparing for the next phase in my life, I know that I will take pride in your future accomplishments for I will always be a Sandian.”
Since Hommert became Sandia president and labs director in 2010, Sandia has experienced mission growth and a workforce increase to more than 10,000. And employee contributions to the United Way and volunteer work for dozens of worthwhile local causes have steadily increased.
In 2013, Hommert was named Laboratory Director of the Year by the Federal Laboratory Consortium for his support of Sandia’s technology transfer activities. The award recognizes federal laboratories and their industry partners for outstanding technology transfer efforts and has become one of the most prestigious honors in technology transfer.
Hommert began his career at Sandia as technical staff member in 1976 and moved into positions of increasing program and management responsibility. He later served in leadership positions at the Atomic Weapons Establishment in the United Kingdom and at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He returned to Sandia as vice president of Sandia’s California site in 2006 and was named executive vice president and deputy laboratories director for the Nuclear Weapons Program in 2009. His full biography is available here.