ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Media representatives are invited to a press conference with Sandia National Laboratories President and Labs Director Tom Hunter and his successor, President and Labs Director-designee Paul Hommert, just before Sandia’s biannual State of the Labs presentation Tuesday, June 15.
Marking a historic transition for Sandia, Hunter and Hommert will give a joint presentation highlighting the labs’ developing role in addressing the broad national security challenges of the future and detailing how Sandia will remain relevant to the nation’s security and the Albuquerque community.
News media representatives are asked to call 505-844-4902 if planning to attend the press conference and the State of the Labs presentation Tuesday, June 15. Hunter and Hommert will answer media questions starting at 5:15 p.m. at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, 1701 Fourth St. SW, Albuquerque. The press conference will be in the Roy B. Disney Center for Performing Arts just outside the Bank of America Film Theatre. Media attending the briefing should be set up by 5 p.m. The State of the Labs presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Albuquerque Journal Theatre. More information about the briefing and event is available from Heather Clark (505-844-3511).
Sandia announced in May that Hunter will retire July 9, ending a 43-year career at the labs and five years at the helm. Hunter’s tenure saw Sandia’s mission expand from mainly nuclear weapons work to diverse missions focusing on a broad range of national security challenges. Hunter will discuss those changing security missions, including global nuclear threats, terrorism, cyber security, energy security and the nation’s economic competitiveness.
Hommert, currently executive vice president and deputy laboratories director for the nuclear weapons program, has said he hopes to bring long-term stability and focus to Sandia’s now-diversified missions. Hommert, who has been with the labs for 34 years, will discuss how Sandia’s missions are evolving to meet the nation’s future challenges. He also will take a look ahead at emerging science and technology that may result in applications a decade or more from now.
Hunter and Hommert will highlight Sandia’s economic impact on Albuquerque, New Mexico and the communities surrounding Sandia’s Livermore, Calif., location, the labs’ partnerships with industry, small businesses and universities and Sandia’s support for science, math, engineering and technology education and local schools.
Biographies of Hunter and Hommert can be found here.
Sandia National Laboratories is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. With main facilities in Albuquerque, N.M., and Livermore, Calif., Sandia has major R&D responsibilities in national security, energy and environmental technologies, and economic competitiveness.
Sandia news media contact: Heather Clark, hclark@sandia.gov (505) 844-3511