Glenn Podonsky - Chief Health, Safety and Security Officer
Mr. Glenn S. Podonsky is the Energy Department's Chief Health, Safety and Security Officer. He reports directly to the Office of the Secretary of Energy and manages the major staff organizations responsible for health, safety, and security policy development, assistance, training, enforcement, and the development and deployment of new security technology. He also is responsible for the independent oversight of environment, safety, and health, safeguards and security, cyber security, and emergency management programs within the Department and the National Nuclear Security Administration. Mr. Podonsky's independent oversight program is the only one of its kind within the executive branch of the government, which has become an important catalyst for dramatic improvements and substantial savings in safety and security. His office also operates the National Training Center, a center for safety and security training designed to ensure appropriate and effective training of federal and contractor personnel involved in protecting vital national resources.
Over the past 25 years with the Department of Energy, Mr. Podonsky has held a number of senior positions of ever increasing positive influence on departmental operations; from Director of the Office of Security Evaluations, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oversight, Director of the Office of Independent Oversight and Performance Assurance, Director of the Office of Security and Safety Performance Assurance, to the position he now holds.
As Director of the Office of Security and Safety Performance Assurance, he was responsible for providing direction for the development and promulgation of the Energy Department's security policies, deployment of technical assistance, and independent oversight of safety and security. As Director of the Office of Independent Oversight and Performance Assurance, he was responsible for the independent oversight of the Department's nation-wide nuclear safeguards, security, cyber security, emergency management, and environment, safety, and health programs.
As Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Oversight from December 1994 to May 1999, Mr. Podonsky was responsible for establishing and directing the Department's independent oversight of environment, safety and health, and safeguards and security programs. At this time, the Department placed all oversight activities under one organization, to ensure a more effective, meaningful approach to the oversight of health, safety, and security. His office also was instrumental in the development of the Integrated Safety Management concept, designed to systematically integrate safety into management and work practices at all organizational levels.
Before serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oversight, Mr. Podonsky served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Security Evaluations, responsible for directing the Department's independent nuclear safeguards and security oversight program, which served as the Secretary's principal focal point within the Department of Energy for all safeguards and security inspection and evaluation matters.
Prior to joining the Department of Energy in 1984, Mr. Podonsky served as a nuclear materials inspector and conducted analytical evaluations of the nonproliferation programs of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency member states, including Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. In 1979, as a private consultant, he was responsible for completing a study of the technical qualifications required for nuclear power plant operators in order to mitigate a Three Mile Island type nuclear accident. While at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, he served as a licensing official for the non-power reactor program.
