Biography

Michael H. Schlender
Chief Operating Officer and Associate Laboratory Director
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Michael Schlender is Chief Operations Officer and Associate Laboratory Director for Operational Systems at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, a VPP Star Site operated by Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy. He is the current Chair of the National Laboratory Directors Council, Chief Operating Officers' Working Group. At PNNL, Mike is responsible for nuclear and non-nuclear facility stewardship; security; quality; environment, safety and health; and operational performance assurance. His has served in this capacity since 2008.

Beginning in 2004 he served PNNL as Director of Facilities and Operations and then later as Lab Deputy Director for Operations. Starting in 2000, Mr. Schlender served on assignment to the US Department of Energy as the Richland Operations Office as Deputy Site Manager. Prior to his role at DOE Richland Operations Mr. Schlender was selected to lead environmental remediation and waste management programs for Brookhaven National Laboratory as Assistant Laboratory Director, following the termination by Secretary Pena of the incumbent Management and Operations contractor as a result of the High Flux Beam Reactor fuel pool leak. 

Joining PNNL in 1992, Mike has served in a number of senior relationship management and project management positions. Prior to PNNL he served as Program Manager and Senior Project Manager, respectively for Golder Associates in Sydney, Australia, and Golder Associates USA, conducting hazardous waste site investigations and cleanup work in the United States, Canada, Southeast Asia and Australia. 

He holds a B.S. degree in Chemistry/Biochemistry and a M.S. degree in Chemistry/Environmental Science.

2013 ISM Workshop Contributor Video: