OAK RIDGE, Tenn. - On February 15, eight employees from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge Office were recognized at an awards ceremony for earning the Secretary’s Appreciation Award, one of the federal agency’s highest internal recognitions. The award honors employees who ‘go above and beyond the call of duty in their work endeavors.'

Oak Ridge’s recipients were members of the Source Evaluation Board (SEB) who managed the procurement selection process for the new East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) cleanup, decontamination and decommissioning contract. The board’s efforts led to the award of the $2.2 billion contract in ten months, exceeding all previously established milestone schedules. The team developed new acquisition processes that expedited the contract’s schedule and may be applied to future DOE acquisitions.

Recipients of the Secretary’s Appreciation Award include Jay Mullis, SEB Chair, Office of Environmental Management; Wendy Bryant, Office of Chief Counsel; Timothy Hertzel, Financial Evaluation and Accountability Division; Heather Houk, Procurement and Contracts Division; Carol Jennings, Procurement and Contracts Division; Mildred Lopez-Ferre, Office of the Assistant Manager for Environment, Safety and Health; Karen Shears, Procurement and Contracts Division; and Russell Vranicar, Office of Environmental Management.

“These employees are very deserving of this great honor for their accomplishment,” said ORO Manager John Eschenberg. “To complete a contract of this size and complexity in ten months, with our numerous regulations and criteria, reveals the outstanding knowledge and experience of this team.”

Tom D’Agostino, undersecretary for nuclear security and administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration, presided over the ceremony, which included leadership from the Oak Ridge Office and UCOR.