The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) has awarded Pam Marks of Savannah River Site the 2020 Federal Project Director of the Year Award for her work on a first of its kind $2.3 billion nuclear facility.
According to a release by the DOE, the award was presented by Senior Advisor William “Ike” White during a visit at the site on Dec. 2, and she received her award for her role as the federal project director of the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF). It was designed to treat more than 30 million gallons of radioactive waste generated by nuclear material production operations at the site during the Cold War.
“The SWPF is the final piece of the liquid waste program and will allow for completion of the liquid waste mission at SRS,” White said. “Pam worked exceptionally hard to earn this top DOE-wide recognition, and her exemplary performance is a good example of what we can accomplish even in these challenging times.”
The release said that Marks was recognized for her leadership and project management expertise by White. Her leadership got the project going more than five months ahead of schedule and was also $53 million under budget. It was described as a “leap forward” for the DOE’s role in treating tank waste.
"You ensured the SWPF was rigorously tested and commissioned to allow it to process the radioactive waste effectively and efficiently, significantly reducing the life cycle of the Liquid Waste Program at SRS and saving billions of taxpayer dollars," Secretary Jennifer Granholm wrote in the award citation.
The award is given annually by the Secretary of Energy. It recognizes a federal project director who demonstrates excellence.
Marks has a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from Purdue University and a master of science in engineering administration from George Washington University. She has more than three decades worth of experience in the nuclear industry and served as the federal project director for SWPF since 2013.
