David is LATA’s Vice President of Nuclear Deterrence Program focused on supporting our nation’s ability to maintain a safe, robust and reliable nuclear deterrence. He also serves as President of Sandia Technical Partners, LLC (STP), a New Mexico-based joint venture of LATA; Strategic Management Solutions, LLC (SMSI); Innovative Technology Partnership, LLC (ITP); and Sigma Science, Inc. (SSI) – all small businesses headquartered in New Mexico. STP was formed to enhance small business participation in Sandia National Laboratory operations.
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David has more than 35 years’ experience, within the National Laboratory system conducting and managing R&D, production, and program management operations including more than 20 years of managing large scale programs, primarily in Los Alamos National Laboratory’s plutonium facility. He was the Los Alamos Production Agency technical lead for the re-establishment of the nation’s pit manufacturing capability, overseeing the development and qualification of more than 150 nuclear and non-nuclear production processes. He oversaw the successful execution of the pit and high explosive detonator production missions as the division leader of the Weapons Component Manufacturing Division along with overseeing significant improvements in equipment installations. On the program front, he served as the division leader of the Integrated Program Management Division, overseeing the Plutonium Science and Manufacturing Directorate’s $470 million budget in program and facility activities. In addition to his experience directly overseeing operations, he has extensive experience in advising and coaching organizations. This includes assisting R&D organizations with resolving conduct of operations, financial and program delivery issues as well as coordinating improvement initiatives across multiple large organizations and involving hundreds of personnel.
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David has a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Biochemistry/Biophysics from Washington State University along with a B.S. in Physical Sciences. Among the awards he has received are the Nuclear Weapons Complex Integration Award, four Los Alamos National Laboratory Pollution Prevention Awards and 11 US Defense Programs’ Awards of Excellence.