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Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Who will it be?

Time to start the betting pool for the next LANL director, now that Charlie has been shown out the door. Names already mentioned include Gibbs and Wallace, and there is a circle of ADs that are rooting for Marquez to return. Who will be the bookmakers favorite?

46 comments:

Anonymous said...

It could be Wallace. It could be Webster. It could be Kim Buddill. It could be Leasure.

My guess is Leasure. He would be the choice for Lab operations. Of the others, only Webster has real operations. Selecting Webster would leave weapons completely leaderless.

Anonymous said...


Leasure for sure. Webster might want to wait for the contract change.

Anonymous said...

So I guess there is nothing really going on at Livermore. Why don't we save the taxpayers a few dollars and just shut the place down.

Anonymous said...

Leasure is certainly slimy enough to take advantage of the situation. He has no qualifications. None.

Anonymous said...

If it is Wallace, run for the hills. If it is Craig, the same old same old. My guess is it is neither. They will let the Deputy Director run the show for the next 10 months until transition.

Anonymous said...

You guys are way off base. When Nanos "left" Norm Pattiz appointed Bob Kuckuck from LLNL. Pattiz only has a relationship (since he never comes or has been to LANL) with people from California, it's literally his home base. On that note, Pattiz seems to have a low regard for anyone who's not from California. I pick theTom Gioconda, LLNL Deputy Lab Director, he has all the "right stuff" for Pattiz, including a 31-year Air Force career.

Anonymous said...

I pick theTom Gioconda, LLNL Deputy Lab Director, he has all the "right stuff" for Pattiz, including a 31-year Air Force career.

September 7, 2017 at 7:07 AM

Including being a Becthel Vice President. Bingo! Solid choice.

Anonymous said...



Alan Bishop has emerged from the dead, after years and years absolute silence we are suddenly getting these large daily emails from him on excellence, safety, security, and ethics?. Everyone finds last the last point to be a tad ironic. It looks like pure lobbying. I guess at 70+ years this is his last and only chance to be
the director for 6 months. Is Terry Wallace sending similar messages to his directorate as well? I say we do a WWE style battle royal open to PADS, ADs and DLs it could even be a pay-per view for some last bit of money for LANS.

Anonymous said...


The one choice that plain just scared me was hearing rumors that Scott Gibbs is a done deal. What an absolutely worthless non-manager and non-leader. He defers tough decisions or delegates them. As an example, he conveniently went on vacation and directed Wantuck to inform ES-division employees that he was transferring them to ADNHHO. He was personally responsible for crying to institution that he didn't have engineers to staff his nuclear facilities which literally forced engineers out of other careers across the Lab to support him and then dump them when he transferred ES-division out of ADE. He has no heuvos. None, zero, zip.

Anonymous said...

The one that scares me is Wallace. I have heard this man talk more than I like and he is arrogant, ignorant, and willing to act.

Anonymous said...

Including being a Becthel Vice President. Bingo! Solid choice.

September 7, 2017 at 7:14 AM

The current LANL deputy director is too....

Anonymous said...

The one that scares me is Wallace. I have heard this man talk more than I like and he is arrogant, ignorant, and willing to act.

September 7, 2017 at 4:53 PM

The problem with Wallace and Bishop is that if they are put in for even for only 6 months that they may see utterly destroying Los Alamos as their only way to have a lasting legacy. After all in their minds when they are gone the lab is gone so they may do everything they can do make sure the lab no longer exists by the contract change. I could picture LANS going to these guys and saying "Hey we are leaving, burn this P*S to the F*ing ground, we know you are the guys that can do this for us, it is better to remembered for being truly evil than not to be remembered at all!, not to mention the all the money we will pay you. In the years ahead, people will know you and Nanos, they will have never heard of Anastsio, Hecker, Brown, and some other random guy, they will know you, so burn baby burn!!!!"

In some ways Bechtel could be sending a message to current and future employers "if you kick us out we will utterly wreck the place before we leave, so you better think twice about not giving us a contract extension, we shut down LANL before we left and we will do the same to you in a heartbeat, so do what we say and give us the MONEY, we have a monopoly so you better play ball with us or be laid to waste like LANL!"

So with that Gibbs may be ok. As I said Wallace or Bishop are truly capable of some really truly crazy stuff if they are put in even for a short time. These guys have waited all their lives for the kind of power that Nanos had and they know they may only get this one chance. Creating something is slow and takes time but destroying something can be done fast...very fast. You can make your mark by creating something big or destroying something big and these guys want to make a mark. Scary stuff.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Gibbs does seem to be the UC play. Why else bring him in now. The timing is more than a coincidence.

Anonymous said...

Gibbs would be a perfect short-term Director, but no one should see him as permanent. He is not a physicist, not a weapons designer, and not experienced in the weapons program at all. As a permanent Director, he would be a disaster, and an embarrassment, even after Charlie. I will give him credit, based on my personal interactions with him, that he would not want to put himself in the company of Oppenheimer, Bradbury, Agnew, or Hecker. He is not that ambitious, or that self-centered. In my opinion, he wants to do what is right, and usually (not always) does so. In some cases, his subordinates (i.e., Craig, years ago) get him into much more trouble than he knows how to get himself out of.

Anonymous said...

"... He is not a physicist, not a weapons designer, and not experienced in the weapons program at all. As a permanent Director, he would be a disaster, and..."

The benifit of placing people into positions they are clearly not qualified for is company loyalty without the need of a formal "loyalty oath". However, a benefit to the company is not necessarily a benifit to the mission.

Anonymous said...

How about John Sarrao?

Anonymous said...

Marquez????? That's laughable. I mean seriously laughable.

Anonymous said...

Somebody who know the physics, the mission and ALL of the issues; known and hidden, who also knows the hearts, minds, souls of the nation's leaders and it's people. And every device and contrivance of our so-called friends ans enemies. A personally strong perdon of unshakable integrity and wisdom.

That is the person to certify the US nuclear stockpile. It is the successor to Lawrence.


T

Anonymous said...

Soon we are going to launch low yield earth penetrators into the NK arsenal. Just after a Pueblo type causus belli, accidental or contrived.

When this happens ours have to work as designed, theirs have to be destroyed, and we need to understand the real threat that an irate nuclear rascit, nationalistic China and a opportunistic Russia will pose for counterstrikes.

Will also need to understand hardened earth physics, the limits of atmospheric modeling, radiation health physics, the limits of compeetitors scientific advisors and history.

For he will be asked, "Shall we go?"

Anonymous said...

Somebody who know the physics, the mission and ALL of the issues; known and hidden, who also knows the hearts, minds, souls of the nation's leaders and it's people. And every device and contrivance of our so-called friends ans enemies. A personally strong perdon of unshakable integrity and wisdom.

Would this rule out John Sarrao?

Anonymous said...

No weapons leadership.

Anonymous said...

Gibbs would be a perfect short-term Director, but no one should see him as permanent. He is not a physicist, not a weapons designer, and not experienced in the weapons program at all.

September 7, 2017 at 7:46 PM

Great, another worthless figurehead. Really, Gibbs? What has he accomplished?

Anonymous said...

Why in the world would Pattiz select any current or former manager from LANL, when he can fly his private Leer jet 350 miles and ask Goldstein who he (Goldstein) has at LLNL and wants to be the LANL Acting Director? Hell, Pattiz doesn't even need to leave the State of California (his paradise) to do this. Patti does not know anyone from LANL, or New Mexico for that matter. Get with it LANL people, Pattiz has no regard for you guys!

Anonymous said...

Really, Gibbs? What has he accomplished?

September 8, 2017 at 8:25 PM

Well, he stepped in, and stepped down from his AD job, to save the Security Division at LANL when Busboom and Tucker were fired for firing Walp and Doran.

Anonymous said...

LANL when Busboom and Tucker were fired for firing Walp and Doran.



Good for Busboom and Tucker!

Anonymous said...

"How about John Sarrao?"

A power-hungry egomaniac, ruthless and disingenuous, who like his mentor has been putting his name on more papers than he can read, to the rescue of a foundering weapons lab. What could go wrong?

Anonymous said...

"who like his mentor "

Hmm, who could that be?

Anonymous said...

Sarrao is a good or even great AD, but a poor choice at this time for interim. He has not contributed to the mission side of the lab in a substantial manner, he has too limited an understanding of the problem areas such as construction and operations. Finally, UC will think he is likely to be a Director candidate in the future, why throw him away on a temporary job?.

Anonymous said...

"Sarrao is a good or even great AD"

Is that you John? Or one of your boot-licking sycophants? By every objective measure theory, simulation and computing at LANL have continued circling the drain at ever-increasing speed since you've been put in charge.

Anonymous said...

Really, Gibbs? What has he accomplished?

September 8, 2017 at 8:25 PM

Well, he stepped in, and stepped down from his AD job, to save the Security Division at LANL when Busboom and Tucker were fired for firing Walp and Doran.

September 9, 2017 at 10:06 AM

It's sad that the only accomplishment we cite for a potential Acting Laboratory Director is for firing two people. Is that really how low our standard has become for a potential Laboratory Director?

Anonymous said...

How about the Deputy Lab Director? He has been aloof for the past year. I'm sure Bechtel thinks that it can run the place better, but they cannot do shit. Look at the work that was in their purview. Nothing positive to report there. CMRR...too expensive. NUMSUP...delayed and over budget. TWF and RLWTF...delays and cost overruns and problems. Pit Production... Managed by URS/AECOM managed by ADPSM...total disaster. Jeff Yarbrough should have been terminated because of the pause. Crit safety...BWXT managed in ADNHHO...nothing positive. Resources have left which is causing significant delays in programs. Nothing fixed. Terry Wallace is a joke. The global security organization is poorly run. Leisure...no experience. The science directorate (Bishop) is not what the laboratory needs, because their culture will bring more bad than good.

What is required is a management team that will be at LANL for years to fix the problems. And since 1/3 of the workforce will be eligible to leave, LANL will be decimated should the NNSA continues to make bad decisions.

Anonymous said...

September 10, 2017 at 12:58 PM

You (intentionally?) misread the post. No one mentioned Gibbs firing anyone. He stepped down from his AD position to take over a Division that was in shock and completely rudderless. And he did it damn well until the LANS transition, when Sowa, Killean, and Williams took over.

Anonymous said...

"Sarrao is a good or even great AD"

John has been a very typical LANS manager. Certainly not the worst of them, just very representative. You can use his example to understand how the system has been functioning here.

He was in charge of MaRIE, then cleverly handed off that hot potato to some other, unfortunate manager, moving up the ranks to run the SC programs. From there, another step up, to ADTSC. How did all those programs fare under John? For MaRIE, we discussed it here: http://llnlthetruestory.blogspot.com/2013/03/lanl-neutron-center-ranked-at-bottom.html Don't view this as a record of failure though: the aim here is not setting up the Lab for long-term success and growth. It is much more personal: more power, more money. The ship may be sinking, but the idea is to keep climbing as fast as possible to the captain's bridge.

In fact, for the last year he's been totally consumed with positioning himself for the contract change: how to join the right team and come out on top. Blame all the failures of the last decade on "LANS", then ride to the rescue. So, no, he for sure won't take the temporary director's job now. But whatever team accepts LANS managers like him deserves to lose.

P.S. You want to get in his good graces? Some practical advice: don't try impressing him with your science. If anything that's a negative, you may be perceived as a challenger down the line. Instead, express unadulterated admiration, even reverence.

Anonymous said...

From there, another step up, to ADTSC


ADTSC has been doing poorly, they have lost a large number of top people in the last few years. There has been a push to hire new people to make it look like the ship is sill afloat but the new hires on average a way below the quality of the people who left. Everyone knows this but it is all about perception management. Even people who have been offered positions have turned down ADTSC for third or fourth rate places, that is how low things have gotten.

Anonymous said...

If Sarrao was 0.1% as good as he thinks he is, then he would have been a cinch for the recent ORNL opening. Face the fact that he is just a legend in his own dreams, and his track record is that of a weak D+ manager.

Anonymous said...

If Sarrao was 0.1% as good as he thinks he is, then he would have been a cinch for the recent ORNL opening. Face the fact that he is just a legend in his own dreams, and his track record is that of a weak D+ manager.

Anonymous said...

Sarrao is a zero. His misguided alignment with MaRIE is all the evidence you need to see that not only does he have no genuine vision or integrity, but he has no common sense or scientific ability. He shits on his subordinates and wipes his boss' ass.

Anonymous said...

Sarrao is way too young to be a top manager, let alone interim (or other) Director. No national or international reputation, no Lab-wide support from the rank and file technical people, no nothing but ambition. What happened to real Director searches?

Anonymous said...

If I had a vote, it would be Webster. The only non-sociopath of the PADs.

Anonymous said...

Sarrao is way too young to be a top manager, let alone interim (or other) Director. No national or international reputation, no Lab-wide support from the rank and file technical people, no nothing but ambition. What happened to real Director searches?

September 13, 2017 at 6:45 PM


Pattiz and UC is what happened to real Director searches.

The troubles of the past six years were brought to be by the sham search that delivered McMilan as the best available candidate. Younger would have been a better choice, but UC would have nothing to do with him and there were several much better choices that were not considered. Chu saw through the charade and correctly predicted that McMillan just was not up to the job.

Anonymous said...

Anastasio is coming back!

Anonymous said...

In his pajamas! As soon as he finishes filling his cart with wine at Albertsons.

Anonymous said...

In his pajamas! As soon as he finishes filling his cart with wine at Albertsons.

September 15, 2017 at 7:25 AM

Nice!

Anonymous said...

In his pajamas! As soon as he finishes filling his cart with wine at Albertsons.

September 15, 2017 at 7:25 AM


That is a complete lie and makes you look like a biased fool. It is not Alberstons it is Trader Joe's. You are trying to make Mike look stupid, but he is smart enough to knows that Trader Joe's has larger and cheaper selection of wine.

Anonymous said...

Sorry I've seen him personally in both stores in Santa Fe. Both times with full carts of wine (once in TJ with two carts, but theirs are small.) Both times in pajamas, both times with his wife, Ann. Albertsons has the locked cabinet with $50 plus wines. TJ doesn't.

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