USEC Inc. (NYSE: USU) today named Steven R. Penrod, 57, vice president
of the American Centrifuge program (ACP), succeeding Paul E. Sullivan,
62, who leaves the post to become director of the Applied Research
Laboratory at the Pennsylvania State University, effective September 1.
Penrod currently serves as USEC vice president of enrichment operations
and has been responsible for USEC’s facilities in Paducah, Ky. and
Piketon, Ohio, which includes for the past three years the centrifuge
demonstration cascade operation in Piketon. During this period Penrod
and Sullivan have worked together to successfully demonstrate the
state-of-the-art American Centrifuge uranium enrichment technology.
“Paul is a consummate professional engineer, effectively managing
complex projects and programs, as evidenced by his leadership of the
centrifuge program and his accomplished record as a vice admiral and
commander of the Naval Sea Systems Command,” said Robert Van Namen,
chief operating officer of USEC.
“Paul navigated the centrifuge program through scope changes and funding
uncertainties and successfully led the research, development and
demonstration program that confirmed the readiness of the American
Centrifuge uranium enrichment technology to serve national security
needs and future commercial markets. We thank him for his leadership and
wish him well as he begins a new phase of his career,” he said.
Steven Penrod began his career in 1979 at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion
Plant as a systems engineer. He took on increasing levels of
responsibility and was named general manager of the Paducah facility in
2001. In 2011, Penrod assumed responsibility for enrichment operations
at both the Paducah facility and the American Centrifuge facility in
Piketon. Over the last year and in conjunction with his ACP
responsibilities, Penrod has managed the safe and orderly wind down of
USEC operations in Paducah, including coordination with the Department
of Energy on steps leading to an anticipated de-lease and return of the
facilities to the DOE on October 1, 2014.
“USEC has developed a strong cadre of senior managers and in Steve we
have a proven senior executive who achieved outstanding safety,
efficiency and productivity levels at the Paducah plant as well as
strengthening enrichment operations at ACP. Steve brought operational
expertise from years of enrichment experience at Paducah to help improve
procedures at ACP as it transitioned from research and demonstration to
cascade operations. He has been closely involved in all aspects of the
American Centrifuge program and provides leadership continuity as we
take the program forward to the next phase,” Van Namen said.
USEC Inc., a global energy company, is a leading supplier of enriched
uranium fuel for commercial nuclear power plants.
Copyright Business Wire 2014