Dr. Valerie Sarisky-Reed is the director of the Alternative Fuels and Feedstocks Office (AFFO) in DOE’s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI). In this role, she manages efforts to improve performance, lower costs, and accelerate technology commercialization for the production, storage, delivery and use of alternative fuels, fertilizers, chemicals, and feedstocks. Working with DOE’s national laboratories, academia, and industry, she oversees strategic planning of AFFO research, development and demonstration projects.
Valerie has more than 30 years of experience in addressing both domestic and international energy and environmental topics. In addition to her programmatic activities, she is a founding member of the Metabolic Engineering Working Group, chartered by the Biotechnology Research Subcommittee, an inter-agency coordinating committee under the Office of Science and Technology Policy. She also spent two years serving for the chief scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), helping to build bridges between DOE and the USDA in support of the bioeconomy.
Previously, Valerie served as director for DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, where she managed the development of their Multi-Year Program Plans and focused on scaling up strategic biofuels and chemicals.
AFFO’s current focus areas include scaling up strategic biofuels, chemicals, fertilizers, and feedstocks, while advancing national security independence by establishing a secure domestic supply chain, lowering production costs, invigorating a strong U.S. workforce, and fostering energy growth through diverse, domestic manufacturing pathways.
Valerie holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Georgetown University and is a graduate of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Senior Executive Service Career Development Program.