Director, Office of Worker Safety and Health Assessments

Kimberly Nelson is the Director of the Office of Worker Safety and Health Assessments within the Office of Enterprise Assessments (EA) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).  Ms. Nelson is responsible for leading assessments to provide critical feedback and objective information on occupational safety and health programs and performance throughout the DOE and National Nuclear Security Administration and directing the conduct of analyses of occupational safety and health risks, issues, and performance.  Ms. Nelson joined EA’s Office of Worker Safety and Health Assessments as an Occupational Safety and Health Manager in 2021 and was promoted to office Director in 2022. 

Ms. Nelson has over 30 years of occupational health and safety experience.  She began her career as an Industrial Hygiene/Compliance Officer with the Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health program.  In 2005, Ms. Nelson joined the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Toledo Area Office as a Compliance Safety and Health Officer and provided expertise in the field of industrial hygiene and process safety.  Ms. Nelson was quickly promoted to an OSHA Assistant Area Director in 2007 and later an Area Director in 2011.  During her tenure as Area Director, she was selected for detail assignments as the Deputy Regional Director in both Region IX (San Francisco) and Region V (Chicago).  In 2020, as the Acting Regional Director of Region V, Ms. Nelson created and implemented a regional reconstitution plan for a global pandemic.  

Ms. Nelson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from the University of Louisville and is a member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association.