EM has selected Nicole Nelson-Jean to serve as EM’s associate principal deputy assistant secretary for field operations, effective at the end of this month.

Nelson-Jean comes to EM from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), where she last served as the NNSA manager at the Savannah River Site (SRS).

At SRS, Nelson-Jean led the site-level effort to establish a plutonium pits capability, surplus plutonium disposition activities, and the operations of the nation’s only tritium plant that supports the nuclear stockpile. Prior to SRS, Nelson-Jean served as the NNSA manager at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Over her 28 years in the DOE complex, Nelson-Jean has served as a U.S. diplomat representing the Department in two posts, the U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Vienna, Austria as the Nuclear Attaché and the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo as Energy Attaché. As a leader in the Global Threat Reduction Initiative and International Material Protection Program, Nelson-Jean led multi-million-dollar international programs to protect, remove, and secure high-risk nuclear and radiological materials, including over 50 nuclear storage sites in Russia. Nelson-Jean has received the Distinguished Presidential Rank Award and the Service to America Medal.

For the past two months, Tom Mooney has served as EM’s acting associate principal deputy assistant secretary for field operations while continuing to serve as chief of staff. During that time, Mooney coordinated and oversaw activities in the field, including EM’s continued response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mooney will continue to support EM’s Office of Field Operations by serving in a new position as chief operating officer. In that role, he will assist Nelson-Jean in managing the Office of Field Operations mission. Mooney will also continue to serve as chief of staff until a replacement is named.