Legacy Management Support Partner Dan Sellers reflects on his time with the organization after more than 37 years
June 17, 2025
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Legacy Management Support Partner (LMSP) hydrogeologist Dan Sellers is set to retire after 37 years on the contract. Sellers has been an important piece of the LMSP team, making numerous contributions to LM in various positions and working under seven different contractors.
After serving in the U.S. Air Force and graduating from Colorado Mesa University (formerly Mesa College) with a Bachelor of Science in Geology, Sellers began working at the Grand Junction Department of Energy (GJ-DOE) site, now called the Legacy Management Field Support Center, in 1988.
“There were many job openings being offered at the GJ-DOE site after serving in the Air Force. These jobs were mainly in support of the Uranium Mill Tailings Remediation Act project, which included a lot of science related jobs,” Sellers said. “This was before LM was established in 2003, and it was great to be able to stay in my hometown.”
During his tenure, Sellers contributed to several different teams and departments and worked as a senior health physics technician, environment regulation specialist (ensured all DOE projects were in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act), data management specialist, geologist, and environmental scientist, before his final role as a hydrogeologist.
Sellers’ current duties include working under the Environmental Monitoring Operations Group as the senior team lead for environmental monitoring of water, soil, and air. Sellers supervises, coordinates, and manages personnel in the field; calibrates specialized monitoring equipment; provides input to relative procedures for conducting environmental monitoring; and collects water transducer data to upload to LM’s database. Sellers is also responsible for environment drilling, managing the geoprobe direct push drill rig, and managing well completion and borehole data using the Geotechnical Integrated (gINT) software.
“I’ve really enjoyed my duties and all the achievements I was able to have here, which included finding the time to earn my master’s degree in business management,” Sellers said.
The gINT Program is a geotechnical data management software used to visualize lithologic descriptions of soil and rock, the completion of a monitoring well in the boring, and more, and produce subsurface reports. It’s been used for 25 years to collect and upload data and generate well-log graphic records for DOE and the public. Sellers is also proud of the work he’s done guiding the use of the geoprobe drill rig, drilling boreholes and installing monitoring water wells.
“Dan always found creative, problem-solving, and adventuresome solutions to his work,” said LMSP Environmental Monitoring Operations Manager Sam Campbell. “Dan always found creative, problem-solving, and adventuresome solutions to his work. His many adventures and stories from his extensive field work have entertained his coworkers and brought a special kind of joy to the job. His decades of service here at the Grand Junction office are a testament to his dedication and perseverance. He will be missed.”
Sellers’ passion and hard work was noticed not only his colleagues but also by his own daughter, who was inspired to not only get involved in science, but also work in LM as both a contractor and currently as a member of their federal staff.
Sellers’ daughter, LM Site Manager Sara Woods, currently handles the responsibility of LM’s sites in Grand Junction, Colorado.
“During the summers of my childhood, as far back as I can remember, my mom would bring my brothers and me to the south gate of what we knew as the ‘Compound’ where dad worked. She would enter the security vestibule, pick up the phone, and call my dad to come out to meet us for lunch. Never did I imagine that I would one day have a badge to enter the ‘Compound’ and be able to eat lunch with my dad inside,” Woods said.
“Science was always my interest, and my childhood dream was to become a doctor. Funny how life turns out. I received a call from my dad during my junior year of college telling me about an internship opportunity. He still tells me today that he never thought I’d apply, but I did,” Woods said. “I have been blessed to work alongside my dad for 17 of his 37 years of service to DOE. He is one of the hardest working people I know but always remembers to enjoy the ride and laugh at himself along the way. The hallways of the ‘Compound’ won’t be the same without him.”
Despite his achievements and all the hard work he’s done, Sellers’ favorite thing about LM is the people he’s met and relationships he’s built, both personally and professionally.
“I’m grateful for the people I’ve worked with. I’ve built and established lifelong friendships here,” Sellers said.
As for the future, Sellers is looking forward to finishing up some projects and spending time with friends and family.
“I really love skiing, fishing, and spending time on the river with my boat. I’m also looking forward to spending more quality time with my children, wife, and grandchildren.”