Josh Mengers, DOE's federal project director for ETEC, highlights the new Community Outreach, Neighbor Notifications, Engagement, Collaboration and Training (CONNECT) series, a new ETEC team member and invites the community to visit us at the street fair.
Energy Technology Engineering Center
March 13, 2026
minute read time
The Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC) team has had a busy start to 2026.
We launched the new Community Outreach, Neighbor Notifications, Engagement, Collaboration and Training (CONNECT) series with the inaugural session on January 28. The first informal meeting drew nearly 40 community members from a wide variety of groups – including representatives from elected officials’ offices, school and park districts, business groups, cleanup advocates and individuals who were curious about DOE’s cleanup activities at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL). These discussions are essential as we continue with key site preparation activities and plan for future cleanup.
Thank you to everyone who was able to attend. We appreciate you taking the time out of your schedules to engage with us and have open conversations about the cleanup. The valuable input you shared with us helps to shape our plans for next CONNECT session and continue the dialogue about our progress at SSFL.
I also want to welcome Jesleen Abarca to the ETEC team as our new executive assistant. She joined in January and is eager to learn about the site and the work we are doing.
As we round out the first quarter of 2026, the ETEC team is continuing to find opportunities to engage with our neighbors. We will be at the Simi Valley Street Fair in May and are already working on plans for the next CONNECT session, tentatively scheduled for May.
We hope you will continue to engage with us, whether by attending our next CONNECT session, stopping by our booth at the Street Fair, or sending us an email.
Sincerely,
Dr. Josh Mengers