Mr. Phillip “Tony” Polk is the Deputy Manager for the Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management (EM), Savannah River Operations Office (DOE-SR), Aiken, SC.
Mr. Polk has more than 8 years of experience in private business and 34 years of experience with DOE-SR. As a private businessman he owned, operated and managed construction, agricultural production and retail/service enterprises. His range of experience at DOE-SR includes leadership roles in nuclear facility construction, operations, program, and project management.
As the Deputy Manager, Mr. Polk supports the Manager in providing executive leadership, direction, contract management, and oversight of all contractor and federal activities associated with the DOE EM risk reduction and clean-up mission performed at the Savannah River Site (SRS). Mr. Polk focuses on the safe operations of EM facilities and is responsible for the $1.4B mission execution and oversight of the prime contractor. He also serves as the strategy interface with the Savannah River National Laboratory for developing future programs and plans.
Mr. Polk began his federal career as a Facility Representative for the Defense Waste Processing Facility in 1991 where he provided oversight for construction, startup, and operations of the largest nuclear waste vitrification facility in the world. He then served as the Senior Technical Advisor to the DOE-SR Manager. Following his role in the Manager’s office, he provided leadership for several key programs and projects at DOE-SR. He was Programs Director for Nuclear Materials, supporting spent fuel receipt, processing, and safe storage of the nation’s excess plutonium. Prior to that, he was the Federal Project Director for the Salt Waste Processing Facility, a significant first-of-a-kind major system acquisition for the Department. He was Federal Project Director and Director of Programs for Radioactive Liquid Waste Disposition and Solid Waste. In this role, he was responsible for the multi-billion-dollar cleanup and closure of the Savannah River Liquid Waste Storage Tanks, Solid and Transuranic waste disposal, and waste vitrification at the Defense Waste Processing Facility.
Mr. Polk held other key leadership positions for the Department at SRS. As the Assistant Manager for Nuclear Material Stabilization, Mr. Polk provided leadership for project execution and contract management for the Office of the Assistant Manager for Nuclear Material Stabilization. Prior to this position, he served as the Director of the Savannah River Laboratory Office leading the operations and research and development activities of the Savannah River National Laboratory. He also served as Director of Soils and Groundwater cleanup where he achieved the first decommissioning and area closure of a National Priorities List unit. Mr. Polk was also Project Director for Glass Waste Storage Building II, the first nuclear facility project directly managed by DOE where his team received the Secretary’s Award of Achievement for completion ahead of schedule and more than $8M under budget.
Mr. Polk is a Senior Technical Safety Manager and a certified Level IV Federal Project Director for the Department of Energy. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Plant and Soil Sciences from Clemson University.