Kim Sawyer will assume the role of director of the Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, a.k.a Jefferson Lab, on Aug. 2.
The lab said Monday that Sawyer will bring extensive leadership experience, having served as deputy laboratory director and chief operating officer at Argonne National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories over the last decade.
She worked at Lockheed Martin for nearly 10 years before joining DOE. At the defense contractor, she held the vice president of technical operations role and a number of other leadership positions.
As the lab’s fifth director, Sawyer will have oversight of all activities supporting the research institution for exploring the nature of matter. She will succeed Stuart Henderson.
The appointment was announced by Jefferson Science Associates, a subsidiary of the Southeastern Universities Research Association responsible for managing and operating Jefferson Lab for DOE’s Office of Science.
“Kim is a respected professional who has achieved success driving cultural change and building strong relationships with stakeholders,” said Sean Hearne, president and CEO of Southeastern Universities Research Association and chairman of the JSA board of directors. “Kim delivers results, and we are confident her leadership and technical acumen will guide the lab as it begins its evolution to a multi-program laboratory.”