Ann Weaver appointed Deputy for Operations at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Ann Weaver has been named chief operating officer for Oak Ridge National Laboratory. She will begin serving as ORNL's deputy for operations and as executive vice president, operations, for UT-Battelle, LLC, on April 7. She succeeds Balendra Sutharshan, who has taken a role with Battelle Memorial Institute.

Weaver has established a record of leading large, complex organizations toward improved performance, reliability, efficiency, and effectiveness in a 22-year career at ORNL, which is the largest of the 10 national laboratories in the Department of Energy's Office of Science.

"Ann is a proven leader who has played key roles in the development and improvement of infrastructure and operations across ORNL," Laboratory Director Stephen Streiffer said. "Her expertise and experience will ensure the laboratory continues to provide the facilities, capabilities, and support necessary for delivering scientific breakthroughs and translating them to real-world impacts."

As COO, Weaver will be responsible for operations and support functions ranging from facilities and infrastructure to business services and information technology. She will lead development of integrated plans to ensure safety, reliability, and alignment with the scientific priorities of ORNL and the Department of Energy (DOE).

Since August 2023, Weaver has served as director of the laboratory's Facilities and Operations Directorate (F&O), leading seven divisions that ensure reliable round-the-clock operations, including laboratory protection, modernization, utilities, and logistical services. She also oversaw planning and execution of the laboratory's capital construction project portfolio.

Weaver previously served four years as chief operating officer for the laboratory's Neutron Sciences Directorate, providing senior operations leadership for two of DOE's signature user facilities, the High Flux Isotope Reactor and the Spallation Neutron Source, and led the laboratory's Facilities Management Division for seven years, providing programmatic direction for operation and maintenance of some 500 facilities.

"I have been blessed to build a career at ORNL serving with some of the most talented and committed colleagues anywhere," Weaver said. "The laboratory serves a critical role for our nation, and I look forward to working across the laboratory to keep delivering science and technology that changes the world."

Weaver has been active in community activities throughout her career, including serving as a board member and volunteer for Clinch River Habitat for Humanity and consistent leadership in the annual ORNL Gives campaign that raises $1 million for area nonprofits. She has been recognized with honors including the East Tennessee Economic Council's Postma Young Professional Award.

Weaver earned a master's in Engineering Management and a bachelor's in Industrial Engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and she has served on UT's Industrial and Systems Engineering Board of Advisors since 2018.

UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the Department of Energy's Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.