DOE recently honored two EM employees with major awards for their superior performance in 2022.
Thomas Temple, a lead facility engineer with the Savannah River Site (SRS) in Aiken, South Carolina, received the Safety System Oversight Award, and Robert J. Geray, a facility representative with the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center at the Idaho National Laboratory Site in Idaho Falls, won the Facility Representative of the Year Award.
“Mr. Temple is the consummate professional and a tremendous resource for not only the Savannah River Operations Office, but also the entire EM complex,” DOE-Savannah River Manager Mike Budney said. “He has provided invaluable service, advice and recommendations to me and my management team; has served as a coach and mentor to his fellow staff members; and partnered with the contractors in a way to leverage the most out of available resources to best serve the EM mission. We are extremely proud of all Tom has accomplished.”
With 33 years of engineering and operations subject matter knowledge, Temple has a willingness to expand his contributions beyond his daily roles, serving as nuclear safety specialist and in safety system oversight as well as many other assignments, directly contributing to critical SRS and broader DOE missions, according to award nomination documents.
Temple had a significant impact on the operations of two major liquid waste contactors at SRS. He also provided meaningful nuclear safety expertise for all DOE SRS facilities and served as a nuclear safety subject matter expert for DOE’s Savannah River Operations Office.
Temple also demonstrated his dedication and technical knowledge in 2022 to positively impact the safety and efficiency of various SRS facilities supporting the EM mission. He made immediate impacts in identifying areas for improvements to safety basis development, management and implementation across SRS. His efforts were key in identifying enhancements to accelerate closure of high-level waste tanks.
Geray showed exceptional performance as a facility representative with his technical knowledge of the conduct of operations, radiation protection, maintenance, technical training, and regulations and requirements, combined with his ability to analyze contractor performance.
“Mr. Geray demonstrated superior performance of his responsibilities as a DOE facility representative throughout 2022 in a manner that greatly supports the environmental management cleanup mission at the Idaho National Laboratory Site,” said Jonnie Zobell, assistant manager for operational oversight of the Idaho Cleanup Project. “His exceptional technical knowledge combined with his exceptional ability to analyze contractor performance and metrics significantly contributes to the overall success of the Idaho Cleanup Project mission.”
Geray is qualified for decontamination and decommissioning activities for EM nuclear facilities and was recognized for his exceptional teamwork and improving employee safety, according to the award nomination documents.
In addition to his regular duties, Geray led multiple tours for stakeholders of the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit and other facilities in support of DOE headquarters, DOE-Idaho staff and the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.
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