The rumor is that Tom Hunter is leaving in the very near future.
And that Joan Woodard might be the next Director of Sandia National Laboratories.
In the event that Hunter leaves, who do you think should be the next Director? An external hire? Military? Who can provide us with both good leadership and management. Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing Al Romig. What do you think?
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A message in a bottle from behind the gates... I learned today that Sandia has retained a team of heavy-hitters at the mega-firm of Baker Botts LLP to handle their appeal of the Carpenter case. Here's a bit of reading for those readers who have never heard of Baker Botts: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20041011/bryce
If the partners at Baker Botts can't put lipstick on this pig for Sandia, nobody can! No worries, though, it's not their money they are spending on all these ridiculously expensive attorneys - it's yours.
If you'd like to send a contribution to help Sandia (err... the taxpayers) defray the absurd amounts of money required to retain two swanky law firms, you can send your donations to:
Decapitators for National Security Fund
c/o Sandia National Laboratories
P.O. Box 5800 MS0001
Albuquerque, NM 87185-0001
Have a nice day! :)
Baker Botts is hip deep with the neocons and Sandia is no stranger to Baker Botts in the policy world. Baker Botts is "The Firm", the Fixers, front man for DOE Fossil Energy, FERC, Big Oil, and Big Gas and Sandia has been kissing up to the lucrative energy cabals for a few years now. Baker Botts was likely the inspiration for the law firm portrayed in 'Syriana'. This is very bad for Sandia as an institution, for the nation...but most of all for Mr. Carpenter, he needs to stay public and protected. Baker Botts takes no prisoners. LockMart is not going to go quietly, they will see to it that no Sandian ever thinks a thought of blowing the whistle on anything.
The rosy picture painted by Sandia in the most recent Lab News left out many of the details reported by Scott Sandlin in the Albuquerque Journal. There was nothing in there about Bruce Held's world of decapitations and blood, the FBI wanting to keep him at Sandia to continue national security work, Sandia's unclear policies and failure to follow their own procedures governing investigations and Sandia's years of acquiescence in Carpenter's investigative techniques as long as they benefitted Sandia and the DOE. If the Lab News piece is accurate, why did they lose the case to the tune of $4.7 Million? Why did the jury more than double the punitive damages if the Carpenter case is so cut and dry, as Sandia management communicates in this article? Something smells funny here, and it's not roses.
Romig already runs the lab internally, but his ambitions are much larger than Sandia. Too bad he left us that giant empty complex of new buildings and there is no funding to operate or staff them. Probably will spin those out to industry or LockMart in some privatization deal. $$$$$$
The lab news story on the Carpenter trial was a load of crap, and I'm sure employees with half a brain can easily come to that conclusion themselves. Hunter and crew seem to be happily digging their own graves with their incompetent handling of this case. I'm sure congressional inquiries aren't far around the corner. Sandian's have had enough of this BS, but our masochistic "leaders" seem to be enjoying the pummeling. Buckle up for a rough ride folks.
Don't know enough about Romig to say either way. We definitely need some fresh blood and management philosophy in the upper ranks, but I'm not holding my breath. All of the recent negative publicity has weighed heavily on Sandians and even contractors that I know. The public statements coming out of the SMT about this trial are just plain silly. There is a serious disconnect with open source coverage regarding this case and the information released internally to employees.
Glad to hear that my tax dollars are being frittered away to pay a bunch of goons at Baker Botts. These people are tight with the Bushies and don't play fair. Best of luck to Carpenter. Keep your head high and stay in the fight.
Joan Woodard as Lab Director? Let me think about that one. She must be a favorite of yours, Ed. A lightweight all around, generally acknowledged to be lost in the woods with respect to the weapons program.
With the relatively weak gene pool we have at the higher management level, my guess is that LM would install one of their august VPs, like AT&T did in past years of their reign. Someone who can maintain a good relationship with NNSA, keep the local area office at bay, and spout the appropriate platitudes when needed.
I'd have to concur with 9:49 on this one. She was a relatively unknown at the lab until she hired a personal image consultant to rework her appearance and persona. It was good timing, as Sandia execs were on a kick promoting women to senior management positions, and she fit the bill. That comment is in no way intended to be derogatory to women in management; there are many fine women managers at Sandia. Woodard, however, seems to be a bit clueless about Sandia's weapons program. Her speaking skills have improved considerably since working her way up the ladder, but there's that intangible quality that good leaders have that is simply missing.
I had high expectations for Hunter when he was promoted from VP of 9000 to Lab Director. His handling of the Carpenter debacle have unfortunately erased any confidence I had in his leadership abilities. It is extremely perplexing why he chose to send out an email about the case that was devoid of any acknowledgement of management failures whatsoever. The March 2 lab news article about the verdict only increased the level of suspicion amongst colleagues that something was seriously wrong.
A quick read of the article gives one the impression that it was an open and shut case. The problem is that the jury found Sandia at fault and awarded him $4.3 million. This is a HUGE verdict. This is really unprecendented. And this is a jury that is comprised of people that know Sandia, and probably have friends or relatives that work here. I'm just not feeling warm and fuzzy after reading Hunter's inadequate responses. I don't think there's any way LockMart will let him stay after his handling of this.
The big question is who will step in to fill his shoes? Romig knows the weapons programs well, is adept politically, and has done a great job in his current position. Personally, I think he would be an excellent choice to take over.
What about Les Shepard? I have the utmost respect for this guy, and have worked under him for many years. He seems like the logical choice to me. Energy issues are at the forefront, and Les has been a true leader in the development of key programs at Sandia. He is politically savvy, an excellent speaker, and is very technically competent.
The lab news article and the email from hunter were pure nonsense. If a day comes when a Sandia manager tells me I should be decapatated and bloody I would sue also. Does hunter think we are all so stupid that we can't read the abq journal? I am insulted that these idiots would even think that sandians would buy this load of bull.
Sandians should understand that none of the current VPs are suitable for leadership. When they collaborate actively with NNSA and DOE in suppressing internal safety and security complaints, when they collaborate actively in representing dangerously faulty technical work to the public, all in the name of pleasing sponsors or keeping the award fee and contract extension...the whole VP crowd needs to be swept out. The oversight functions of Congress, the GAO, and the US Attorney's office have been out of commission for far too long when it comes to Sandia. The NM delegation just thinks their job is to get cash to Sandia for jobs. Go to the IG and the GAO with dead proof of fraud, but they have no stomach for taking on the national security mafia now in power here. You can't any Congressional oversight committee to even take your call, they know you can't fight the likes of LockMart and Baker Botts. They own too many Senators. It would take some kind of multi-fatality incident to get even the most rudimentary investigation rolling at Sandia. My advice to other Sandians: don't bother. Carpenter was lucky, and good for him. Vote with your feet, get out while you can, the management here is criminal (as the jury found) and in league with other criminals in government. There is a point where your responsibility to the public ends, you are not required to sacrifice your economic well-being and reputation to combat a powerful enemy that cannot be defeated. SO take care of yourselves and your families, and find an honest place to work.
The responses from SNL leadership in this whole thing make me uneasy. If this can happen to him, it can happen to any of us. If I am to believe what managers are saying, I cannot see how it is possible SNL lost the court trial.
Juries are not always the right. Remember the jury that said OJ Simpson was not guilty? I am not sure what to believe regarding whether or not Shawn should have been fired. It appears that he was insubordinate, and whether the greater good of national security was really served by him or not is hard to tell. A Time magazine article said that he was eventually asked by the FBI to stop doing is back hacking, so apparently there were some issues we don't know anything about. At any rate, I just wanted to add my 2 cents that juries sometimes make the wrong choice. Giving him that kind of money seems inappropriate, even if Sandia was totally wrong. It feels like the McDonalds case where spilling hot coffee is worth a lot more than it really is. Juries giving settlements that are the equivilent of winning the lottery is just plain stupid. If he was wrongfully fired, give him an appropriate settlement, don't make him filthy rich. Regarding who should run the labs, let's hope no one on the jury does!
Dear March 10, 2007 7:50 PM,
It sounds like you have some really innovative ideas for revamping our justice system. Maybe things could be simplified if we just had more people like you to make expedient judgments of guilt and innocence based on news reporting. Why even bother with juries when we have smart people like you that can determine what amount of money is appropriate? You should run for elected office, so all citizens can benefit from your superior intellect. At a minimum, you should write the judge in this case, and communicate all of your brilliant theories to him.
You are right on the money about punitive damages also. Companies like Sandia should be allowed to run their business however they see fit. I don't see what is wrong with threatening employees and their family members once in awhile to keep them in line - especially if they go to the FBI with issues of national security. Addtionally, it is obvious that you have an extensive legal background with the enlightening case law examples you have cited in your posting.
We need more forward-looking and intelligent people like you at important institutions like Sandia, Los Alamos and Livermore. You should gather up your two cents and apply to help them run these places. As a side job, you could also help the engineers design a rocket or two while you are there. Don't waste any more of your brain power on these silly blog entries. Your country needs you now.
Sorry, to be anonymous. There is retribution at the Labs for reporting wrong doing. I think there is a push from the Labs leadership to get rid of older employees as well as those of us who choose to expose unethical behavior.
This is wasted real estate on the Net. The owner could have done something useful with it, but instead squandered the opportunity for some reason or another. At least have the courtesy to delete the site. Maybe some day someone with more heart will try again.
Is this Blog still updated? I have been a contractor working for Sandia for several years now. I am disusted with how unethical and incompotent behavior is not only ignored but rewarded. As a contractor, Sandia has final say over job advancement possibilities, while mt contract company can only sit on the sidelines and watch.
Also, there is no incentive what so ever to better yourself as a contractor or Sandian with a new degree, because the compenstation increase is minimal and set in stone. Why should I bust my a$$ to go back to school for a degree, and look forward to a 5% maximum raise. The HELL with that!
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