[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 100 (Monday, June 22, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S4343]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      RECOGNIZING DR. PAUL HOMMERT

 Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. President, I wish to recognize Dr. Paul 
Hommert on his retirement. I have had the pleasure of working with Paul 
on a number of occasions during his tenure with Sandia National 
Laboratories. I greatly appreciate and respect his professionalism, 
knowledge, and dedication as the director of Sandia National 
Laboratories and president of Sandia Corporation. Paul has given a 
great deal to this Nation and to its defense. The importance of his 
work directly involves the complex threats facing our country focusing 
on national security and technology innovation.
  Paul began his career with Sandia as a member of the technical staff 
in 1976 and then gradually moved to positions of increased 
responsibility in a broad range of programs and management assignments. 
He initially led programs supporting energy research, and from the mid- 
to late-1990s, he was director of engineering sciences. Later in his 
career, Dr. Hommert became the Director of Research and Applied Science 
at the Atomic Weapons Establishment in the United Kingdom, where he led 
the science and engineering organization responsible for the United 
Kingdom's nuclear deterrent. From 2003 to 2006, Dr. Hommert led the 
Applied Physics Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The 
division was responsible for nuclear weapon design and assessment, 
weapon performance code development, and weapon science support. Dr. 
Hommert returned to Sandia to become vice president of Sandia's 
California site, a position he held until 2009, when he transitioned to 
Sandia's main site in Albuquerque to become Executive Vice President 
and Deputy Laboratories Director for the Nuclear Weapons Program. In 
July 2010, Dr. Hommert became the Director of Sandia National 
Laboratories and President of Sandia Corporation.
  Throughout his distinguished career, Paul has received numerous 
awards, such as the Outstanding Alumnus Award for Professional 
Excellence from Purdue's School of Mechanical Engineering, and a 
Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award from Purdue's College of 
Engineering. In addition, Dr. Hommert was named Laboratory Director of 
the Year in 2013 by the Federal Laboratory Consortium for his support 
of Sandia's technology transfer activities. This award recognizes 
federal laboratories and their industry partners for outstanding 
technology transfer efforts and has become one of the most prestigious 
honors in technology transfer. Paul has represented our country with 
integrity and honor, and it is my privilege to thank him for his 
contribution to our nation's security. I wish him best of luck, 
continued happiness, and offer my congratulations on his 
retirement.

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