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Under new direction, Sandia National Laboratories’ Livermore campus continues with its decades-long mission in national security.
At the helm since June 16 is Toby Townsend, associate labs director for the integrated security solutions division. He succeeds Andrew McIlroy, whose forthcoming retirement was announced in April.
In Townsend’s new role, he oversees operations at the Livermore campus, manages the California Nuclear Deterrence programs, directs Sandia’s Energy and Homeland Security portfolio and leads a workforce of more than 2,000 staff across California, New Mexico, Texas and Alaska, according to a statement from Sandia last month announcing Townsend’s promotion.
In addition to the labs’ priority in nuclear deterrence, Townsend expressed an interest in upholding Sandia’s workforce consistency and the labs’ community involvement during an interview with Livermore Vine.
“Our primary mission at Sandia National Laboratories is the nuclear deterrent,” Townsend said. “We will meet all our milestones and mission objectives for the country on the nuclear deterrent.”
Since joining Sandia as an intern in 1999, Townsend has led national security space programs, nuclear detonation detection and defense nuclear nonproliferation, according to Sandia’s announcement. Prior to taking the helm, Townsend served as director of nuclear deterrence systems, guiding the W80-4 warhead modernization program and leading the California stockpile systems and engineering services teams.
His positions have often included helping scientists and engineers communicate their work with the general public or Washington D.C., he said.
“A lot of times, I think that our scientists can get pretty deep into a field and often glaze over the nuances of how it might impact the everyday person’s life,” Townsend said.
In effect, he has helped translate research into its impacts on everyday life.
At the Livermore site, major programs include the W80-4 Life Extension Program to extend the life of the W80-1 warhead and the W87-1 Modification Program to replace the aging W78 warhead, according to factsheets available through the U.S. Department of Energy website. Sandia is set to meet commitments and mission deliveries regarding these programs, as guaranteed to the DOE and its National Nuclear Security Administration as well as the U.S. Department of Defense, Townsend said.
Sandia also supports the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, a role it will continue to fulfill, according to Townsend.
Additionally, Sandia will continue its work in energy technologies.
“We do believe that energy is going to be paramount to United States success,” Townsend said. “We will continue to do fundamental research both in energy production and the efficient use of energy.”
He is also keyed into workforce stability.
This means “making sure that we manage an effective business so that we’re a stable employer in Livermore and that you don’t see big swings up and down,” Townsend said.
Relations with the local community are also important, Townsend said. This includes Sandia’s traffic-related considerations to avoid adding congestion to the roads.
Sandia is also set to develop an on-site photovoltaic farm to reduce its direct impact on the community, following a project agreement signed in June, according to Townsend.
“It adds both resilience to us from a mission perspective, because we’re operational 24/7, but it also offsets some of our carbon footprint and I think that’s the right direction to be heading as an institution,” he said of the photovoltaic farm project.
However, additional details about the project are not currently available as Sandia has not made any official announcements as of yet, lab spokesperson Michael Langley told Livermore Vine.
As for Sandia’s current role in the community, it has contracts with California businesses on the order of $260 million, including approximately $165 million targeted at small businesses in the state, Townsend said.
Additionally, the site’s budget is over half a billion dollars and a lot of that is composed of salaries, Townsend said. Those salaries then make up the tax base in Livermore and the wider Tri-Valley.
Sandia also gives back to the community, including its fundraising through an annual giving campaign.
Other engagement comes in the form of science and math bowls.
“We’re math and scientists at heart and so we’re always going to promote it,” Townsend said. “We look at it as a pipeline for future employees too, so it’s good for us as well.”
