Lab Selects Kenneth Neves Of Boeing As First Full Time CIO

Kenneth W. Neves, a computer and information technology expert from Boeing, has been selected to serve as the Laboratory’s first full-time chief information officer (CIO) and will start in late June.

Neves, former director of computer science research at Boeing, will have responsibility for the Laboratory’s information infrastructure and computer security. He will work in LLNL’s Computation Directorate, reporting directly to Associate Director Dona Crawford.
"Computation is the backbone of everything we do here at the Laboratory, from basic science and technology R&D to business operations," Crawford said. "Ken brings the breadth and depth in research and development as well as information management needed to create a long-term information management strategy for the Laboratory in a rapidly evolving information technology environment."

Neves will lead an effort to craft a robust information management system that meets the needs of individual national security programs as well as the collective needs of the Laboratory. As the new CIO, he will have the responsibility to develop an "enterprise plan," a strategic vision of an information infrastructure that will serve the Lab well into the 21st century.

"I am looking forward to helping the Laboratory’s directorates with the wide range of information management challenges they face in supporting mission-oriented research programs," Neves said. "Foremost will be the commitment to continue and enhance the high level of security and information assurance in view of increased international activity in cyberterrorism. My long-term goal will be to coordinate broad improvements to the Lab’s information environment that bring value to the users and major programs at a reasonable and appropriate cost."

"The Laboratory has been at the forefront of scientific computing for most of its 50 years," Lab Director Bruce Tarter said. "The addition of CIO Ken Neves is another evolutionary step that will ensure the Laboratory’s position at the forefront of information technology well into the next 50 years."

Michael Anastasio, deputy director for Strategic Operations, said Neves’ selection "marks a concerted effort to enhance the value of the Lab’s information infrastructure and integrate the various efforts across the Lab into an efficient and effective information system."
Prior to joining LLNL, Neves was the director of computer science research at the Boeing Company in Seattle. In that role he established long-term research collaborations with IBM, Hitachi and a major computer aided design (CAD) supplier, and has played an active role in advising programs and computing organizations in system selection, performance and scalability of enterprise applications.

Neves was selected as a senior technical fellow (STF) of Boeing in 1990, joining eight existing STFs. He was selected for his contributions to the field of computation internal and external to Boeing. He has served on computing selection boards and has advised information technology decision makers both within Boeing and externally for over a decade. In his 26 years with Boeing he managed efforts in intelligent document technology, grid computing, network and communications technology, high-performance computing, knowledge discovery, and intelligent systems.

Most recently, Neves led a team developing Boeing’s information technology research strategy and also its R&D response to aviation security and the war on terrorism. He has served as an adviser to Boeing’s computing complex, including the company’s CIO and other computing organizations.

Neves is no stranger to the Laboratory. He has served on Computation’s Directorate Review Committee, which is an external group of experts that advises the associate director and Laboratory director in the area of computing.

Neves received his Ph.D in mathematics (numerical analysis) from Arizona State University in 1973; an M.A. in mathematics from the same university in 1970; and a B.A. in mathematics and physics with "great distinction" from San Jose State University in 1968.
The CIO position was created at the Laboratory by Director Bruce Tarter in 1996, and Dave Cooper served as both CIO and Computation Associate Director until he stepped down in 2001. Ted Michels has served double duty as principal deputy associate director in the Computation Directorate and acting CIO since then, while Brenda Turteltaub serves as the deputy CIO.

Founded in 1952, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has a mission to ensure national security and to apply science and technology to the important issues of our time. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.

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