Frances Alston to lead Environmental Safety and Health at the Laboratory

Frances Alston has been selected as the director for Environmental Safety and Health (ES&H) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Director Parney Albright announced today. Alston's appointment is effective May 14.

As Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's (LLNL) new ES&H director, Alston will report to Deputy Director Tom Gioconda and serve as a member of the Laboratory's senior management team. She comes to LLNL from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) East Tennessee Technology Park in Oak Ridge where she served as the Environmental Safety, Health and Quality deputy manager.

Alston brings to her new position extensive experience developing, implementing and managing ES&H programs for the DOE. The foundation of her career is built on 24 years at DOE's Savannah River site where she implemented and led ES&H programs.

"Throughout her career with parent company URS, which includes international assignments, Frances has delivered superior performance in complex situations, involving multiple stakeholders," Gioconda said. "She has dealt effectively with challenging safety, operational, regulatory and environmental issues and comes with outstanding credentials and professional affiliations."

Alston is a Certified Hazards Material Manager (CHMM) and Professional Engineering Manager (PEM). She has a Ph.D. in industrial and system engineering and a MSE degree in engineering management, both from the University of Alabama. Previously, Alston earned a master's degree in hazardous and waste materials management/environmental engineering from Southern Methodist University and a bachelor's degree in industrial hygiene and safety/chemistry from Saint Augustine's College. 

"I am honored to have been selected for this position and look forward to working with Lawrence Livermore's management team," Alston said.