News Release: Dan E. Arvizu Named Director of National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Senior Vice President at Midwest Research Institute
Golden, CO and Kansas City, MO — The appointment of Dan E. Arvizu as Director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, CO, and Senior Vice President at Midwest Research Institute was announced today by James L. Spigarelli, President and CEO of Midwest Research Institute (MRI). Arvizu, formerly Senior Vice President and Chief Technology officer for CH2M Hill, succeeds Vice Admiral Richard H. Truly whose retirement was announced last June. Arvizu's appointment is effective January 15, 2005.
MRI, headquartered in Kansas City, has operated and managed NREL for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) since the NREL facility opened in 1977. Beginning in 1998, Battelle has teamed with MRI in managing and operating NREL through an integrated subcontract agreement.
"Dan brings an exceptional cache of energy expertise, significant technology transfer capability and strong leadership experience, not only with national laboratories but also with public and private businesses, that make him the ideal candidate for this important position," said Spigarelli. "We are pleased to have him join our management team and look forward to his leadership role as he works with the NREL team and the DOE to address the many significant energy challenges of the future."
"Dan is well known around the Department of Energy as someone who understands energy technology—not just renewable energy, but nuclear and fossil energy as well," said David K. Garman, Assistant Secretary of Energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U. S. Department of Energy. "Dan shares our view about the importance of getting our technology out of the lab and into the marketplace, and he is an excellent choice to lead NREL. Under Dan's leadership, we expect NREL to achieve new heights of technical excellence and market relevance."
Arvizu joined CH2M Hill in Englewood, CO, in 1998, as vice president and director of the Energy and Industrial Systems Business Group, a newly created group. After successfully leading the energy group to become a $100 million dollar operation, in 2002, he was promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for the Federal and Industrial Client Sector spanning seven business groups. It was the position he held prior to his new appointment at NREL.
Before joining CH2M Hill, Arvizu had a distinguished career at Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) as a researcher and manager in the field of energy. In 1973, he joined Bell Laboratories Technology Staff in Denver; then in 1977 he was transferred to SNL's solar energy division in Albuquerque, NM. At the time SNL was operated by Bell Labs.
While in this assignment he managed the construction of the heliostat field for what was at the time the largest solar facility in the world.
In 1984, Arvizu was named supervisor in the Photovoltaic Cell Research and Concentrator Research Division at SNL. He progressed through a succession of management assignments where he was responsible for a number of significant advancements in solar cells. He and his team received international recognition for achieving world records in solar-to-electricity conversion efficiency.
In 1988 Arvizu was promoted to manager of Technology Transfer and Industrial Relations and two years later to director of the Technology Commercialization Center where he led SNL's efforts in creating industrial alliances and in developing and implementing a technology maturation program to ensure rapid commercialization of technology for U.S. industry. In 1992, he became director of the Advanced Energy Technology and Policy Center and in 1996 he was named director of the Materials and Process Science Center, the position he held until joining CH2M Hill in 1998.
For the past several months Arvizu has also held an interim position as a loaned executive with the University of Chicago as executive director of Energy Programs working with officials to leverage research resources toward new energy initiatives for the University.
Arvizu holds both a PhD and Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from New Mexico State University.
Arvizu was recently appointed to the National Science Board by President George W. Bush and serves on a number of distinguished boards and councils including the Army Science Board for the Department of Defense, the National Coal Council for the Department of Energy, Corporate Advisory Board for the Colorado School of Mines, Board of Directors for the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Award Conference, and the Board of Advisors for the Greater Metropolitan Denver Salvation Army. He has received numerous awards including being named one of the "Top 50 Most Important Hispanics in Business and Technology" by Hispanic Engineer & Information Technology Magazine.