Saluting the Exceptional Service of Oak Ridge’s Gerald Boyd

Dr. Brinkman presenting a certificate and shaking hands with Gerald Boyd

Photo credit: Lynn Freeny

Office of Science Director Dr. William Brinkman presents Gerald Boyd with the Secretary’s Exceptional Service Award.

Exceptional service takes many forms. It might be the steady unseen hand behind the completion of projects and the revitalization of important sites. It might be a relentless reach for excellence, consistent achievements that surpass what is expected that sets the stage for true leadership in great science. It may even come in the shape of a muddy boot, for outstanding service to the community.

Gerald Boyd, who recently retired as manager of the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Office—which oversees and manages the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the East Tennessee Technology Park and the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education—embodied that exceptional service to great science.

Boyd led the revitalization of ORNL, and saw the Oak Ridge Office itself to some of its best years so far, after becoming manager in 2003. He played a pivotal role in the largest and most complex science project in the country, the $1.4 billion Spallation Neutron Source http://neutrons.ornl.gov/, which was completed on time and on budget. He made major progress in environmental management, and saw the creation of ORNL's Science and Technology Park, where companies can collaborate on the technologies of the future. Most of all, Boyd built the Oak Ridge Office into a place where people in both the public and private sectors know they can come to achieve results on their high technology, high priority projects.

For his relentless commitment to excellence in management and service, Boyd was awarded two Presidential Rank Awards. He also earned the Muddy Boot Award for his outstanding community service to the East Tennessee region. And on his retirement, he was granted the Secretary's Exceptional Service Award for an outstanding career in public service.

Gerald Boyd has left an outstanding example. The revitalized effort in East Tennessee speaks to his facility for management and his relentless reach for excellence. We're proud to salute him, for his exceptional service to great science at the Oak Ridge Reservation.

For more information about Oak Ridge Office, please go to: http://www.oakridge.doe.gov/external/. And for more information about the Office of Science, please go to our new website at: http://science.energy.gov/.

Linda A. Ponce is Acting Director of Communications and Public Affairs for the Office of Science.