Biographies
Phil Breidenbach
President and Project Manager
Phil Breidenbach, President and Project Manager for Nuclear Waste Partnership LLC, has more than 30 years of experience in operations and project management at nuclear facilities, including several in recovery mode at Idaho National Laboratory and the Savannah River Site. Prior to joining WIPP in June 2015, he was Director of Nuclear Operations at the Materials and Fuels Complex at Idaho National Laboratory. In that job, he was responsible for 350 employees in 12 nuclear facilities, guiding all aspects of operations, maintenance, engineering, radiation protection, and environment, safety and health, as well as all project activities associated with research on nuclear materials. Prior to that, he was Area Project Manager for the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center facilities at Idaho National Laboratory, where he was responsible for high level waste tank closure, tank farm operations and spent fuel disposition. At the Savannah River Site, he served as the Site Environmental, Safety and Health Manager; H-Area Manager; F-Canyon Complex Deactivation Project Manager; Tritium Facilities Area Operations Manager; Tritium Facilities Chief Engineer; Tritium Facility Training Manager; and Tritium Operations Manager. Breidenbach holds a bachelor’s degree in metallurgical engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. He has been a Registered Professional Engineer in South Carolina since 1988 and a Certified Project Manager since 2002.
Tammy Reynolds
Vice President and Deputy Project Manager
Tammy Reynolds, Deputy Recovery Project Manager for Nuclear Waste Partnership LLC, has 25 years of nuclear operations and project management leadership experience in the DOE complex. She joined the WIPP workforce in October 2011, after directing large, complex high-level waste projects at the Hanford 200 Area, the Idaho Cleanup Project at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center, and the Savannah River Site. All have involved the analysis, characterization and certification of challenging waste forms and extensive interface with regulators. Reynolds brings in-depth institutional knowledge, best practices and lessons learned from these three large generator sites and understands the myriad technical and management challenges faced generally by all generator sites. She holds master and bachelor of science degrees in electrical engineering from the University of South Carolina.
Mike Love
Operations Manager
Mike Love, Operations Manager for Nuclear Waste Partnership LLC, has more than 30 years of experience in nuclear facility operations, maintenance and project management. Prior to joining WIPP, he was director of programs for the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory, where he had overall responsibility for ATR operations and programs and led successful management self-assessments and readiness assessments. Previously, he served as ATR station manager and as nuclear operations maintenance manager. Prior to his work in the government sector, he served in various capacities for Southern California Edison at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. Love holds a master of business administration degree from Pepperdine University and a bachelor of science degree in occupational health and safety from National University and graduated from the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) Senior Nuclear Plant Management course. He has also been involved in a number of reviews with INPO, the World Association of Nuclear Operators and the International Atomic Energy Agency and has supported DOE Office of Science reviews of ITER, the international fusion project.
Farok Sharif
TRU Waste Program Manager
Farok Sharif, TRU Waste Program Manager for Nuclear Waste Partnership LLC, has more than 25 years of experience in the nuclear waste management field, including previously serving as the president and general manager of both NWP and Washington TRU Solutions, the predecessor management and operating contractor at WIPP. Sharif’s key accomplishments at WIPP include leading the development of the highly successful National TRU Program Central Characterization Project, helping WIPP ramp up from one or two waste shipments processed a week to more than 30 per week, and helping to establish and sustain a world-class safety record at WIPP. He holds a bachelor's degree in production and operations research management and a master of business administration degree from New Mexico State University.
Randy Fadeley
Chief Engineer/Engineering Manager
Randy Fadeley, Engineering Manager for Nuclear Waste Partnership LLC, has more than 30 years of experience supporting Department of Energy and Department of Defense contracts, including Savannah River Site, Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Idaho National Laboratory. His experience includes over 20 years of line management in startup and operation of nuclear facilities and 11 years in senior oversight and operations support roles. Prior to joining WIPP, he was Chief Engineer/Engineering Director for the Idaho Nuclear Technology & Engineering Complex (INTEC) at Idaho National Laboratory, where he was responsible for more than 40 employees functioning as the Design Authority for more than 150 buildings/structures, including seven Hazard Category 2 nuclear facilities and three NRC-licensed nuclear facilities. He has extensive experience in facilitating Conduct of Operations improvements and preparing for successful management self-assessments and readiness assessments. Fadeley holds a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Clemson University.
Kevin Donovan
Business Manager
Kevin Donovan, Business Manager for Nuclear Waste Partnership LLC, has more than 30 years of experience in technical and business problem solving, customer service, strategic planning/analysis and implementation, business innovation, team building and leadership, employee and management development, multi-level and multi-discipline internal and external communications, and marketing. Prior to joining WIPP, he was program manager for AECOM’s support contracts at the National Energy Technology Laboratory, where he led an organization of more than 400 employees and subcontractors providing services to R&D, site operations and program management. He had previously served as Director of Marketing and Planning for the Energy and Construction Division. Additionally, he served in a variety of capacities at WIPP (1988-2003), including manager of Environment, Safety and Health; Permitting; and Program Integration. He also had leadership roles in organizations supporting waste generator site readiness, which evolved into the National TRU Program. Donovan holds a master of science degree in industrial engineering from New Mexico State University and a bachelor of science degree in mining engineering from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.
Dennis Cook
General Counsel
Dennis Cook, General Counsel and Secretary for Nuclear Waste Partnership LLC, has more than 30 years of environmental and project management experience, including 20 years in the DOE complex. He provides legal counsel to the board and management team of NWP and also served as general counsel for Washington TRU Solutions, the predecessor management and operating contractor at WIPP. Prior to coming to WIPP, he served as senior counsel at the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas. Cook holds a bachelor of science in biology from Eastern Kentucky University and a juris doctorate from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University.
Mansour Akbarzadeh
Science and Development Manager
Mansour Akbarzadeh, Science and Development Manager for Nuclear Waste Partnership LLC, leads NWP's collaborative efforts with academia, government and non-government organizations to perform research at WIPP. He has 28 years of radiochemistry and laboratory experience and has successfully managed the WIPP laboratory operations for 14 years. Akbarzadeh instituted a comprehensive WIPP analytical program that consistently receives DOE laboratory accreditation and includes capability for rapid analysis of radioisotopes to assist the Department of Homeland Security with national emergency response to nuclear incidents. Akbarzadeh holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of Northern Colorado and has completed several graduate level courses in radiochemistry and nuclear science from the University of New Mexico and the Illinois Institute of Technology.