NSTec Employees Recognized by DOE

April 18, 2013

Two managers for National Security Technologies (NSTec), the management and operating contractor for the Nevada Test Site, are being recognized for their energy efficiency achievements. Susan Livenick, project manager, and Lance Rakow, Logistics Services manager, have been selected to receive the 2009 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Management Award. Livenick is being recognized for her work on the North Las Vegas Building B3 project. Rakow is being recognized for his work on the Nevada Test Site Fleet project. The awards are given by the DOE Federal Energy Management Program to recognize outstanding achievements in energy and water management.

Livenick has worked at the Nevada Test Site since 1997. As Project Manager for the B3 administration office, she was instrumental in the completion of the National Nuclear Security Adminstration/Nevada Site Office’s (NNSA/NSO) first “green” building. The structure incorporates state-of-the-art automation to monitor and control lighting, heating, cooling and air quality. Additional “green” features include an insulated roof which reduces heating, enhanced refrigeration management, and desert-friendly landscaping – all which were expected to improve energy efficiency by 17.5 percent. Completion of the B3 project also brought to a close NSO’s beryllium cleanup project and made space available to move employees from the Nevada Support Facility. “The NSTec team worked long and hard to make the B3 project a reality, and I’m honored that the DOE would recognize us in this way,” Livenick said.

Rakow is being recognized for his efforts overseeing the conversion of nearly all fleet vehicles at the Nevada Test Site to using environmentally-friendly (E-85) ethanol and biodiesel fuels. Many agencies have switched to using E-85, which reduces vehicles’ petroleum use by 85 percent. “We took on the task of constructing and operating an E-85 fuel station, and have, for a long time, used biodiesel as an alternative to Diesel No. 2 at the Test Site,” Rakow said. “It really has been a team effort that’s achieved this over the years.”

Both managers will receive the award at a special awards ceremony on Aug. 12 in Providence, Rhode Island.