Panel Discussion

A nuclear engineer with an Executive MBA from Stanford University, Howard Walls will discuss how Dr. Harold Conner served as a mentor when it came to managing and leading the complex Nuclear Facilities Operations at key Nuclear Facilities in the Department of Energy.

Walls will recount his nearly four decades of managerial experience in Nuclear Facilities Operations. He formerly served as vice president and director of Strategic Planning and Mission Integration for Westinghouse Savannah River Company, which operated the Savannah River Site in South Carolina for the U.S. Department of Energy. He was responsible for directing the development of strategies in support of the Savannah River Site’s present missions and the integration of new missions. He was named Deputy to Dr. Conner who ran all Nuclear Operations except for the Canyons at the Savannah River Site.

Walls was recruited by Dr. Conner for the contract transition for URS, B&W, Bechtel, and Texas A&M to manage and operate the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California. Conner was named Associate Director for the Facilities and Infrastructure Directorate, Howard Walls served initially as Facilities and Infrastructure Directorate Maintenance Manager for all Nuclear and non-nuclear Facilities. Ultimately Mr. Walls was named the Deputy Associate Director of the Facilities and Infrastructure Directorate, reporting to Dr. Conner.

Howard Walls, as the Senior Vice President of Business Development of Westinghouse Government Services Business Unit, was instrumental in recruiting Dr. Conner away from the Oak Ridge Operations of the Department of Energy to join the Savannah River Site Operations and will relay that story.

Walls holds Bachelor of Science degrees in physics and in mathematics from Tougaloo College and a Master of Science degree in nuclear engineering from Tuskegee Institute.