RICHLAND, Wash. -- The Federal Laboratory Consortium has named William J. Madia, former director of the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 1999 Laboratory Director of the Year. The award recognizes Madia's leadership in technology transfer during his tenure at Pacific Northwest.
Each year, the FLC's National Advisory Council honors one or more laboratory directors who have promoted the transfer of technology from the federal laboratory system to industry. There are more than 700 member laboratories. This year, Madia shares the honor with three colleagues who represent DOE, National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Department of Agriculture facilities.
Madia served as Pacific Northwest director from August 1995 until November 1999, when he was promoted to corporate executive vice president at Battelle. Battelle operates Pacific Northwest for DOE. Starting April 1, 2000, Madia will serve as director of DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which will be managed by Battelle and the University of Tennessee.
While at Pacific Northwest, Madia established valuable ties with industry and launched the laboratory's Economic Development Office, a central resource for technology transfer programs. These programs proved crucial to building new industrial partnerships and creating local jobs and businesses during a time of downsizing at Pacific Northwest and the nearby Hanford Site.
"We were very impressed by his leadership and interest in getting involved with private industry, economic development of the region and overall commitment to technology transfer," said Jagdish Mathur, chairman of the FLC National Advisory Council. "Dr. Madia's efforts and contributions are exemplary and we are proud to recognize him."
Technology transfer successes at Pacific Northwest can be traced to economic development programs created under Madia's leadership. These economic development efforts resulted in the creation of 42 local businesses in 40 months, including a spin-off company that has commercialized a conversion technology for treating solid wastes. Another success story is a new company created to sell pre-paid phone cards and other telecommunications services to the growing Hispanic community.
Programs launched under Madia's tenure also allow staff members to pursue entrepreneurial interests while maintaining employee benefits, such as insurance coverage; provide technical assistance to help companies relocate to the area; and offer facilities with state-of-the art laboratories, equipment and space that new businesses need to access but often cannot afford.
Outside the laboratory, Madia served as a member of several state and regional industrial development organizations.
An awards ceremony will be held May 10 at the FLC's annual meeting in Charleston, S.C. The FLC ( http://www.federallabs.org ) was established in 1974 to facilitate the transfer of federally-developed technologies to the U.S. marketplace.
More information is available on Pacific Northwest's economic development programs at http://www.pnl.gov/edo/. Business inquiries on Pacific Northwest technologies should be directed to 1-888-375-PNNL or e-mail: inquiry@pnl.gov .
Pacific Northwest is one of DOE's nine multiprogram national laboratories and conducts research in the fields of environment, energy, health sciences and national security. Battelle, based in Columbus, Ohio, has operated Pacific Northwest for DOE since 1965.