Maxwell Woods Named ODOE’s New Assistant Director for Nuclear Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Following the recent retirement of longtime Oregon Department of Energy employee Ken Niles, we are pleased to announce that Maxwell Woods has been named our new Assistant Director for Nuclear Safety and Emergency Preparedness. Max is no stranger to ODOE, having served as a Senior Policy Advisor and Team Lead on the Energy Facility Siting Team over the last six years. “Max has a breadth of experience inside and out of state government, including as a Peace Corps volunteer. He is a strong leader who will bring a clear understanding of and passion for the work of ODOE to this job,” said ODOE Director Janine Benner.
Woods is an experienced leader in Oregon environmental and energy policy. Prior to working for ODOE, he worked for AECOM as an environmental planner, managing energy and environmental projects across the Western United States and Canada. He has an MS in Environmental Science from Washington State University, Pullman, a BA in Environment, Economics, and Politics and a BA in History, both from Claremont McKenna College in California. He is also a returned Peace Corps Volunteer, having spent time in Bulgaria assigned to the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds. Originally from Whittier, California, Woods now resides in SW Portland with family and a pair of cats. Woods has expressed that he is, “committed to carrying on the respected legacy of his predecessor and excited to continue contributing to the important mission of the department in this new role.”
The Nuclear Safety and Emergency Preparedness Division is responsible for protecting the environment and the health and safety of Oregonians from radioactive waste contamination, and managing ODOE’s role in nuclear and energy-related emergency preparedness. The nuclear safety program provides technical and administrative support for the Oregon Hanford Cleanup Board, technical and policy support to the regional Hanford Advisory Board, and provides accurate information to Oregonians about the cleanup efforts at the Hanford Nuclear Site. The program enforces Oregon’s rules prohibiting the disposal of radioactive waste within the state, regulates the safe transport of radioactive materials through Oregon, and ensures past cleanup actions at two former uranium mines and a mill tailing disposal site remain protective. The emergency preparedness program works with LNG developers and local, state, and federal officials to develop and implement an emergency preparedness program for the operation of an LNG terminal. The program also makes decisions about allocation of petroleum within the state during a petroleum shortage through partial or full activation of the Oregon Fuel Action Plan. “I’m thrilled to work with Max as he brings a fresh approach to the agency’s emergency planning efforts that will elevate our fuel, LNG, and nuclear emergency preparedness programs to the next level,” states Deanna Henry, ODOE’s Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, who is a 28-year veteran of the agency.
New Assistant Director of Nuclear Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Maxwell Woods.