Bret Simpkins
Introduction
Bret Simpkins leads Facilities and Operations (ALDFO), providing mission-enabling services, including facility operations, maintenance, engineering, nuclear facility safety, campus master plan, real estate, site infrastructure, and fire protection for 8.4 million square feet of laboratory, mission, computational, office, and support facilities spanning a 40-square-mile site.
Background
Simpkins brings more than four decades of experience across Department of Defense, Department of Energy, and National Nuclear Security Administration laboratories and production sites. He has led numerous large inter-disciplinary research and development, lab intensive, applied science, engineering, and technology organizations. Teams led by Simpkins executed global technology deployment projects in more than 100 countries, often working in high-risk operational environments to deliver technological solutions to current and evolving national and global security challenges. Topical areas impacted by his work include directed-energy weapons development, nuclear reactor safety, safety and physical security of nuclear facilities and materials, nuclear weapons assembly/disassembly process safety, nuclear weapons and production facility safety, nuclear arms treaty negotiations support, international border and port security, and nonproliferation programs. For the past 12 years, Simpkins has lead Facilities & Operations and nuclear facility safety organizations at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (2015–2018) and Los Alamos since late 2018.
Education / Awards
- MS, Nuclear Engineering — University of New Mexico
- BE, Energy & Power Systems — University of New Mexico
- UNM Distinguished Alumni Award 2019
Area Managed
ALDFO delivers integrated site operations including maintenance, site services, utilities, infrastructure, engineering (including production mission facilities), construction support, nuclear safety, real estate, campus master plan, fleet and asset management. Partnering closely with other directorates, ALDFO provides safe, reliable, resilient infrastructure to support a mission-ready campus that underpins all Laboratory missions. Emphasis is placed on safe operations, customer service, disciplined execution, and workforce development—ensuring that infrastructure keeps pace with mission growth and evolving demands and that next-generation leaders are future-ready.