Director,
Technology Innovation and Development
Yvette Collazo
U.S. Department of Energy
Ms. Yvette T. Collazo is currently the Director for the Office of Technology Innovation &
Development at the US Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management in Washington, DC.
In this capacity, she is responsible for identifying and advancing technologies, processes, and
technical practices that improve the performance of EM’s waste processing, groundwater and soil,
and nuclear materials projects over their lifecycle, from planning to disposal.
Recently Ms. Collazo served as the Director for the EM Office of Deactivation & Decommissioning (D&D)
and Facility Engineering. Her Office was responsible for reducing project technical risk and uncertainty
through Technology Development and Deployment thus enabling the implementation of safe, cost-effective,
efficient, and timely D&D of facilities. She was also responsible for optimizing remaining EM Real Property
assets supporting ongoing operations while transforming EM’s Energy management initiatives.
Ms. Collazo entered the Senior Executive Service and was appointed the Assistant Manager for Closure
Project at the DOE Savannah River Operations Office in May 2006. In this capacity, Yvette provided
leadership and direction for Programs associated with the clean up of radiological, industrial and
groundwater hazards resulting from more than 40 years of nuclear materials production at the 310-square
mile Federal facility. Yvette was responsible for the ongoing D&D of facilities once used for the
production of nuclear materials. She also led the Environmental Quality Division and the Infrastructure
Support Division and managed the administration of the Citizens Advisory Board, the Environmental Justice
Program, and the National Historic Preservation Program.
Prior to her assignment to SRS she was the Director for Program Support Services at the DOE Chicago
Office (CH). In this capacity she was responsible for leading the technical support to the CH Plutonium
Disposition Program, Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability assistance awards, and the Science
Congressionally mandated construction grants. Prior to this position she performed in positions of
increasing responsibility including Team Leader for the CH Environmental Management Program, DOE’s
National Peer Review Coordinator for the Office of Science and Technology, and as the Chair of the
DOE National Hispanic Employment Program Manager’s Advisory Council.
Yvette’s major accomplishments include the D&D of the Argonne National Laboratory-East’s (ANL-E’s)
JANUS Reactor, Building 212 Plutonium Glove boxes, and Building 200 Hot Cells. She led the issuance
of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Part B Permit for ANL-E and negotiations with the Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency that resulted in a unique RCRA Corrective Action Process with streamlined
documentation and a defined completion schedule. She also was part of the team responsible for the
construction of the Savannah River Site Biomass Steam Plant which resulted in a new boiler system
that utilizes less energy consumption, lower operating and maintenance costs, and complies with new
Clean Air Act Standards.
Yvette was a recipient of the Federal Energy Management Program, Transformational Energy Action
Management Program Effectiveness Award (2008) and a DOE Exceptional Award for her leadership in
the CH Environmental Management Program (2005). She also received the National Association of
Hispanic Federal Executives Distinguished Public Service Award (2003), a DOE Technology Innovation
Silver Award for the Phytoremediation Project (2002) and a Secretary of Energy Award for Achievement
in Education and Career Development (1999).
Yvette holds a Master of Science in Environmental Management and a Certificate of Environmental
Studies from the Illinois Institute of Technology; and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering,
from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus.
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