A nationwide search resulted in the selection of Porter, currently legal counsel for the laboratory operations sector at Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio. Porter will join Los Alamos National Laboratory as general counsel on January 8.
Dickson informed Laboratory management of his retirement plans about a year ago. He has been the Laboratory's general counsel since 1997 and has been at the Laboratory since 1990. Dickson earned his law degree from Baylor University in 1965.
"Frank's solid understanding of the legal issues associated with a large, complex institution like Los Alamos has greatly contributed to the Laboratory and he will be missed," said Laboratory Director Michael Anastasio. "We wish him well as he retires to begin the next chapter of his life."
Porter has more than 30 years experience as a practicing attorney, 10 of those in legal management, with a particular expertise in the identification, management, and mitigation of business risks, with primary emphasis on risks arising in a government setting.
Porter earned his law degree from Louisiana State University and his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from Louisiana Tech.
"Steve brings a valuable level of legal expertise to the Laboratory," said Anastasio. "His current practice of law at Battelle focuses on the operations of its five DOE labs. This experience, coupled with his work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and DOE, makes him uniquely qualified to head the legal counsel's office at Los Alamos."
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and Washington Group International for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.